John Beaderstadt

Support Center Kodiak, located on Kodiak Island, Alaska, traces its origins to World War II, when it was established as a key U.S. Navy base to defend the northern Pacific approaches and support operations in the Aleutian Islands. After the war, the installation transitioned to the U.S. Coast Guard, becoming one of the branch's largest bases and serving as a vital logistics and support hub for maritime operations in Alaska’s challenging waters. Over the decades, Support Center Kodiak has provided essential maintenance, supply, housing, and administrative services for cutters, aircraft, and personnel engaged in search and rescue, law enforcement, and environmental protection missions. Today, it remains a cornerstone of Coast Guard operations in the North Pacific, ensuring mission readiness and support for units safeguarding the region.

USCGC Storis (WMEC-38) was a United States Coast Guard cutter commissioned in 1942, originally built as an icebreaker for service during World War II. Throughout her long career, Storis served in the North Atlantic and then the Pacific, playing a vital role in the Greenland Patrol and later supporting operations in Alaska, including search and rescue, law enforcement, and fisheries patrols. In 1957, she became the first American vessel to circumnavigate North America via the Northwest Passage. Decommissioned in 2007, Storis held the distinction of being the oldest commissioned cutter in the Coast Guard fleet at the time of her retirement.

The USCGC Bramble (WLB-392) was a 180-foot seagoing buoy tender of the United States Coast Guard, commissioned in 1944. She served during World War II, primarily maintaining navigational aids and conducting search and rescue missions along the U.S. East Coast and in the Caribbean. In 1957, Bramble made history as part of Task Force One during Operation Deep Freeze, successfully completing a circumnavigation of North America via the Northwest Passage alongside USCGC Spar and USCGC Storis. Throughout her long career, Bramble participated in law enforcement, icebreaking, and environmental protection missions until her decommissioning in 2003.

Support Center Governors Island, NY, traces its military roots to the early days of the United States, as Governors Island served as a strategic defense post in New York Harbor since the Revolutionary War. The island hosted various Army units and commands over the centuries, including Fort Jay and Castle Williams, which played key roles in coastal defense. In the late 20th century, the Support Center was established to consolidate and provide logistical and administrative support for military personnel and operations in the New York City area. The facility continued in this role until 1996, when the Army closed its operations on Governors Island as part of a broader realignment and returned the property to civilian control.

The USN Hospital Corps School Great Lakes was established in 1913 at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, to train enlisted personnel as Hospital Corpsmen for the United States Navy. Over the decades, it became the primary training site for Navy medical personnel, especially during major conflicts such as World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, graduating thousands of corpsmen vital to Navy and Marine Corps operations. The school underwent numerous expansions and curriculum updates to meet evolving medical and operational needs. In 2011, as part of the consolidation of military medical training, the Hospital Corps School at Great Lakes closed, and instruction was relocated to the Medical Education and Training Campus at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

USCGC Acacia (WLB-406) was a 180-foot Iris-class buoy tender commissioned by the United States Coast Guard in 1944. Built for World War II service, Acacia was primarily tasked with maintaining aids to navigation, search and rescue, and icebreaking throughout the Great Lakes and surrounding waters. Over her distinguished career, she responded to numerous emergencies, including maritime accidents and environmental crises, earning a reputation for reliability. After more than six decades of service, Acacia was decommissioned in 2006 and later preserved as a museum ship in Manistee, Michigan.

The US Coast Guard Academy is a military service academy located in New London, Connecticut. It is responsible for training future officers for the US Coast Guard. Cadets at the Academy undergo rigorous academic, physical, and professional training to prepare them for leadership roles in the Coast Guard. Graduates of the Academy go on to serve as commissioned officers in the Coast Guard, protecting and serving the nation's maritime interests.

USCGC MORGENTHAU

U.S. Coast Guard

USCGC Morgenthau (WHEC-722) was a high endurance cutter of the United States Coast Guard, commissioned in 1969. Named after former Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr., the cutter served for nearly five decades. Morgenthau participated in numerous missions, including combat operations during the Vietnam War, drug interdiction, search and rescue, and fisheries enforcement in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. After distinguished service, she was decommissioned in 2017 and transferred to the Vietnamese Coast Guard, where she continues to serve as CSB-8020.

Tracen Cape May is the United States Coast Guard's only enlisted basic training facility. Located in New Jersey, it provides training for new recruits entering the Coast Guard. The facility focuses on developing leadership, physical fitness, and seamanship skills in its trainees. Tracen Cape May plays a crucial role in preparing individuals for their responsibilities as Coast Guard members.