US Coast Guard to commission 46th Sentinel-class cutter

The US Coast Guard will commission USCGC John Scheuerman (WPC-1146), Patrol Forces Southwest Asia’s fifth Sentinel-class fast response cutter (FRC), into service at the Port of Tampa, today at 10 a.m. ET (local time).

The ship was officially delivered to the US Coast Guard on 22 October 2021, in Key West. It is the 46th Sentinel-class fast response cutter.

Each of these cutters carries the name of a US Coast Guard enlisted hero. The cutter’s namesake is Seaman 1st Class John “Curtis” Scheuerman, a native of Toledo, Ohio. 

On September 9, 1943, during the amphibious invasion of Italy, Seaman 1st Class Scheuerman manned his exposed gun location to direct gunfire against an enemy plane conducting strafing attacks against his ship. He was mortally wounded in the attack, but his efforts contributed to the protection of his ship and crew against further attack. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. 

The FRC is an operational “game changer,” according to senior Coast Guard officials. FRCs are consistently being deployed in support of the full range of missions within the United States Coast Guard and other branches of armed services.  This is due to its performance, expanded operational reach and capabilities, and ability to transform and adapt to the mission.

The cutter’s homeport will be in Manama, Bahrain, as part of US Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). The coast guard took delivery of its final PATFORSWA FRC USCGC Clarence Sutphin last month.

PATFORSWA is composed of six cutters, shoreside support personnel, and the Maritime Engagement Team. The unit’s mission is to train, organize, equip, support and deploy combat-ready coast guard forces in support of US Central Command and national security objectives.