USCGC Red Birch (WLM-687)

USCGC Red Birch (WLM-687) is a 100-foot Keeper-class coastal buoy tender commissioned by the United States Coast Guard in 1996. Homeported in Baltimore, Maryland, Red Birch is responsible for maintaining aids to navigation along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, ensuring safe passage for commercial and recreational vessels. In addition to its primary mission, the cutter has supported search and rescue operations, environmental protection responses, and homeland security tasks. Over the years, Red Birch has played a vital role in maintaining maritime safety and supporting Coast Guard missions along the busy mid-Atlantic waterways.