USCGC Rush (WHEC-723)

For other ships with the same name, see USRC Rush and USS Rush.

USCGC Rush (WHEC-723)
History
United States
Name	USCGC Rush
Namesake	Richard Rush
Builder	Avondale Shipyards
Cost	$20 million
Launched	16 November 1968
Homeport	Honolulu, Hawaii
Identification	MMSI number: 367283000 Callsign: NLVS
Motto	Kia'i Kai No Ka Oi (Watch Over the Rainbow)
Fate	Transferred to the Bangladesh Navy
General characteristics
Displacement	3,250 tons
Length	378 ft (115.2 m)
Beam	43 ft (13.1 m)
Draft	15 ft (4.6 m)
Propulsion	CODOG plant: 2 Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines 2 Pratt and Whitney gas turbines
Speed	29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph)
Range	14,000 miles
Endurance	45 days
Boats & landing craft carried	2 Over-the-Horizon type
Complement	167 personnel
Sensors and processing systems	AN/SPS-40 air-search radar
Armament	Otobreda 76 mm gun Phalanx CIWS

USCGC Rush (WHEC-723) was a United States Coast Guard high endurance Template:Sclass- cutter that before being decommissioned was based out of USCG Base Sand Island, Honolulu, Hawaii, and performed regular patrols of Alaskan waters and the Bering Sea. Rush has the distinction of having ridden out "the most powerful storm, at least in terms of depth of pressure, to affect Alaska in modern history" of October 25, 1977. Under command of Captain Norman Fernald, Rush sustained damage to her sonar dome and superstructure, but completed her patrol.

As all Hamilton-class cutters, Rush was constructed at Avondale Shipyard near New Orleans, Louisiana and launched November 16, 1968, she was the fifth Coast Guard Cutter to be named after Secretary of the Treasury Richard Rush, the nation's eighth Secretary of Treasury.

Decommissioning

On February 3, 2015, the United States Coast Guard officially decommissioned Rush with a ceremony held in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Bangladesh Navy

The Coast Guard has transferred Rush (now BNS Somudra Avijan) to the Bangladesh Navy as part of a Foreign Military Sale through the Foreign Assistance Act.

Rush is the Bangladesh Navy's second Hamilton-class cutter acquisition. The Bangladesh Navy's first Hamilton-class cutter acquired was USCGC Jarvis, given to Bangladesh in 2013. Jarvis is now named BNS Somudra Joy. The Bangladesh Navy designates these former Hamilton-class cutters as a "patrol frigate."

Awards

USCGC Rush has earned numerous awards in her storied history. Many of the Ship's awards were earned for heroic participation in the Vietnam War, as part of Operation Market Time. Awards listed were current to May 2014.

1st Row	Coast Guard Commendation Medal
2nd Row	Combat Action Ribbon	Presidential Unit Citation w/ Hurricane Katrina clasp	Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award
3rd Row	Coast Guard Unit Commendation w/ Operational Distinguishing Device and four stars	Navy Unit Commendation	Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation w/ Operational Distinguishing Device and six stars
4th Row	Coast Guard E Ribbon w/ seven stars	Coast Guard Bicentennial Unit Commendation	National Defense Service Medal w/ service star
5th Row	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal	Vietnam Service Medal	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
6th Row	Humanitarian Service Medal	Special Operations Service Ribbon	Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon
7th Row	Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation	Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation	Vietnam Campaign Medal

References

United States Coast Guard. (2008). Medals and Awards Manual: COMDTINST M1650.25D. Washington, DC, U.S. Government Printing Office.

External links

Media related to USCGC Rush (WHEC-723) at Wikimedia Commons