The Juniper was the first of its class (the lead ship) of the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) seagoing buoy tenders.
The USCG seagoing buoy tender is a type of USCG cutter that is “used to service aids to navigation (ATON) throughout the waters of the United States and wherever American shipping interests require.” The Coast Guard has had a fleet of seagoing buoy tenders going back to its origins as the U.S. Lighthouse Service (USLHS).
The Juniper-class ships, which were launched beginning in the...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-classics-uscgc-juniper-was-launched-on-june-24-1995