Dignitaries and crew of the USCGC Nathan Bruckenthal stand on deck prior to the start of the Coast Guard commissioning ceremony July 25 at the Alexandria waterfront. Photo by Hal Hardaway
“Petty Officer Bruckenthal defined service above self and we are here today to honor that legacy.” —Coast Guard Commandant Karl Schultz
United States Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz joined family members and friends of the late Nathan Bruckenthal at the Alexandria waterfront July 25 to commission the USCGC Nathan Bruckenthal, the Coast Guard’s newest Fast Response Cutter.
“The name Nathan Bruckenthal is one that is recognized and revered throughout our service,” Schultz told the crowd. “Petty Officer Bruckenthal defined service above self and we are here today to honor that legacy.”
Among those in attendance were Bruckenthal’s sister Noabeth Bruckenthal, widow Patti Bruckenthal and daughter Harper, who was born during the deployment from which her father never returned.
The cutter, which arrived in Alexandria July 24, is named after Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan Bruckenthal, who was mortally wounded April 24, 2004, while serving aboard the USS Firebolt during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Bruckenthal, the first Coast Guard member killed in action since the Vietnam War, thwarted a multi-vessel suicide attack on an oil terminal while conducting maritime intercept operations in the North Arabian Gulf. He was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
The 154-foot patrol craft USCGC Nathan Bruckenthal is the 28th vessel in the Coast Guard’s Sentinel-class FRC program. FRCs feature advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment and can reach a maximum speed of over 28 knots.
The USCGC Nathan Bruckenthal’s new homeport will be Atlantic Beach, N.C.