Pascagoula, Miss. – The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Shamal returns to their homeport at Pascagoula’s Singing River Island at 9 a.m. Friday, after completing a 32 day patrol in the Straits of Florida and the Windward Passage.
While deployed in support of Coast Guard Sector Key West and the Coast Guards Seventh District, the crew conducted search and rescue, migrant interdiction and counter-narcotics operations. In addition, the crew conducted extensive readiness training, including basket hoist operations with a Coast Guard HH-65 rescue helicopter and a refueling at sea drill with a Coast Guard Medium Endurance Cutter.
This patrol also marked several crew milestones, including the advancement of Operations Specialist Billy Mears to Chief Petty Officer, the re-enlistment of Operations Specialist 3rd Class Aaron Davis and the recognition of Machinery Technician 2nd Class Christopher Stokes as Shamal’s most recent Sailor of the Quarter.
Shamal is a 179-foot coastal patrol craft with a crew of 33, which was transferred from the Navy to the U.S. Coast Guard on Sept. 29, 2004, and moved to Pascagoula. Shamal is homeported at Singing River Island along with the Coast Guard Cutters Decisive, Tempest and Tornado.
