Roll of Honor
Incident
Lieutenant Duane Stenbak, Lieutenant Craig Lerner, Lieutenant Paul Perlt, and Petty Officer Matthew Baker were killed in an airplane accident while conducting a drug surveillance operation in the Caribbean.
The Grumman E2C Hawkeye experienced a wing fire and crashed as the pilot attempted to land at U.S. Naval Air Station, Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico.
Lieutenant Stenbak had served with the United States Coast Guard for 16 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-8779662F- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Lieutenant Stenbak gave the United States Coast Guard 16 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Duane Elmer Stenbak served in the Coast Guard (1974â1990) before joining law enforcement.
Lieutenant Duane Elmer Stenbak is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In DC, 454 of 1,419 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At United States Coast Guard, 20 of 24 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 83.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Duane Elmer Stenbak's cause is highlighted.
How Duane Elmer Stenbak Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Duane Elmer Stenbak is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
23 officers from United States Coast Guard are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
