laststandonzombieisland

If you don’t think this is beautiful, what are you even doing here?

Official caption: “The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750) sails under the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge while returning to Coast Guard Base Alameda, Calif., following a 77-day counter-narcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Dec. 3, 2022.”

Bertholf, one of four new and advanced frigate-sized Ingalls-built 418-foot Legend-class national security cutters homeported in Alameda capable of extended, worldwide deployment, performed multiple boardings of suspected drug-smuggling vessels while patrolling international waters off the coasts of Central and South America while coordinated by JIATF-S, which led to the detainment of multiple suspected drug smugglers and the interdiction of more than 1,050 pounds of cocaine.

The largest interdiction during the patrol was a joint effort between the Bertholf and the El Salvadorian Coast Guard. The crews worked together to interdict a 60-foot low-profile vessel (LPV), aka “narco sub.” 

While underway, for the first time in two years, Bertholf’s crew conducted a fueling at sea (FAS) off the coast of San Diego with the U.S. Navy. She also supported fast-roping qualifications for the Coast Guard’s Maritime Security Response Team-West (MSRT-W) personnel, an elite counter-terrorism unit that does lots of cool guy stuff.