Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter Named for 9/11 Hero and Coast Guard Reservist Officially Enters Service at New York’s Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
NEW YORK — (September 12, 2026) – Bollinger Shipyards LLC (“Bollinger”) today joined senior U.S. Coast Guard officials, distinguished guests, and the family of Jeffrey Palazzo at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City for the commissioning ceremony of USCGC JEFFREY PALAZZO (WPC-1163), a U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter (“FRC”). The commissioning of this vessel marks a proud milestone for Bollinger and a deeply meaningful tribute to a fallen American hero.
“On September 11, 2001, our nation witnessed acts of extraordinary courage and selflessness in the face of unimaginable tragedy. Among those who answered the call was Jeffrey Palazzo, a Coast Guard reservist, Firefighter for the New York City Fire Department, and an American hero,” said Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards. “It is an incredible honor to have built this vessel in his name. The JEFFREY PALAZZO (WPC-1163) will carry on his legacy, protecting lives, securing our homeland, and serving as a lasting reminder of his courage and sacrifice. The entire Bollinger team is deeply proud to see this cutter enter service today.”
Jeffrey Palazzo served in the Coast Guard Reserves as a Machinery Technician 1st Class aboard the cutter Cape Horn out of Station Rockaway and spent his FDNY career at Brooklyn’s Ladder Company 109 before joining Staten Island’s Rescue Squad 5 in spring 2001. On September 11, 2001, Palazzo was saving fellow New Yorkers from the terrorist attack when he perished. His service to this nation as a Coast Guard reservist and to New York City as a firefighter exemplifies a lifetime of dedication, courage, and selflessness.
In March 2025, Bollinger hosted a 9/11 Steel Transfer Ceremony at its Lockport, Louisiana facility, receiving two pieces of steel from the debris of the World Trade Center. Steel sourced from Ground Zero was treated and transported in the same manner as human remains, with four retired Coast Guard Port Security Chiefs escorting the steel from New York to Louisiana. Upon arrival, the Spirit of Louisiana fire truck transported the steel to the shipyard, underscoring the deep bond between first responders and this vessel’s legacy. Bollinger incorporated the steel into memorial plaques affixed to two Bollinger-built Sentinel-class FRCs: the USCGC JEFFREY PALAZZO (WPC-1163) and the USCGC VINCENT DANZ (WPC-1162).
The commissioning of USCGC JEFFREY PALAZZO (WPC-1163) represents another milestone in Bollinger’s long-standing partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard. Over more than three decades, Bollinger has delivered over 189 vessels to the Coast Guard, and the FRC program stands as a model of successful government acquisition.
ABOUT THE FAST RESPONSE CUTTER PLATFORM
The FRC is an operational “game changer,” according to senior Coast Guard officials. FRCs are deployed in support of the full range of U.S. Coast Guard and joint military missions due to their exceptional performance, expanded operational reach, and ability to adapt to the mission. FRCs have conducted operations as far as the Marshall Islands, a 4,400 nautical mile trip from homeport. Measuring 154 feet in length, FRCs have a flank speed of 28 knots, a state-of-the-art C4ISR suite (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), and a stern launch and recovery ramp for a 26-foot over-the-horizon interceptor cutter boat.
ABOUT BOLLINGER SHIPYARDS
Bollinger Shipyards (www.bollingershipyards.com) has an 80-year legacy as a leading designer and builder of high-performance military patrol boats and salvage vessels, research vessels, ocean-going double hull barges, offshore oil field support vessels, tugboats, rigs, lift boats, inland waterways push boats, barges, and other steel and aluminum products as part of the U.S. industrial base. Bollinger is the largest vessel repair company in the Gulf of America region.