Honolulu, Hawaii – On October 20th, 2022, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Berry, a 154-foot fast response cutter homeported in Honolulu, completed the first leg of their extended expeditionary patrol arriving in Kiritimati Island, located in the Republic of Kiribati.
Prior to receiving fuel, the Oliver Berry conducted a contactless offload of COVID-19 personal protective equipment supplied by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s Office of Global Health Engagements to the Kiribati Ministry of Health.
The PPE supplies offloaded by the Oliver Berry included face masks, thermometers, gloves, and face shields, strengthening Kiritimati Island’s COVID-19 readiness, and ensuring the safety of its 7,000 citizens. This is the second port visit Oliver Berry has conducted in Kiritimati Island this year, the first being in early July to provide 1,400 gallons of safe drinking water during a declared national drought. “It continues to be an honor to cooperate with and serve our partners in Kiribati,” said Lt. Cmdr. Micah Howell, commanding officer of CGC Oliver Berry.
“It is a unique privilege to be able to deliver COVID-19 supplies at this critical time to safeguard the citizens of Kiritimati; we look forward to continuing meaningful collaboration with and support of Kiribati and our other partners across the Blue Pacific.”
Oliver Berry’s port call in Kiritimati Island is the first port call during their 8,500 nautical mile patrol across Oceania as a part of Operation Blue Pacific to bolster foreign partner relations and combat illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing across the region.
While transiting to the island, Oliver Berry supported Kiribati maritime law enforcement efforts, providing patrol coverage to monitor foreign commercial fishing vessel traffic within Kiribati’s exclusive economic zone, strengthening national resource security and maritime governance.
Oliver Berry will continue their expeditionary patrol to conduct joint operations with Samoa, Kingdom of Tonga, and American Samoa, demonstrating the United States Coast Guard’s enduring commitment to our partner nations throughout the Blue Pacific.