On November 1, 2024, SSP fellows, students, faculty, and staff met at the Charlestown Naval Yard for a private tour of the USS Constitution. Tour guides Seamen Riley and Whaley, along with USS Constitution Museum Historian Carl Herzog, led the group on board “Old Ironsides”, a moniker given to the vessel after withstanding an assault from British rounds during battle in the War of 1812. From stem to stern, from the captain’s quarters to the gunpowder store, the guides demonstrated what life at sea aboard the Constitution was like. The guides also explained the connection between naval tactics and the technology of the day, such as how the reload time of the Constitution’s 44 cannons drove tactical decisions made by captains and their crews. The guides stressed that ships like the USS Constitution are not just weapons to use in times of crisis or war, but also serve as vehicles of broader U.S. foreign policy objectives. In addition to the Constitution, the group learned the historical significance of the Charlestown Naval Yard, which operated from 1800-1974. A strategic asset to the Navy for building, repairing, and modernizing the fleet, the yard continued to serve as an important hub in both World Wars. The visit to the naval yard concluded with a self-guided tour of the USS Constitution Museum, which serves as a valuable role in educating the public on US naval history and is an excellent resource for researchers with thousands of archival documents and artifacts connected to the Constitution.

Following lunch at Antico Forno in the North End, the group headed to the US Coast Guard (USCG) Station and were welcomed on board the USCG fast-response cutter William Sparling by Lieutenant Kokomoor and Ensigns Sanchez and Torres. Commissioned in October 2023, the William Sparling is operated by a 24-person crew, has four 50-caliber machine guns, and possesses capabilities such as a reverse osmosis system and Starshield internet link, both designed to improve the vessel’s self-sufficiency while on patrols that can last upwards of thirty days. Domestically, the primary missions of cutters such as the William Sparling are search and rescue of boaters and enforcement of federal fishing regulations. The William Sparling has also been deployed abroad, such as in Bahrain, where it escorted high value assets through the Straits of Hormuz, boarded suspected smuggling vessels, and projected power in the region. On such missions in contentious areas, USCG personnel and vessels are placed under a Navy mandate. But their niche expertise in boarding makes them a value-add. In addition to power projection missions such as Bahrain, many USCG missions abroad are aimed at training partner nations on enforcing illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing. Splitting into smaller groups to explore the Sparling’s multiple decks, the tour guides offered glimpses into their daily lives, while at sea or in port. 

This insightful field trip connected the United States’ naval past to present-day security concerns, both within the US Navy and US Coast Guard. Many thanks to SSP’s National Security Fellows who organized this field trip and to the service men and women who facilitated the tours!