USCGC ''Diligence'' (WMEC-616) is a ''Reliance''-class

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

210-foot

medium endurance cutter The Medium Endurance Cutter or WMEC is a type of United States Coast Guard Cutter mainly consisting of the Famous- and ''Reliance''-class cutters. These larger cutters are under control of Area Commands (Atlantic Area or Pacific Area). These cut ...

formerly based in

Wilmington, NC Wilmington is a port city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 as of the 2020 census, it is the eighth-most populous city in the state. The county seat of New Hanover County, it is the principal cit ...

but now based in

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only incorporated city, city in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

. ''Diligence'' was the second of 16 cutters built from 1962 to 1968. Fourteen of this class of cutter are still in active U.S. service, and two have been transferred to foreign navies. All ''Reliance''-class cutters were built with dual shafts and controllable pitch propellers, and were capable of speeds up to 18 knots.

History

''Diligence'', the sixth US Coast Guard cutter to bear that name, originally moored in Key West, Florida, later after it completed upgrades during MMA/MEP, was relocated to downtown

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, eighth-most populous city in the st ...

. ''Diligence'' is capable of performing any of the missions that white-hulled Coast Guard cutters traditionally perform, ranging from alien migrant interdiction operations (AMIO) and drug interdiction missions down in the Caribbean, to fisheries protection of the Atlantic seaboard, to search and rescue (SAR) anywhere in between. The SAR capabilities are enhanced by utilizing helicopters to extend the reach of the cutters well beyond the horizon. On 24 January 2019, the Coast Guard announced that the ''Diligence'' would be homeported in

by 30 September 2020. ''Diligence'' departed Wilmington for the last time on 25 May 2020. The cutter ''Diligence'' was seen in the 1966 science fiction movie ''

Around the World Under the Sea ''Around the World Under the Sea'' is a 1966 science fiction film directed by Andrew Marton and starring Lloyd Bridges, with Marshall Thompson, Shirley Eaton, Gary Merrill, and David McCallum. It follows the adventures of a crew of the deep-divin ...

'' starring

Lloyd Bridges Lloyd Vernet Bridges Jr. (January 15, 1913 – March 10, 1998) was an American film, stage and television actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 feature films. He was the father of four children, includi ...

. USCGC ''Diligence'' also appeared in the ''Matlock'' TV series in the episode "The Heist".

References

External links

''Diligence'' home page
* Ships of the United States Coast Guard Reliance-class cutters Ships built in Houston {{US-mil-ship-stub