Members of the United States Coast Guard and the Juneau community held a commissioning ceremony Wednesday afternoon to welcome Coast Guard Cutter Bailey Barco, Alaska’s second fast response cutter.
Bailey Barco is a Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter, a 154-foot ship that is part of a class designed to replace the Coast Guard’s 110-foot Island-class ships.
The Coast Guard plans to purchase 58 fast-response cutters; as of February, the Coast Guard has ordered 38. The Bailey Barco is the 21st placed into service.
This is the second of six Sentinel-class cutters that will eventually find homeport in Alaskan waters.
The cutter is named after the Dam Neck Mills, Virginia, lifesaving station keeper and boat coxswain Bailey Barco, who led the rescue of a schooner’s crew after their ship ran aground off Virginia Beach, Virginia, in December 1900. Barco was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal in October 1901 for his actions.
In attendance were members of Barco’s family, including his great granddaughter Carol Lash Push who is the sponsor of the ship.
The Bailey Barco will patrol coastal regions of Alaska, completing missions in search and rescue as well as managing the state’s fishing industry.
Lieutenant Frank Reed, commanding officer of the USCGC Bailey Barco (left) salutes Vice Admiral Fred Midgette, commander of the coast guard pacific area (right) as the Bailey Barco is officially brought into commission. (Erin Granger | For the Juneau Empire)
