USCGC Willow (WLB-202)
Pier 2
Naval Station Newport
Telephone: 401-841-2944
Website: http://www.uscg.mil/d1/cgcWillow/default.asp
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100001611016669
Commissioned in 1997, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter WILLOW is equipped with an advanced integrated command and control system and with her 45 person crew, boasts the ability to perform a variety of missions. Home ported at Naval Station Newport's Pier Two since Commissioning, WILLOW is primarily oriented towards supporting the Coast Guard's Maritime Safety Mission, and is responsible for maintaining 134 floating Aids to Navigation from Rhode Island Sound to the Canadian Border including the hazardous seacoasts of New Hampshire and Maine. A multi-mission asset, WILLOW regularly enforces Living Marine Resource laws and regulations offshore; working to sustain New England's delicate but economically critical fish stocks. During winter months, the ship provides Icebreaking services on the Hudson River, Buzzards Bay and other susceptible waterways, ensuring the continued flow of heating oil and other commercial goods. Specially equipped with a Shipboard Oil Recovery System (SORS), WILLOW is capable of responding to petroleum spills, contributing to the Coast Guard's Pollution Response mission. Capable of accomplishing such variety of missions, WILLOW is a significant asset in protecting New England's waterways and ensuring the safety of mariners therein.