Representatives from the 14th U.S. Coast Guard District, Coast Guard Base Honolulu and Mortenson Federal Contracting Group participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new building at Coast Guard Base Honolulu to support the 2017 arrival of the Coast Guard’s new Fast Response Cutters, Wednesday.
Remarks were presented by Capt. Patrick McElligatt, Coast Guard Base Honolulu commanding officer, Shawn Hamamoto, representing Mayor Caldwell’s office, and Kahu Bill Kaina.
The site was then blessed by a traditional Hawaiian blessing ceremony.
The building will provide maintenance and logistics support for the cutters, which are scheduled to replace the aging fleet of 110-foot patrol boats currently serving the Pacific region. Nine fast response cutters are currently in service in the Carribbean.
The Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter is a new Coast Guard patrol boat that is capable of deploying independently to conduct missions that include port, waterways and coastal security; fishery patrols; search and rescue; and national defense.
[mappress] Press Release, April 24, 2014; Image: USCG