Two Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton smallboat crews conduct training Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018 near Mayport, Florida in preparation for Hurricane Florence response efforts. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ensign Kiana Kekoa
CHARLESTON, S.C. — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton (WMSL-753) oversaw five Coast Guard cutters in the Surface Action Group South during Hurricane Florence response efforts.
The SAG South conducted post storm damage assessments of the Cape Fear River, Ports of Wilmington and Morehead City, North Carolina. The combined efforts of the cutter Hamilton, Coast Guard Cutters Harriet Lane (WMEC-903), Northland (WMEC-904), Dependable (WMEC-626), Spencer (WMEC-905) and Richard Snyder (WPC-1127), assisted in the reconstitution of Coast Guard Stations Oak Island and Fort Macon.
The SAG South also conducted port assessments for Wilmington and Morehead City verifying positions of numerous aids to navigation critical to the safe navigation for the flow of commerce and documented damage from Hurricane Florence.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of North Carolina and all those impacted by this catastrophic storm,” said Capt. Mark D. Gordon, commanding officer of cutter Hamilton. “The crew of Hamilton worked tremendously hard bringing the ship out of an intensive maintenance period on very short notice and had to leave their families behind, many of whom had to evacuate out of the path of Florence, all in order to do their part to respond to this deadly storm. They truly demonstrated what it means to be Semper Paratus – Always Ready”
The cutter Hamilton is a 418-foot national security cutter homeported in Charleston, South Carolina. It was commissioned in 2014 as the Coast Guard’s fourth national security cutter and its primary missions include counter drug, alien and migrant interdiction, and search and rescue.
The cutters Northland and Harriet Land are 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia. The Dependable is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Little Creek, Virginia. The Spencer is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Boston. The Richard Snyder is a 154-foot fast response cutter homeported in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina.
