laststandonzombieisland

In line with a 3,500-person shortfall in recruiting and retention—a nearly 10 percent shortage in the enlisted ranks—that is forcing the Coast Guard to take 13 badly-needed cutters out of service in one form or another, some aging 210-foot Reliance class cutters are being essentially placed in what would have been deemed “ordinary” back in the old days.

The CGC Confidence (WMEC-619) and CGC Dependable (WMEC-626) will therefore soon be placed in “commission special” status, pending an eventual decommissioning and likely handover to overseas allies. 

The planned Offshore Patrol Cutter program, which was to replace the 210s and other Cold War-era blue water assets, is behind schedule, so there of course will be a “cutter gap.” 

This means that when the actual ax falls, the crews will no longer be assigned so there will be no traditional decommissioning ceremony, just an administrative move on paper. Sad when you consider these vessels have each put in over a half-century of service. In fact, both recently returned from far-reaching ex-CONUS patrols.

VADM Lunday will host a Heritage Recognition Ceremony onboard Dependable’s homeport of JEB Little Creek in Virginia Beach, VA on April 9th.

Confidence will hold a Cutter Service Recognition Ceremony at 1000 on May 2nd, 2024 at the Coast Guard Station Cape Canaveral.

If you are a former shipmate or know one, those dates may be of interest.

This is as the service is being stretched to its limits to conduct far-reaching patrols in the WestPac, hunt down narco subs in the EastPac, and maintain a squadron of six very busy cutters (PATFORSWA) in the Persian Gulf.

With that, the 27th commandant of the USCG, delivered her second State of the Coast Guard Address this week.

Wait for the news that the service’s maintenance budget will only cover about half of its upcoming needs and current backlog…Ba Dum Tss.