USCGC Stratton completes 103-day Arctic and Bering Sea patrol

The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL 752) has returned to its home port in Alameda, California, following a 103-day deployment in the Arctic and Bering Sea. The mission focused on reinforcing maritime safety, security, and national sovereignty in high-demand operating areas.

During the patrol, the cutter participated in Operation Frontier Sentinel and Operation Tundra Merlin, working alongside U.S. and Canadian partners. Notable activities included a joint sail with the Canadian offshore patrol vessel HMCS Max Bernays in the Bering Strait to improve interoperability with the Royal Canadian Navy. The crew also conducted flight operations with an MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter near Kotzebue, Alaska, and a live-fire gunnery exercise off the coast of Unalaska.

The deployment also featured a change of command ceremony in Kotzebue, where Captain Matthew Press assumed command from Rear Admiral Dorothy Hernaez, presided over by Rear Admiral Jeffrey Novak.