![A Coast Guard officer stands next to artwork of Master Chief Petty Officer David Duren during a commissioning ceremony for Coast Guard Cutter David Duren (WPC 1156) held in Astoria, Ore., June 27, 2024. The cutter is the first of three planned Fast Response Cutter’s to be homeported in Astoria. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier) A Coast Guard officer stands next to artwork of Master Chief Petty Officer David Duren during a commissioning ceremony for Coast Guard Cutter David Duren (WPC 1156) held in Astoria, Ore., June 27, 2024. The cutter is the first of three planned Fast Response Cutter’s to be homeported in Astoria. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier)](https://us-east-1-029060369-view.menlosecurity.com/c/0/i/aHR0cHM6Ly9kMWxkdmY2OHV4MDM5eC5jbG91ZGZyb250Lm5ldC90aHVtYnMvcGhvdG9zLzI0MDYvODUwNTU0My8xMDAwd19xOTUuanBn)
![The Coast Guard ensign and a commissioning pennant are hoisted on the mast of Coast Guard Cutter David Duren (WPC 1156) during the commissioning for the cutter held in Astoria, Ore., June 27, 2024. The David Duren is a 154-foot Fast Response Cutter with an average crew complement of four officers and 20 enlisted members. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier) The Coast Guard ensign and a commissioning pennant are hoisted on the mast of Coast Guard Cutter David Duren (WPC 1156) during the commissioning for the cutter held in Astoria, Ore., June 27, 2024. The David Duren is a 154-foot Fast Response Cutter with an average crew complement of four officers and 20 enlisted members. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier)](https://us-east-1-029060369-view.menlosecurity.com/c/0/i/aHR0cHM6Ly9kMWxkdmY2OHV4MDM5eC5jbG91ZGZyb250Lm5ldC90aHVtYnMvcGhvdG9zLzI0MDYvODUwNTU0NC8xMDAwd19xOTUuanBn)
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ASTORIA, Ore. — The Coast Guard commissioned its 56th Fast Response Cutter and first one to be stationed in the Pacific Northwest during a ceremony held in Astoria, Ore., Thursday.
Coast Guard Cutter David Duren (WPC-1156) is the first of three planned Fast Response Cutter’s (FRC) to be homeported in Astoria.
The ceremony was presided by Vice Adm. Andrew Tiongson, Pacific Area Commander. Members from the Duren family were also on hand, including the cutter’s sponsor, Dawn Duren.
The namesake for the cutter, Master Chief Petty Officer David Duren, enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1965 and retired in 1993. During his career, Duren became a heavy weather coxswain and graduated from the Coast Guard’s National Motor Lifeboat School in 1969, qualifying as Coast Guard surfman No. 100.
During his tenure, Duren received two Coast Guard Medals for exceptional heroism and the Douglas Munro Inspirational Leadership Award. He deployed on search and rescue cases more than any other officer-in-charge at the time and during one year, he participated in 250 cases. Personnel under his command received a total of 24 medals and awards.
The crew of the David Duren will primarily serve in the Pacific Ocean, Puget Sound, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Columbia River. The Sentinel-class FRC is designed for multiple missions, including search and rescue; fishery patrols; ports, waterways, and coastal security; drug and migrant interdiction; and national defense.
The Coast Guard has ordered a total of 65 FRCs to replace the 1980s-era Island-class 110-foot patrol boats. The FRCs feature advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment; over-the-horizon cutter boat deployment to reach vessels of interest; and improved habitability and seakeeping.
The commissioning ceremony is one of the most important traditional milestones in the life of a cutter, as it represents the readiness of the cutter to conduct Coast Guard operations and marks her entry into active service.