Media are invited to tour the ships and/or interview the commanding officers and other crewmen Friday from 9-11am. Media are also invited to attend the ceremony at 11am. For either opportunity, media must contact Deborah White at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Public Affairs Office at (207) 438-1525 to arrange access to the base.
"I am excited to welcome the crew and family members of the Campbell and Tahoma to their new home port in Maine. We requested that the cutters be assigned to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and are excited about their arrival," said Senator Collins. "This team of men and woman are a vital addition to the strength of the Coast Guard's presence along our coastline. They add tremendous value to the Coast Guard's capability to guard against terrorism, protect our fisheries, stop illicit drug smuggling and illegal immigration, and conduct ocean rescues on the Maine and New Hampshire coast."
The Campbell and Tahoma join the USCG Cutter Reliance that is already based at PNS. The crews from the newly arrived ships and their families are expected to add $10.3 million annually in salaries and operating expenses to the Kittery/Portsmouth economy.
The Campbell and Tahoma were among the first Coast Guard cutters to arrive in New York Harbor within hours of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Admiral Thomas Collins, USCG Commandant, Vice Admiral James Hull, Atlantic Area Commander, US Navy Vice Admiral Albert Konetzni, of the Atlantic Fleet, and Captain Kevin McCoy, PNS Shipyard Commander will also attend the welcoming ceremony.