USCG

USCGC TAMAROA (WMEC-166) was originally built as the U.S. Navy salvage tug USS Zuni (ATF-95) in 1943 and served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. After being transferred to the United States Coast Guard in 1946, she was renamed TAMAROA and performed a wide variety of missions, including search and rescue, law enforcement, and oceanographic operations. TAMAROA gained national fame in 1991 for her role in the daring rescues during the "Perfect Storm," saving both Air National Guard and civilian crews in treacherous conditions. She remained in service until her decommissioning in 1994, after which she was eventually sunk as an artificial reef off the coast of Delaware in 2017.

USCGC Bear (WMEC 901) is a United States Coast Guard Famous-class medium endurance cutter commissioned in 1983. Homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia, Bear has participated in a wide range of missions, including search and rescue, law enforcement, counter-narcotics, and homeland security operations. The cutter played a key role in several high-profile drug interdictions in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, seizing thousands of pounds of illegal narcotics. Additionally, Bear has supported humanitarian missions, such as disaster relief efforts following hurricanes and joint exercises with allied naval forces.

USCGC Conifer (WLB-301) was a 180-foot Cactus-class seagoing buoy tender commissioned by the United States Coast Guard in 1943. Built during World War II, Conifer performed vital navigational aid maintenance, search and rescue, and law enforcement missions along the U.S. West Coast and in Alaska. Throughout her service, she supported operations ranging from wartime convoy escort duties to environmental protection and drug interdiction. After more than five decades of distinguished service, USCGC Conifer was decommissioned in 1996, marking the end of a long and versatile career.

USCGC POLAR SEA (WAGB-11) is a United States Coast Guard heavy icebreaker commissioned in 1977. Built in Seattle, Washington, POLAR SEA was designed to break through thick polar ice, supporting scientific research and resupply missions in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. The cutter has played a vital role in Operation Deep Freeze, enabling access to McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Over its service life, POLAR SEA has demonstrated American presence in polar waters and contributed to international cooperation in polar science and logistics.

USCGC UNIMAK (WHEC-379) was a Casco-class high endurance cutter commissioned by the United States Coast Guard in 1943. Originally designed for anti-submarine warfare during World War II, UNIMAK served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, performing convoy escort and search and rescue missions. After the war, she continued active service, undertaking law enforcement, oceanographic, and search and rescue operations, notably in Alaskan and Caribbean waters. UNIMAK remained in service for over four decades before being decommissioned in 1988, earning numerous awards for her distinguished service.

USCGC Valiant (WMEC-621) is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter commissioned in 1967. Built in Lorain, Ohio, Valiant has served in a variety of missions, including search and rescue, law enforcement, and national defense. Over her decades of service, she has played a key role in drug interdiction operations, notably participating in high-profile narcotics seizures in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Valiant has also been involved in humanitarian missions, such as migrant interdiction and disaster relief, reflecting the versatility and commitment of her crew to the Coast Guard’s multifaceted mission.

USCGC Yocona (WMEC-168) was a United States Coast Guard cutter commissioned in 1946, originally built as a seagoing tug (WAT-168) during World War II. Over her lengthy service, Yocona operated primarily in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, performing search and rescue, law enforcement, and fisheries patrol missions. She played vital roles in numerous rescues, including the notable 1965 rescue of survivors from the wrecked *MV Shackleton* near Kodiak Island. Decommissioned in 1996 after 50 years of service, Yocona was eventually sunk as an artificial reef off the coast of Oregon.

The United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), forms the unit commonly referred to as USPHS-NIH. Established to advance the nation’s health research, USPHS officers have been assigned to the NIH since the early 20th century, supporting biomedical research and public health initiatives. The unit has played a critical role in major health crises, including infectious disease responses, vaccine development, and clinical trials. USPHS-NIH personnel continue to serve on the front lines of medical research and public health preparedness, both domestically and internationally.

**ISC Kodiak** is a United States Coast Guard unit located in Kodiak, Alaska, established in 1947 as a Naval Air Station before transferring to the Coast Guard in 1972. Serving as the largest Coast Guard base in the Pacific, ISC Kodiak supports air and sea operations across the vast and challenging Alaskan maritime region. The unit provides crucial logistical, engineering, and administrative support for Coast Guard cutters, aircraft, and personnel engaged in search and rescue, fisheries enforcement, and homeland security missions. Over the decades, ISC Kodiak has played a key role in high-profile rescue operations and disaster response efforts in the North Pacific and Bering Sea.