Loved ones await the return of their mother, who is stationed aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL 752), as the cutter returns home from a 134-day Western Pacific Patrol to Base Alameda, California, July 30, 2025. National security cutters routinely conduct operations throughout the Pacific, where their unmatched combination of range, speed, and ability to operate in extreme weather provides the mission flexibility necessary to conduct vital strategic missions. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Danish Khan.