March 22, 2022 —
The Coast Guard accepted delivery of the 48th fast response cutter (FRC), Pablo Valent, March 17 in Key West, Florida.
Pablo Valent is the first FRC that will be stationed in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, the cutter’s namesake joined the United States Life-Saving Service in 1912. As a boatswain’s mate in September 1919, Valent helped rescue the crew of the hurricane-damaged schooner Cape Horn off the coast of Texas. For his heroic efforts, Valent received the Silver Lifesaving Medal and the prestigious Grand Cross of the American Cross of Honor Society. He was one of the first Hispanic Americans to receive these honors.
The Coast Guard has ordered 64 FRCs to date. Forty-five are in service: 12 in Florida; seven in Puerto Rico; four each in Bahrain and California; three each in Guam, Hawaii, Texas and New Jersey; and two each in Alaska, Mississippi and North Carolina. Two more will sail to Bahrain later this year. Future FRC homeports include Astoria, Oregon; Boston; and Kodiak, Seward and Sitka, Alaska.
For more information: Fast Response Cutter Program page