USCGC Fir ( WLB - 213 ) USCGC " Fir " ( WLB - 213 ) is a Juniper - class United States Coast Guard Cutter . " Fir " is under the Operational Control ( OPCON ) of the Commander , Thirteenth Coast Guard District and is homeported in Astoria , Oregon . " Fir ' s " primary area of responsibility is the coastal waters , river bars and high seas of the Washington and Oregon coasts . " Fir " conducts heavy lift aids to navigation operations , law enforcement and other missions as directed . Overview . " Fir " is the multi - mission heavy lift platform for the U . S . Coast Guard Thirteenth District . " Fir " was launched on August 18 , 2003 , and commissioned on November 8 , 2003 . " Fir " s homeport is Astoria , Oregon . Missions . " Fir " , a seagoing buoy tender , is responsible for over 150 aids to navigation for an area of responsibility that stretches from the Oregon - California Border to the Canadian border and includes the dangerous river bars of the Pacific Northwest . " Fir " also conducts extensive law enforcement operations , and is always ready to perform port waterways and coastal security , search and rescue , and marine environmental response operations . Technology & Equipment . " Fir " is equipped with a dynamic positioning system that utilizes a bow thruster , stern truster and the ship ' s controllable pitch propellor to hold the ship ' s position and heading at the push of a button . The dynamic positioning system relies on inputs from the Differential Global Positioning System . In dynamic positioning mode the ship can be driven with a joystick from several locations on the bridge , and from a mobile ship control console . The ship recently converted all of its lighted aids to navigation from incandescent to LED lights . " Fir " is the first unit in the Coast Guard to do so . As a heavy lift platform " Fir " has a 20 - ton hydraulic crane , a chain in - haul system and 4 heavy cross - deck winches . " Fir " carries two small boats ; a cutter boat large ( CB - L ) , specifically designed for law enforcement , and a CG Standard Utility Boat ( UTL ) . " Fir " is armed with several . 50cal Machine Guns , M240 light machine guns , and small arms for law enforcement and defense operations . In accordance with United States and international law , " Fir " is a United States warship . History . " Fir " is named after one of the original lighthouse tenders built for the Lighthouse Service to resupply lighthouses and lightships , and to service buoys . The original was built by the Moore Drydock Company in Oakland , California in 1939 . After serving as a truly multi - mission platform , adapting to the changing missions of the Coast Guard for over 50 years , " Fir " was decommissioned in 1991 . In May 2009 , " Fir " was on scene commander for a plane crash in the Columbia River . An experimental plane flying from Astoria to Seattle suffered engine failure and ditched in the Columbia River in the vicinity of the 17th Street Pier where " Fir " and were moored . Working with a local salvage crew , " Fir " recovered the airplane . Both passengers were rescued by the Columbia River Bar Pilots . From June to October 2010 , " Fir " was deployed to the Gulf of Mexico for Operation Deepwater Horizon . In total , eight of the Coast Guard ' s sixteen Juniper - class buoy tenders were deployed to the Gulf of Mexico for the nation ' s largest ever oil spill to conduct oil skimming operations , command and control and public relations . CGC ASPEN , CGC ELM , CGC OAK , CGC WALNUT , CGC JUNIPER , CGC SYCAMORE , CGC CYPRESS and CGC FIR were involved in skimming and / or other contingency operations . It is distinct from a predecessor ship of the same name , . Awards and honors . US Coast Guard E Ribbon for the period of 7 February to 4 March 2005 , at Fleet Training Group ( FTG ) San Diego California . US Coast Guard E Ribbon for the period of 29 October to 16 November 2007 , at Fleet Training Group ( FTG ) San Diego California .