Cutter Wrangell News

1917- With the outbreak of World War I, the President issued an executive order transferring 30 lighthouse tenders to the War Department. All were subsequently assigned to the Navy Department and 15 lighthouse tenders, four lightships, and 21 light stations also were transferred to the Navy Department. One more tender was transferred on 31 January 1918 making a total of 50 vessels and 1,132 persons. The War Department used those assigned in laying submarine defense nets during and in removing these defenses after the war. Other duties performed by these vessels were placing practice targets, buoys to mark wrecks of torpedoed vessels and other marks for military purposes, as well as being employed on patrols and special duty assignments.

A December 5 ruling against a New Bedford, Mass., - based fishing vessel and its captain was the first federal fisheries prosecution based exclusively on vessel-tracking data gathered by the satellite-based Vessel Monitoring System, reported the National Marine Fisheries Service, an agency of the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. U.S. Coast Guard Administrative Law Judge Edwin M. Bladen assessed a $250,000 fine and ordered the permanent revocation of the federal fishing permit of the fishing vessel Independence, owned by Lobsters, Inc., and the federal vessel operator permit of its captain, Lawrence M. Yacubian, for repeatedly entering an area closed to fishing.

The Commander and staff of U.S. Navy Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 50 embarked HNLMS Amsterdam (A 836) April 7, joining USS Typhoon (PC5), and U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Wrangell (WPB 1332) in the Arabian Sea to conduct maritime security operations (MSO) in support of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150. MSO set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment as well as complement the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations. These operations deny international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material. "It's important to demonstrate that where you're from doesn't matter," said Cmdr. Georges van Aalst, Amsterdam’s commanding officer. Amsterdam is acting as flagship for Capt.

The crew of the 110-ft. Coast Guard Cutter Wrangell is supporting rescue efforts of a vessel that capsized off the coast here. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet crews responded immediately on Thursday after learning that a vessel capsized in a Bahraini harbor, approximately one mile east of the Fifth Fleet's headquarters in Bahrain. Navy and Coast Guard vessels got underway from the Bahrain port to support Bahrain's rescue efforts. A Navy helicopter was launched, and another is standing by to assist the Government of Bahrain who has the lead on search and rescue efforts. In addition, 16 Navy divers were standing by. It is undetermined how the vessel capsized and how many passengers were on board at the time of the accident.

Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge honored Lt. Christopher Barrows at a ceremony on August 6 for his actions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. "Lt. Barrows and his crew carried the fight away from America's shores, and, in the best traditions of the Coast Guard, they denied the enemy any opportunity to harm our nation," said Secretary Ridge. Barrows earned the award while serving as the Commanding Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Wrangell, a 110-ft. patrol boat normally stationed in Portland, Maine. Wrangell represented the first line of dense for Coalition Naval Forces providing protection for mine hunters in the waters of Iraq.

Coast Guard cutter Wrangell, homeported in Portland, Me., along with a Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Honolulu, escorted the first waterborne humanitarian aid shipment into the port of Umm Qasr, Iraq, while members of Coast Guard Port Security Unit 311, from San Pedro, Calif., assisted other coalition forces protecting the harbor. The shipment, consisting of vital aid donated by numerous countries, will be offloaded from the British ship RFA Sir Galahad and distributed to the Iraqi people. Iraqi Freedom, including force protection and port security," said Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Carter, a Coast Guard spokesman in Bahrain. harbor defense command unit.

The Coast Guard Cutter Wrangell and USS Firebolt, with embarked Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment 406, escorted the first commercially transported humanitarian aid shipment into the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr on friday. The Motor Vessel Manar, owned by Manar Marine Services of the United Arab Emirates, delivered almost 700 tons of humanitarian aid including food, water, first aid and transport vehicles. This aid shipment was supplied and coordinated by the UAE Red Crescent Society. This is the fourth aid shipment to arrive in Umm Qasr since the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The first three shipments were transported on British and Spanish naval vessels.