The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba (WMEC 907), returned home to Boston, Tuesday, following a 61-day counter-narcotics patrol in the Caribbean Ocean.
The 270-foot Escanaba’s 100-person crew supported operation Leeward Horizon and Unified Resolve, presidential initiatives designed to disrupt transnational criminal organizations in Central and South America.
Escanaba’s crew deployed with two members from the Barbadian Coast Guard, helping strengthen a vital maritime partnership and improving the interoperability between the two nations.
While transiting to their operational area, Escanaba’s crew provided humanitarian and medical assistance to 25 Haitian migrants including five children and a pregnant woman. The migrants were rescued from an unseaworthy vessel and were ultimately repatriated to Haiti.
The crew of Escanaba also rescued two mariners stranded at sea approximately 25 miles from St. Lucia and conducted two boardings of Venezuelan fishing vessels actively fishing in the territorial seas of other countries These boardings assisted in the disruption and reporting of wide spread illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU) in the area.
“I am very pleased with the total team effort from our crew on this patrol,” said Cmdr. Mike Nalli, Escanaba’s commanding officer. “We completed multiple training events with partner nations to combat the flow of illegal drugs into our country and disrupt the criminal networks which operate in that part of the Caribbean. Overall, the crew and I are thrilled with what we accomplished and are excited to be home.”
In addition, the crew of Escanaba also completed a biennial training assessments in Mayport, Florida prior to patrol departure. This training evaluated their overall readiness in five warfare categories: Weapons Systems, Command and Control, Damage Control and Medical, Engineering, and Navigation and Seamanship. Demonstrating proficient mission capabilities, the crew completed over 65 drills and evaluations, earning an overall score of 96%.
Known as “The Pride of Boston,” the Escanaba is a medium-endurance cutter homeported in Boston.
