The United States Postal Service is formally releasing a new commemorative stamp on September 12 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. The collectible release honors the service branch's deep maritime heritage by featuring two distinct vessels that span different eras of American seafaring tradition.
The artwork on the stamp highlights the historic barque USCGC Eagle alongside the advanced national security cutter USCGC Bertholf. Rather than utilizing commercial artwork or archival agency stock, the postal tribute showcases imagery captured directly by active-duty Coast Guard personnel, specifically Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Thieme and Petty Officer 1st Class Steven Strohmaier.
Thieme was credited with capturing the portrait of the Eagle, while Strohmaier provided the shot of the Bertholf. Together, the paired photographs provide an intentional aesthetic comparison between the oldest operational vessel in the Coast Guard and one of the fleet's most contemporary assets.
According to Strohmaier, the visual arrangement carries deliberate symbolic meaning. Both ships are depicted from a matching port bow aspect ratio, presenting them as sailing in the same direction to illustrate continuous organizational mission and progress across generations of service.
The image of the Bertholf originated during an overseas deployment in February 2024, when the ship was operating in the Western Pacific near Singapore. Strohmaier, serving as a public affairs specialist, sought an opportunity to photograph the cutter conducting maneuvers alongside international partners.
To secure the shot, Strohmaier deployed aboard a small boat launched from the Bertholf after the ship departed Singapore and began steaming eastward. Operating from sea level for approximately two hours allowed him to position the camera within the ocean swell troughs, using the foreground waves to frame the elevated hull of the cutter before the vessel resumed its transit toward Malaysia.
Strohmaier noted that the photograph was originally meant for standard public affairs distributions, media engagements, and social channels. The unexpected selection of the image for a nationwide postal stamp, as well as its appearance on the Department of War website, turned the routine assignment into a major career milestone.
The assignment also held personal significance for Strohmaier, who enlisted in the Coast Guard in 2012 and previously served a deployment aboard the Eagle in 2017. Having sailed on both vessels featured on the commemorative issue, he plans to frame an enlarged print of the completed stamp for his personal workspace.
The Eagle serves as the foundational training vessel for all future Coast Guard officers who pass through the academy in New London, Connecticut. Measuring 295 feet in length, the three-masted barque holds the distinction of being the largest active tall ship flying the American flag and remains the only square-rigged vessel in active U.S. government service.
Originally constructed in Germany in 1936, the ship operated as one of three sail-training vessels for the pre-World War II German navy. Following the conclusion of the war, the United States acquired the barque as a war reparation, officially commissioning it as a Coast Guard cutter and permanently stationing it in New London to instruct incoming cadet classes.
Over its decades in American service, the vessel—frequently referred to as "America's Tall Ship"—has also welcomed prominent national figures. U.S. Presidents John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Harry S. Truman have all visited the historic ship during official events.
In contrast to the historic sailing ship, the USCGC Bertholf represents modern maritime defense technology. Built in Mississippi in 2005 and commissioned into service in 2008, the vessel is stationed at its home port in Alameda, California, operating primarily to fulfill search and rescue operations and maritime law enforcement duties.
The Bertholf is one of four Legend-class national security cutters based in Alameda. The ship measures 418 feet in length with a 54-foot beam and displaces 4,600 long tons, offering the endurance and technology necessary for extended offshore deployments.
Engineered for global tasking, the cutter can reach speeds exceeding 28 knots, carries an operational range of 12,000 nautical miles, and possesses an endurance capability of up to 90 days at sea while supporting an onboard crew of roughly 170 service members.
The release continues a longstanding tradition by the U.S. Postal Service of honoring the military branches. According to USPS senior public relations representative David Coleman, the agency regularly commemorates the armed forces on major milestones, having previously issued a three-stamp collection in 2023 celebrating the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps.
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