Adak was originally stationed in
Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Before
Adaks commissioning ceremony in August 1989 in New Jersey, however,
Adak had already completed six maritime rescues. After stopping F/V
Hunter off the coast of New York in 1991,
Adaks boarding team found of
cocaine worth over $861 million at the time. This was the third largest cocaine bust up to that date. On the evening of September 18, 1992,
Adak rescued a missing diver off the coast of
Shinnecock, Long Island. During her search for the missing diver from dive boat
Captain Midnight, the crew saw a dim light, which upon investigation turned out to be the flashlight of the missing diver. The diver had been lost for five hours at that point. In August 1994,
Adak took part in Operation Able Vigil, an effort made up of over 50 U.S. Coast Guard cutters and
Navy ships, and many other varied assets, making up the largest Coast Guard led naval operation since
World War II. From August 19 to September 23, 1994, Operation Able Vigil forces rescued over 29,000 Cuban migrants from unsafe rafts and makeshift craft. For her part in the operation
Adak earned the
Coast Guard Unit Commendation.
Adak was witness to the crash of
TWA Flight 800 off the coast of Long Island, New York, on July 17, 1996. The cutter was only away when the crash occurred and immediately headed to the scene. In addition, Coalition forces had to secure Iraq's
Khor al-Amaya Oil Terminal and Mina al Bakr Oil Terminal to prevent environmental attack by the Iraqi regime. On the evening of Marc
20th,
SEAL teams supported by
Polish Special Forces personnel, stormed the oil facilities. During the operation,
Adak, along with
Baranof, maintained security around the terminals to prevent reinforcement or escape by Iraqi military forces. After the SEALs cleared the terminals of Iraqi personnel, weapons and explosives, Coast Guard personnel from Port Security Units 311 and 313 arrived to secure the facilities.
Operations Enduring Freedom and Inherent Resolve In a historical twist, the
Adak,
Aquidneck, and
Higgins found themselves working together again. During the
2018 missile strike against Syria, the
Higgins launched 23
TLAMs into Syria while
Adak and
Aquidneck enforced a security zone for her. ==Gallery==