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USS Tornado (PC 14)
ex-USCGC Tornado (WPC 14)


Courtesy of Mike Smolinski

ex-USS Tornado (PC 14)


Tornado served both the U. S. Navy and Coast Guard.

Cyclone Class Coastal Patrol Ship:

  • The second Tornado was laid down 25 August 1998 at Bollinger Machine and Shipyard, Lockport, LA
  • Launched 7 June 1999
  • Commissioned USS Tornado (PC 14), 24 June 2000 at Nauticus International Pier, Norfolk, VA
  • Transferred to the Coast Guard 30 September 2004
  • Commissioned USCGC Tornado (WPC 14), 6 December 2004 at Pascagoula, MS
  • Returned to U.S. Navy custody 30 September 2011
  • Scheduled for decommissioning 4 March 2021 and disposed of in Foreign Military Sales.

    Specifications:

  • Displacement 328.5 t. (lt), 331 t. (fl)
  • Length 170'
  • Beam 25'
  • Draft less than 8'
  • Speed 35 kts.
  • Complement 28, eight Special Warfare Det./USCG Det
  • Armament: Two Mk 38 25mm mounts; two .50 cal. machine guns, six Stinger missiles, two Mk19 automatic grenade launcher and one Mk 52 Mod 0 chaff launcher
  • Propulsion: Four 3,350shp Paxman diesel engines, four shafts.
    Click on thumbnail
    for full size image
    Size Image Description Source
    USS Tornado (PC 14)
    Tornado 37k
    Namesake:

    Tornado - A mobile, destructive vortex of violently rotating winds having the appearance of a funnel-shaped cloud and advancing beneath a large storm system

    Tommy Trampp
    Tornado 53k Nauticus International Pier, Norfolk, VA prior to commissioning PHAN Chris Lawley
    Tornado 56k Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Norfolk, VA. George Paradise
    Tornado 59k
    USCGC Tornado (WPC 14)
    Tornado 323k 6 December 2004
    Naval Station Pascagoula, Mississippi
    U.S. Coast Guardsmen man the rails during her commissioning as an active U.S. Coast Guard cutter in a formal ceremony at the Naval Station Pascagoula. Commandant of the Coast Guard, Adm. Thomas Collins and Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) were among the guest speakers at the commissioning ceremony
    U.S. Navy photo 041206-N-6344D-001 by Journalist 1st Class Kim DeJong
    Robert Hurst
    Tornado 210k 6 December 2004
    Gulf of Mexico
    U.S. Coast Guard photo 041206-C-000U-001 by Stacy Burns
    Tornado 99k c. 2004
    U.S. Coast Guard photo
    Joe Radigan
    Tornado 104k 27 April 2005
    St. Petersburg, FL
    Tornado with the crew of the CGC Shamal onboard prepare to moor up at Coast Guard Group St. Petersburg, Fla., to offload $160 million of cocaine and six detainees seized by their Coast Guard and Navy counterparts on April 16. The Tornado and Shamal are both new members to the Coast Guard's arsenal of homeland security and law enforcement assets due to a recent lease from the Navy. The 179-foot patrol boats are homeported in Pascagoula, Miss.
    U.S. Coast Guard photo by PA1 Danielle DeMarino
    Bill Gonyo
    Zephyr 233k 30 September 2011
    Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, VA
    Coast Guard Cutter's Zephyr, astern of Tornado are moored to a pier during a transfer ceremony. The Coast Guard Cutter's Shamal (WPC 13), Zephyr and Tornado were transferred after seven year's with the service to the Navy. The USNS Apache (T-ATF 172) is in the background
    U.S. Coast Guard photo 110930-G-RT555-375-USCG by Petty Officer 2nd Class Walter Shinn
    Tornado 266k 31 October 2013
    Mayport, FL
    The coastal patrol ship Tornado arrives at Naval Station Mayport for a port visit. The primary mission of these ships is coastal patrol and interdiction surveillance, an important aspect of
    littoral operation
    (U.S. Navy photo 131031-N-MJ645-177 by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Marcus L. Stanley from National Museum of the U.S. Navy
    Michael Mohl
    Zephyr 282k 31 October 2013
    Tornado outboard of Zephyr after arriving at Mayport, FL
    Photo by Lee Whaler
    Lee Whaler

