Coast Guard Cutter Bear (WMEC-901) returned to homeport in Portsmouth, Va., Saturday after a 28-day deployment providing hurricane relief to Puerto Rico and enforcing fisheries laws along the way.
Bear, a 270-foot medium endurance cutter, departed Portsmouth on Oct 1, delivering 40,000 pounds of food, water, and shelter supplies to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Bear was one of 15 Coast Guard assets sent to assist the disaster recovery efforts in the Caribbean.
On the way back to Portsmouth, Bear patrolled 2,000 miles of coastline, enforcing domestic and international fishing laws. Bear’s crew inspected more than 5,000 pounds of fish, and several recreational and commercial fishing vessels, according to the service.
Since commissioning in 1983, Bear has deployed 50 times and been a part of 20 major drug seizures. Bear combed more than 1,900 nautical miles of ocean as part of the recovery effort following the January 1986 space shuttle Challenger disaster.
