One of three new U.S. Coast Guard cutters is on its way to Alaska and will be homeported in Kodiak.
The Fast Response Cutter John Witherspoon, named after the first African American to command a medium endurance cutter, was delivered to the Coast Guard in Key West, Florida on Nov. 7 by Bollinger Shipyards. Bollinger, which is based in Louisiana, has built 58 of these vessels for the Coast Guard, including this newest cutter.
The John Witherspoon will be the fourth fast response cutter to join the fleet in Alaskan waters, with two more being built. These new cutters will replace the current Island-class patrol boats, like the Alex Haley, which have been in use since the 1980s.
The Fast Response Cutters measure 154-feet, can reach a speed of 28 knots, and have state of the art communications and technology onboard.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard Base Kodiak, Shannon Kearney, told KMXT via email that the newest cutter won’t be commissioned into service for several months, which includes the transit time to Alaska.
The cutter John Witherspoon is expected to bring roughly 50 crew members and their families to Kodiak.
Construction is underway at the Coast Guard’s Nemetz Housing Complex on Base Kodiak to house these new residents in the coming year.
A spokesperson for the Coast Guard says the other two cutters are scheduled to be delivered during the 2025 calendar year.
