[4][6] Engine exhaust was ported through the transom rather than through a conventional stack and this permitted a 360 degree view from the bridge; a feature that was very useful in search and rescue work as well as a combat environment.

[7] The design specifications for Point Banks included a steel hull for durability and an aluminum superstructure and longitudinally framed construction was used to save weight.

[4][9][10][11] After delivery in 1961, Point Banks was assigned a homeport of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where she served as a law enforcement and search and rescue patrol boat.

[4] At the request of the United States Navy, in April 1965, she was alerted for service in the Vietnam War and assigned to Coast Guard Squadron One in support of Operation Market Time along with 16 other Point-class cutters.

[12] While the crew completed overseas training and weapons qualifications at Coast Guard Island and Camp Parks, California, Point Banks was loaded onto a merchant ship, and transported to Subic Bay, Philippines in May 1965 where she was refit for combat service.

After sea trials, the Division left Subic Bay for An Thoi on 17 July 1965 in the company of USS Floyd County, their temporary support ship.

After almost two weeks at sea, they arrived at their new duty station on 1 August and began patrolling the waters in the Gulf of Thailand near the Cà Mau Peninsula.

[12] On the night of 21 January 1969 while on patrol south of Cam Ranh Bay, Point Banks intercepted radio transmissions from the shore requesting assistance in evacuating several Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) troops that were surrounded by Viet Cong units.