52-yr-old Coast Guard cutter heads to Bahrain for 2nd career

TDT | Agencies

The US Coast Guard’s 52-yearold cutter Mellon is set to join Bahrain’s Royal Naval Force to continue its legacy of good maritime governance, said a report by the Maritime Executive. Mellon was one of the Coast Guard’s two remaining Hamilton-class high endurance cutters, which are being replaced by the new Legend-class national security cutters as the service’s main long-range asset.

It was decommissioned from US service during a ceremony Thursday at Coast Guard Base Seattle. The decommissioning does not mean that Mellon will retire. “While Mellon’s service to the US Coast Guard now ends, the ship will continue its legacy of good maritime governance after transfer to the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Royal Naval Force,” said Rear Adm. Peter Gautier, deputy commander of Coast Guard Pacific Area.

Mellon’s keel was laid on July 25, 1966, at Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans. She was launched the following year and commissioned on January 9, 1968. The cutter was named after Andrew W. Mellon, who served as treasury secretary from 1921-1932.

Over the past 52 years, Mellon’s crews conducted operations all over the world. From 1969 through 1972, Mellon’s crews served in the Vietnam War, performing naval gunfire support missions and patrolling Southeast Asian waters t o prevent the smuggling of weapons into Vietnam. Mellon’s war service earned the ship the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation.

“It has truly been an honour to serve as the final commanding officer for Coast Guard Cutter Mellon,” said Capt. Jonathan Musman. “The officers, chiefs and crew for this final year have been truly remarkable and can hold their heads high as they operated Mellon with distinction across the North Pacific on three deployments serving our nation. The reliability of the cutter is a product of years and years of properly taking care of this beloved [ship].”