    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR Robert Trevor King, USN24 June 2000 - 14 December 2001
    02LCDR Antonio D. "Tony" Hull, USN14 December 2001 - May 2003
    03LT Dennis Micha Burke, USNMay 2003 - June 2003
    04LT Stephen Cole Hayes, USNJune 2003 - 2003
    05LCDR Galen Raymond Hartman, USN2003 - 8 January 2004
    06LCDR Dennis Micha Burke, USN8 January 2004 - 30 September 2004
    07LCDR Christopher M. Hollingshead, USCG6 December 2004 - 30 June 2006
    08LCDR Robert J. Landolfi, Jr., USCG30 June 2006
    09LCDR Patrick Peschka, USCG??
    10LCDR Michael E. "Mike" Mullen, USN - USNA Class of 2003May 2013 - 10 July 2014
    11LCDR David J. Catterall, USN10 July 2014 - 2015
    12CAPT Dale R. Maxey, USN11 August 2015 (Temporary)
    13LCDR Brian William Stueber, USN - Awarded the Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal2019
    ??LCDR John S. Lucas, IV, USN - Awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal(Crew Charlie)
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

    View the Tornado (PC 14)
    DANFS History entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command website
    Unofficial History and Achievements of USS TORNADO (PC 14):

    Commissioned June of 2000 USS TORNADO (PC 14) was the newest and most capable of the Cyclone Class Patrol Coastals. Her design focused on perfecting the deliverance of Navy Special Warfare forces ashore while conducting various low and medium intensity conflict operations in littoral regions of the world. As a direct result of the terrorist attacks in United States on September 11, 2001 TORNADO's mission was broadened to include Maritime Homeland Security (MHLS). In this mission TORNADO, assisted by a Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team, conducts inspections of merchant vessels entering U. S. ports, escorts high value units transiting U.S. coastal waters, and conducts security patrols of approaches to U. S. ports.

    In January 2002 TORNADO embarked on her maiden deployment - an independent MHLS deployment to Coast Guard District Seven in support of Operation NOBLE EAGLE. During this deployment TORNADO and her crew safely traveled over 10,000 nautical miles, conducted 26 SSBN escorts, 1 CVN escort, 6 cruise ship escorts, 16 NOBLE EAGLE merchant vessel boardings and 138 merchant vessel challenges for maritime domain awareness. Additionally, TORNADO conducted security patrols in support of 2 space shuttle launches and the Ft. Lauderdale Annual Sea and Air show. Shortly after returning from deployment, TORNADO made history as she became the first and only Patrol Coastal to be formally adopted by the Navy League of the U. S.

    In the summer of 2002 TORNADO participated in the largest Naval Special Warfare Operational Readiness Exercise to date, conducted Patrol Coastal familiarization operations with representatives of the Philippine Navy, and served as school ship at Surface Warfare Officers School in Newport, RI. In August 2002 TORNADO made history again as she became the first Navy ship in nearly two decades to transit the entire James River and visit the port of Richmond, VA. Collaborating with area Navy recruiters and her adopter, the Richmond Council of the Navy League, TORNADO embarked several delayed entry personnel and Sea Cadets to enhance the local recruiting effort. Starting in the fall of 2002 TORNADO conducted MHLS patrols to Coast Guard Districts One and Five in support of Operations NEPTUNE SHIELD, GUARDING LIBERTY, and LIBERTY SHIELD.

    In October 2002 TORNADO and all Atlantic Fleet Patrol Coastals transitioned from Naval Special Warfare to the Naval Surface Forces and was assigned to Commander, Amphibious Group TWO. After completing her first dry-docking maintenance availability at NORTHSHIPCO and Colonna's shipyards, TORNADO became the first Patrol Coastal to enter the Inter-Deployment Training Cycle under Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic requirements.

    True to her motto of "FOCUSED PRECISION" TORNADO and her crew continued to safely and accurately conduct a variety of missions. This dedication to mission and safety earned her Command Excellence Awards in all warfare areas and the TYCOM Safety Award.

    In September of 2004 TORNADO, along with several other Patrol Coastals, was transferred to the U. S. Coast Guard. USCGC TORNADO (WPC 14) was transferred from the U.S. Navy to the U.S. Coast Guard Sept. 29, 2004, and placed in commission special status. TORNADO was formally commissioned active Dec. 6, 2004, in Pascagoula, Mississippi. USCGC TORNADO is assigned to Coast Guard District 8 and is homeported at Naval Station Pascagoula, MS.

    Contributed by:
    LCDR Antonio Hull
    Commanding Officer
    USS TORNADO
    December 2001 to May 2003


    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Patrol Craft Sailors Association
    Back to the Main Photo Index Back To the Patrol Craft/Gunboat/Submarine Chaser Ship Index Back to the Coastal Patrol Ship (PC) Photo Index

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