Departing from Portsmouth, Virginia July 1, 2009, Coast Guard cutter Legare is on its way to the African continent to conduct maritime safety and security exchanges with countries along the west and central coast.

During the three-month Africa Partnership Station (APS) mission, the 270-foot cutter and its crew will visit and work with countries to include Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Cape Verde.

Under the direction of commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, Legare will support the U.S. Navy's 6th Fleet by serving as the primary APS platform, conducting activities and exchanges that bolster maritime safety and security as part of an ongoing support mission made up of multinational governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations. These agencies and organizations respond to requests from African governments to provide focused multinational/organizational collaborations on a regional scale.

"The goal of APS is to help African nations improve maritime security and stability which will support a safe and stable global sea trade environment," said Commander Dennis Bauby, Legare's commanding officer. "The Legare and crew are really looking forward to this deployment and the opportunity it provides to strengthen regional partnerships."

This is the second time Legare has deployed in support of the Navy's operations in Africa. In 2007 Legare had a 108-day deployment to the Gulf of Guinea region of West Africa where it conducted professional training, operations, and community service with countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana and the Togolese Republic.