News Release

PORTSMOUTH, Va. -- The Coast Guard Cutter Legare and its crew are scheduled to return to their homeport at the Coast Guard Integrated Support Command in Portsmouth, Va., following a 120-day patrol off the West African coast at 8:30 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 1.

Vice Adm. Robert J. Papp, Jr., Commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area will present the Coast Guard Merritorious Unit Commendation to the ship and its crew for exceptionally meritorious service as the primary Africa Partnership Station (APS) platform while they transit through Hampton Roads to their homeport in Portsmouth.

The cutter has been operating along the West African coast since July 1 serving as the APS platform for the Navy's 6th Fleet. While there, the crew performed joint law enforcement operations with naval services and maritime enforcement agencies from Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Cape Verde.

The cutter’s work in Sierra Leone produced the nation’s largest ever maritime law enforcement case when a joint boarding team consisting of Legare crew and members of Sierra Leone’s Maritime Wing boarded and seized the fishing vessel Yu Feng for illegally fishing in Sierra Leone’s waters. Yu Feng’s crew faces fines of $1 million and forfeiture of its catch and vessel. The Legare’s crew also worked with members of Cape Verde’s Coast Guard and Judiciary Police to perform five boardings resulting in one fine and conducted extensive joint operations with Moroccan and Senegalese Naval vessels which included the first ever joint Moroccan/United States law enforcement boarding and joint law enforcement exercises with an embarked Senegalese law enforcement detachment.

Legare’s crew completed two community relations projects while deployed, painting classrooms at the Ndiaye School in Dakar, Senegal and the Children’s Emergency Center in Praia, Cape Verde.

APS is an initiative aimed at improving maritime safety and security for the continent of Africa through joint maritime operations and other collaborative activities with African partner countries.

Media are invited to ride the Legare as they enter homeport Thursday morning, those media interested in attending must contact Ms. Lorraine Brooks, at 757-398-6436 by noon Wednesday.  Space is limited for the ride to the ship.  Media are also invited to attend the cutter’s homecoming at Coast Guard Integrated Support Center, Portsmouth, where interviews will be available with members of the crew.

A boarding team consisting of crew members from U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Legare and representatives of the Cape Verde Coast Guard and Judiciary Police prepare to embark a small boat during boarding operations on September 3, 2009. Legare and her crew were in Cape Verde are currently deployed as part of Africa Partnership Station (APS). APS, a Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa led initiative, brings together partners from the United States, Europe and Africa to conduct joint maritime law enforcement operations in African waters to improve maritime safety and security. (U.S. Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 2nd Class Shawn Eggert)

A boarding team consisting of crewmembers from the Coast Guard Cutter Legare and representatives of the Cape Verde Coast Guard and Judiciary Police embark a fishing boat during boarding operations, Sept. 2, 2009. The Legare and its crew were in Cape Verde serving as the Africa Partnership Station (APS) platform for the U.S. Navy 6th Fleet in West Central Africa. APS is an initiative by the U.S. and several European countries to conduct joint maritime law enforcement operations with participating African nations including Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Cape Verde. (U.S. Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 2nd Class Shawn Eggert)

The Coast Guard Cutter Legare pulls up to the Sierra Leone Maritime Wing PB-105 in the waters of Sierra Leone, August 23, 2009. The Legare and its crew were in Sierra Leone serving as the Africa Partnership Station (APS) platform for the U.S. Navy 6th Fleet in West Central Africa. APS is an initiative by the U.S. and several European countries to conduct joint maritime law enforcement operations with participating African nations including Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Cape Verde. (U.S. Coast Guard photo/PA2 Shawn Dean Eggert)

Seaman Jess Duncan of Charlottesville, N.C., scrubs down the deck of the Coast Guard Cutter Legare in the morning sun off the coast of Spain, Sept. 14, 2009. Duncan and the rest of the Legare’s crew spent three months conducting joint law enforcement operations with countries in West Central Africa before heading to Spain for a well-deserved port call. (U.S. Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 2nd Class Shawn Eggert)