ALAMEDA, Calif. -?? A U.S. Coast Guard color guard lines up in advance of the Cutter Stratton commissioning ceremony on Coast Guard Island, March 31, 2012. The Stratton is named for Coast Guard Capt. Dorothy C. Stratton, who served as director of the Coast Guard Women's Reserve - also known as the SPARs - during World War II. The Stratton is the third of eight planned National Security Cutters and is the first of its class named for a woman. A commissioning is a formal ceremony where a ship is placed into active service and begins to function as a command. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Rachel Polish
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