(KEY WEST, Fla.) — The U.S. Coast Guard on Thursday accepted delivery of the 62nd fast response cutter, USCGC Vincent Danz (WPC 1162), in Key West. Built by Bollinger Shipyards, it is the fourth FRC to be home-ported in Guam.
“Accepting delivery of the Vincent Danz, Guam’s newest fast response cutter, demonstrates the Coast Guard’s enduring commitment to the security of our nation, the Pacific, and our partners throughout Oceania,” said Capt. Jessica Worst, commander, Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam. “Vincent Danz exemplified selfless service as a New York firefighter and Coast Guard reservist. This cutter will honor his legacy by protecting lives, combating illicit activity, and ensuring maritime security of our coasts, across Micronesia and beyond.”
The Sentinel-class FRCs replace the 1980s Island-class 110-foot patrol boats and possess 21st-century command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance equipment, with improved habitability and seakeeping.
The Coast Guard has ordered 77 FRCs to date to perform a range of missions, including countering illicit maritime activities, search and rescue, bilateral and multilateral international operations, and the national defense of ports, waterways, and coastal areas.
Each FRC is named after an enlisted Coast Guard hero who performed extraordinary service in the line of duty. Vincent Danz was a New York City police officer and Coast Guard reservist who made the ultimate sacrifice on Sept. 11, 2001, while responding to the attacks on the World Trade Center. Danz was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and joined the New York City Police Department in 1987, while continuing to serve in the Coast Guard Reserve as a port security specialist 2nd class.
Danz was serving in the New York City Police Department, Emergency Services Unit, ESU Truck 3, when he responded to the World Trade Center as part of a massive emergency response and was killed when the buildings collapsed. He was posthumously awarded the New York City Police Department’s Medal of Honor for his heroic deeds. His actions that day embodied the Coast Guard’s core values of honor, respect, and devotion to duty.
“It’s an honor, and we’re all incredibly proud to carry on the legacy of heroes like Vincent Danz,” said Petty Officer David Somera, the engineering petty officer and a proud son of Guam. “This (is the) third time I’ve been part of such a commissioning crew, and there’s a deeper appreciation for what it takes to bring a cutter to life. You start with this perfectly new ship, and it’s our job as the first crew to turn it from a steel vessel into a living, breathing part of the Coast Guard. It’s more than the mechanics; we’re building a team and a home that will serve and protect the people of Guam and the Pacific.”
The FRCs home-ported in the U.S. territory of Guam extend the Coast Guard and Oceania District’s operational reach across the Pacific, conducting maritime security operations, combating illegal fishing, supporting search and rescue missions, and strengthening partnerships with Pacific Island nations and allies. These cutter crews are essential to maintaining a safe, secure, and prosperous Pacific in one of the world’s most expansive maritime regions.
Vincent Danz will join Myrtle Hazard (WPC 1139), Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) and Frederick Hatch (WPC 1143), commissioned in 2021 in Guam. Since their 2021 commissioning, Guam’s FRC crews distinguished themselves across the region.
Myrtle Hazard became the first to operationalize the bilateral maritime law enforcement agreement with Papua New Guinea, conducting joint patrols and boardings in 2023. Oliver Henry saved mariners in the Federated States of Micronesia, delivered humanitarian assistance during the Yap drought, and towed the 500-ton yacht Black Pearl to Palau in 2024, rescuing 11 people. Frederick Hatch became the first FRC to visit numerous Pacific ports, including Tacloban, Philippines, for the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and operationalized the enhanced bilateral agreement with Palau in 2024.
– U.S. Coast Guard
