USCGC Munro Returns from 112-Day Arctic Patrol Covering 23,000 Nautical Miles

21 October 2026
Edited By: Haley McQueen

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755) returned to their Base Alameda homeport on Coast Guard Island on October 9, 2026, following a 112-day Alaska patrol that covered more than 23,000 nautical miles across the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean.

An over‑the‑horizon small boat crew assigned to USCGC Munro (WMSL 755) departs the Royal Canadian Navy’s Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessel HMCS Max Bernays (AOPV 432) after safely transferring a boarding team during Operation Tundra Merlin in the Arctic Ocean Sept. 9, 2026. In addition to enabling reciprocal personnel transfers between allied vessels, the open‑water evolution provided valuable underway training for newly qualified coxswains to refine close-quarters approach maneuvers and boat‑handling proficiency in challenging maritime conditions. (Image credit: Sailor 1st Class Jordan Schilstra, Canadian Armed Forces)

Operating under the Coast Guard Arctic District, Munro deployed to control, secure, and defend the nation’s northernmost maritime approaches, enforce living marine resource regulations, and strengthen defense interoperability with joint and international partners in an increasingly contested region.

During the patrol, Munro executed Operation Frontier Sentinel, monitoring three Chinese-flagged research vessels operating in and around the US Arctic maritime domain. Munro‘s crew ensured the foreign vessels complied with international maritime law while asserting US sovereignty.

Highlighting close allied interoperability, Munro conducted combined exercises with the Royal Canadian Navy. These engagements enhanced bilateral law enforcement cooperation, joint maneuvering, and shared domain awareness among the allied maritime services operating in polar waters.

Munro also integrated into strategic Western Hemisphere defense operations, supporting Operation Tundra Merlin. These operations brought Munro together with US Department of War and Canadian Armed Forces assets to test multi-domain homeland defense architecture, integrate command-and-control networks, and validate joint force lethality and response readiness in northern maritime corridors.

“The Arctic is a demanding maritime environment that can test any crew and vessel,” said Capt. Adam J. Disque, Munro‘s commanding officer. “We were proud to sustain US presence in the region to safeguard our Arctic coastline and reinforce a rules-based order in the High North. We also strengthened our enduring partnership with Canadian counterparts, advancing shared domain awareness and coordination across the remote region. I am exceptionally proud of everything this crew accomplished in one of the world’s most challenging maritime environments.”

Munro served as the frontline guardian of the $6 billion Alaskan commercial fishery. Law enforcement teams conducted living marine resources boardings on commercial fishing vessels operating in the Bering Sea, ensuring compliance with federal safety regulations and fisheries laws to preserve vital fish stocks.

Commissioned in 2017, Munro is one of four 418-foot Legend-class national security cutters homeported in Alameda. The cutter is named in honor of Signalman 1st Class Douglas A. Munro, the only member of the Coast Guard to receive the Medal of Honor for his heroism at Point Cruz, Guadalcanal, on September 27, 1942, where he gave his life rescuing nearly 500 Marines under enemy fire.