USCGC Joseph Gerczak
USCGC Joseph Gerczak (WPC-1126) is the 26th Template:Sclass2- cutter built for the United States Coast Guard.[1] She will be the second member of the three members of her class to be homeported in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Design
Like her sister ships, Joseph Gerczak is designed to perform search and rescue missions, port security, and the interception of smugglers.[2] She is armed with a remotely controlled, gyrostabilized 25 mm autocannon, four crew-served M2 Browning machine guns, and light arms. She is equipped with a stern launching ramp, that allows her to launch or retrieve a water-jet propelled high-speed auxiliary boat, without first coming to a stop. Her high-speed boat has over-the-horizon capability, and is useful for inspecting other vessels, and deploying boarding parties. She is designed to support her crew of 24 for missions of up to five days, over distances of almost 3,000 nmi (Expression error: Missing operand for round. 0).
Operational history
Although, like her sister ships, the Joseph Gerczak is designed for missions of five days, in July 2019, while accompanied by the larger USCGC Walnut, she undertook the nine day voyage from Hawaii to American Samoa.[3][4] The Coast Guard vessels met with the HMNZS Otago, a Protector class off-shore patrol vessel from New Zealand, to prepare for actual joint missions.[5]
Namesake
In 2010, Charles "Skip" W. Bowen, who was then the United States Coast Guard's most senior non-commissioned officer, proposed that all 58 cutters in the Sentinel class should be named after enlisted sailors in the Coast Guard, or one of its precursor services, who were recognized for their heroism.[6][7] In 2015 the Coast Guard announced that Joseph Gerczak, who coolly shot down two Japanese planes, during World War 2, before he himself was shot, would be the namesake of the 26th cutter.[8]
References
- ↑ FRC Plan B: The Sentinel Class, Defense Industry Daily, 2014-05-02. Retrieved on 2014-04-03. “All of these boats will be named after enlisted Coast Guard heroes, who distinguished themselves in USCG or military service. The first 25 have been named, but only 8 have been commissioned...”
- ↑ Sara Muir. USCGC Joseph Gerczak (WPC 1126) arrives in American Samoa on patrol, Dvidshub, 2019-08-03. Retrieved on 2019-08-05. “'It was a good transit, the longest we’ve conducted yet, nine days at sea and we’re proving the capabilities of these new cutters to operate over the horizon throughout the remote Pacific,' said Lt. James Provost, commanding officer of Joseph Gerczak.”
- ↑ Sara Muir. USCGC Walnut (WLB 205) conducts community engagements in Samoa, Dvidshub.net, 2019-08-09. Retrieved on 2019-08-11. “The crew of the USCGC Joseph Gerczak (WPC 1126) is also operating in the region to conduct fisheries and enforce federal law in the American Samoa EEZ. Both cutter crews will also respond to any emergent search and rescue needs in the area and seek out opportunities to work with partner nation assets. The U.S. Coast Guard and partners combat illegal fishing and other maritime threats across the Pacific, including providing support to Pacific Island Forum nations to protect their resource security and maritime sovereignty.”
- ↑ U.S. Coast Guard, Royal New Zealand Navy Conduct Professional Exchanges in Oceania, Homeland Security Today, 2019-08-15. Retrieved on 2019-08-17. “The commands from USCGC Walnut (WLB 205) and USCGC Joseph Gerczak (WPC 1126) spent time with peers from HMNZ Otago (P148) discussing the mission, challenges and comparing shipboard life in the region.”
- ↑ Susan Schept. Enlisted heroes honored, United States Coast Guard, 2010-03-22. Retrieved on 2013-02-01. “After the passing of several well-known Coast Guard heroes last year, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Charles "Skip" Bowen mentioned in his blog that the Coast Guard does not do enough to honor its fallen heroes.”
- ↑ U.S. Coast Guard announces name for first Sentinel-class cutter, 2010-03-22. Retrieved on 2013-02-01. “Previously designated to be named the Coast Guard Cutter Sentinel, the cutter Bernard C. Webber will be the first of the service's new 153-foot patrol cutters. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen approved the change of the cutter's name to allow this class of vessels to be named after outstanding enlisted members who demonstrated exceptional heroism in the line of duty. This will be the first class of cutters to be named exclusively for enlisted members of the Coast Guard and its predecessor services.”
- ↑ Acquisition Update: Coast Guard Reveals Names of FRCs 26-35, US Coast Guard, 2015-02-27. Retrieved on 2017-03-25. “The Coast Guard recently announced the names of the 26th through 35th Sentinel-class fast response cutters through a series of posts on its official blog, the Coast Guard Compass.”