USCGC Tampa (WMEC-902) is a United States Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

 medium endurance cutter. She was commissioned 16 March 1984. Her motto, "Thy way is the sea, thy path in the great waters",http://www.uscg.mil/lantarea/cutter/tampa/Shield%20Images/Shield%20-%20Motto.htm matches the inscription that is engraved on the memorial at Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...

 for the 131 persons lost following the sinking of a previous cutter Tampa on September 18, 1918.http://www.uscg.mil/lantarea/cutter/tampa/History%20Images/history.htm

Mission

As part of the "Legacy Fleet", Tampa recently underwent a nine month Mission Effectiveness Project (MEP) at the United States Coast Guard Yard

United States Coast Guard Yard

The United States Coast Guard Yard or just Coast Guard Yard is a United States Coast Guard operated shipyard located on Curtis Bay in northern Anne Arundel County, Maryland, just south of the Baltimore city limits. It is the coast guard's sole shipbuilding and major repair facility, and part of the...

. MEP is designed to extend Tampas operational life until the deployment of a new line of cutters from the Coast Guard's Deepwater Program

Integrated Deepwater System Program

The Integrated Deepwater System Program is the 25-year program to replace all or much of the United States Coast Guard's equipment, including aircraft, ships, and logistics and command and control systems...

. With current and future updates of Deepwater electronics systems, a unique computer system and a modern array of weapons, Tampa is dramatically different from the half-century old vessels it replaced.

Tampa is a multi-mission ship with five primary missions

Missions of the United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard carries out three basic roles, which are further subdivided into eleven statutory missions. The three roles are:* Maritime safety* Maritime security* Maritime Stewardship...

: maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, homeland security, national defense and international engagement.

Tampas state-of-the-art command, control and communications abilities provide the tools to make the cutter a valuable asset for all missions and an integral player in providing the Coast Guard and the nation Maritime Domain Awareness. Among these is the SCCS-270 system. SCCS-270 is a computer system that aids in controlling shipboard operations and reduces manning requirements. SCCS-270 receives information from multiple sources and displays it on several monitors on the bridge and in CIC (Combat Information Center). Operators use the displayed information primarily for navigation and to track other vessels and aircraft. This system also allows for the sharing of information with other vessels and commands via a satellite link.

Tampa operates primarily in the littoral

Littoral

The littoral zone is that part of a sea, lake or river that is close to the shore. In coastal environments the littoral zone extends from the high water mark, which is rarely inundated, to shoreline areas that are permanently submerged. It always includes this intertidal zone and is often used to...

 waters of the United States and throughout the Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

 to ensure homeland security and enforce immigration, fisheries, customs, and environmental laws, along with the more visible drug interdiction laws. Tampa is a front-line unit in the nation's "War on Drugs

War on Drugs

The War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...

" and has seized numerous drug smuggling vessels. In 1994, Tampa was involved with the rescue and return of several thousand Haitians and Cubans during mass migrations from these nations. In September 2005, following the devastating landfall of Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...

 along the Gulf Coast of the United States, The crew of the Tampa (on board the Harriet Lane

USCGC Harriet Lane (WMEC-903)

USCGC Harriet Lane is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter. Named for Harriet Lane, niece and official hostess of President James Buchanan...

) acted as gatekeeper to the mouth of the Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

 ensuring the safety and movement of commerce from offshore. Tampa later moved upriver to ensure the safety and security of ports and waterways, and support rescue and recovery operations in downtown New Orleans.

To aid in the performance of its missions, Tampa is able to launch, land, and service the Coast Guard's HH-65 Dolphin

HH-65 Dolphin

The Eurocopter HH-65 Dolphin is a twin-engined, single main rotor, MEDEVAC-capable Search and Rescue helicopter operated by the United States Coast Guard...

 and MH-68 Stingray helicopters. Safety of shipboard helicopter operations is enhanced with the use of Tampa's dynamic fin stabilizing system, which reduces the roll of the ship.

To maintain military readiness, Tampa conducts exercises with the U.S. Navy. This training, which includes ship's weapons exercises, damage control drills, and navigation exercises, ensures that Tampa remains a fully capable naval combatant in a time of war or other hostilities. In 2000, Tampa deployed to South America in support of U.S. Southern Command and participated in UNITAS 41-00, an annual naval exercise between U.S. and South American Forces. In 2004, Tampa deployed to the Mediterranean and Black Sea in support of U.S. European Command and conducted training with numerous friends and allies in the region.

External links

• USCGC Tampa (WMEC-902) home page