U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Melissa Hauck

Coast Guard cutter USS Boutwell departs from the pier on Coast Guard Island Monday. The 378-foot cutter is deploying for 180 days.

The Alameda-based Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell departed Monday to participate in a deployment as part of the USS Boxer Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG). Boutwell's deployment will take six months to cover a route circumnavigating the globe.

Boutwell's deployment represents the U.S. Coast Guard's ongoing operational commitment to the Department of Defense and applies the Coast Guard stratgeic imperatives of Maritime Safety, Security and Stewardship in reaching out to foreign Coast Guards and Navies around the world. Additionally, the deployment supports the U.S. cooperative maritime strategy which integrates the Coast Guard, Navy and Marine Corps' sea power.

The 378-foot high-endurance cutter is scheduled to conduct cooperative training engagements and professional exchanges with maritime agencies from several countries in the Western Pacific. The 179-member crew of Boutwell will provide training in areas such as shipboard damage control, search and rescue case planning and maritime law enforcement.