Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma back home after 60-day patrol in Caribbean

By Charles McMahon, Foster's Daily Democrat

The Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma guards the Hudson River Sept. 17 as part of port security duties after [the] Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Centers in New York. (Photo by PA2 Tom Sperduto)

KITTERY, Maine — The crew on board Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma (WMEC-908) arrived home Tuesday following a 60-day patrol of the Caribbean.

The crew logged hundreds of hours in the cutter's two small boats conducting cooperative law enforcement and boat operations with the Haitian coast guard and several other U.S. Coast Guard assets.

Working with various Coast Guard air stations, the Tahoma participated in hundreds of helicopter operations involving day and night take-offs and landings, refueling, and medical evacuation evolutions with the HH-60 Jayhawk and HH-65 Dolphin aircraft.

The 270-foot cutter is home ported in Kittery, Maine, and is under way with primary missions including maritime law enforcement, illegal immigrant operations and drug interdiction.

You can read the complete story at fosters.com, a service of the Foster's Daily Democrat newspaper, http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090930/GJNEWS_01/709309958/-1/FOSNEWS

The official USCG website for the Tahoma is located at http://www.uscg.mil/lantarea/cgcTahoma/