She and her sister ship USCGC Bayberry, which was commissioned on the same day, are the third and fourth oldest cutters in the Coast Guard's fleet.

Her primary mission is to maintain 250 aids to navigation in Southeast Alaska, including those in Wrangell Narrows, Zimovia Strait,[9] and Gastineau Channel.

In tight passages such as Wrangell Narrows, small excursions by towed barges and log rafts destroy buoys and other aids to navigation.

[11] In Rocky Pass, a shallow strait between Kuiu and Kupreanof Islands, Elderberry has had to work with only two feet of water under her keel.

Elderberry and USCGC Cape Hatteras responded placing about 700 feet of oil absorbent boom to contain the spill.

Elderberry fought the fire from the water while simultaneously organizing the safe removal of endangered private vessels moored near the cannery.

She was able to knock down the flames sufficiently to land four of her six-man crew on the dock to continue fighting the fire deeper into the building.

[18][19] In 2017 the Coast Guard began a process to replace its current fleet of inland buoy tenders, including Elderberry, known as the Waterways Commerce Cutter program.