USCGC Oak (WLB-211)

The USCGC Oak (WLB-211) is a United States Coast Guard seagoing buoy tender home-ported in Charleston, South Carolina. The ship tends buoys along the Southeastern U.S. coast and throughout the Caribbean Sea including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Haiti and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Oak also performs other duties, such as maritime border security, marine environmental protection, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, and domestic icebreaking.

History
The keel for the Oak was laid on July 30, 2001 at Marinette Marine Corporation in Wisconsin. "Oak" was launched on January 26, 2002. The ship's sponsor was Mrs. Billye Brown, wife of Congressman Henry E. Brown (R-SC). "Oak" made the trip from Marinette, Wisconsin to Charleston, SC and was commissioned on March 7, 2003, the first Coast Guard cutter to be commissioned following the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. The Oak took Aids to Navigation responsibility for the waterways of decommissioned USCGC Madrona, USCGC Laurel and USCGC Papaw and regularly sees duty throughout the Southeast U.S. and Caribbean.

The Oak has been involved in Operation Unified Response following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, primarily to clear debris from and repair Port international de Port-au-Prince, the damaged seaport in Port-au-Prince. She was dispatched immediately following the quake, stopping in Miami, Florida on the way to stock with relief supplies. The vessel arrived on January 17, about six days after the disaster struck. She and the Navy salvage ship USNS Grasp were tasked with returning the wharves to operation.