March 24, 2023

The Long Blue Line - 20 Years OIF: Holly Harrison—Operation Iraqi Freedom Combat Veteran and Bronze Star Recipient

First woman to command a cutter in a combat zone and the first woman in service history to receive the Bronze Star Medal.

March 23, 2023

The Long Blue Line - 20 Years OIF: “Tip of the Spear” Coast Guard Cutter Adak combat operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom

Of the 146 Coalition naval units in the Persian Gulf, Adak served deepest in enemy territory and served as the “tip of the spear” for Coalition naval forces.

March 21, 2023

The Long Blue Line - 20 Years OIF: Combat Operations of Port Security Units during Operation Iraqi Freedom

The role of Port Security Units during OIF.

March 20, 2023

The Long Blue Line - 20 Years OIF: PATFORSWA—largest USCG unit outside U.S. territory

What it took to stand up the services largest unit outside of the United States.

March 19, 2023

The Long Blue Line - 20 Years OIF: Coast Guard combat operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom

Operation Iraqi Freedom began 20 years ago.

Sept. 30, 2022

The Long Blue Line: LANTAREA’s PATFORSWA Managers—over 15 years of leadership!

The present-day Contingency Operations Branch (LANT-39) formed out of the need to provide contingency support to a few cutters deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Initially viewed as a contingency operational need to support those cutters, a solicitation for a handful of Coast Guard reservists was made in 2005. Those reservists would