Bristol’s July 4th Celebration is being graced by two visiting ships this year.

USS Billings is a Freedom-class littoral combat ship of the U.S. Navy, named for the city of Billings, Montana. Designed for operations in near-shore environments, USS Billings was built in Wisconsin, launched on July 1, 2017, and officially commissioned on August 3, 2019, at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida.

She is 378 feet long, 57.4 feet wide, and can reach a speed of 45 knots. Crewed by 15-75 personnel, the flight deck and hangar supports Seahawk helicopters. Operating under the U.S. 4th Fleet, USS Billings has engaged in counter-illicit drug trafficking missions in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean and provided humanitarian assistance to Haiti following a devastating 7.2-magnitude earthquake.

USCGC Maurice Jester is a 154 foot Sentinel-class fast response cutter, designed for multiple missions, including drug and migrant interdiction; ports, waterways and coastal security; fishery patrols; search and rescue; and national defense. The cutters namesake is derived from the USCG hero Lt. Maurice Jester. During WWII, Jester commanded the first U.S. Ship to capture the crew of a German U-Boat after its sinking. For his heroics in the sinking, and rescue of the German Sailors aboard U-352, Jester was awarded the Navy Cross and promoted to Lieutenant Commander for his leadership.

USCGC Maurice Jester was built in Louisiana and launched in March of 2023. The ship was officially commissioned on June 2, 2023, in Newport.

Homeported in Boston, USCGC Maurice Jester has sailed the waters of New England for two years conducting multiple missions over 100 nautical miles off the coast, and conducted over 100 living marine resource boardings: contributing to the overall protection of New England’s vast fisheries and sensitive ecological zones.

Tours of the USS Billings will be available to the public on both the 4th and 5th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from the Coast Guard Station at Thames and Constitution streets. Tours of the USCGC Maurice Jester will be available on the town marina from noon to 5 p.m. on the 3rd and the 4th.