Alaska's Coast Guard buoy tenders arrive to Juneau for Roundup

Editors note: Media interested in conducting interviews with crewmembers or interested in covering the Buoy Tender Olympics please contact Petty Officer Jon-Paul Rios at (907) 463-2065 or (907) 321-4513 after hours.

JUNEAU, Alaska - The Coast Guard 17th District is hosting its week-long annual District Buoy Tender Roundup in Juneau beginning Monday to include cutters homeported throughout Alaska.

This year's roundup brings five U.S. Coast Guard buoy tenders from Kodiak, Petersburg, Sitka, Ketchikan and Homer for five days of training. Participating are the Coast Guard cutters SPAR, Elderberry, Maple, Hickory and Anthony Petit. The Sycamore is deployed to the Gulf of Mexico supporting efforts for the Deepwater Horizon response.

The event allows approximately 200 Coast Guard members the opportunity to receive specialized training during the week in areas such as engine repair, buoy maintenance, first aid and more. The roundup gives buoy tender crews the opportunity to exchange ideas and build camaraderie. Due to the remote locations in Alaska which the cutters operate, this mission-essential training would be nearly impossible to complete otherwise and has proved successful for more than 20 years.

During the week-long training, the Buoy Tender Olympics will be held Wednesday at Coast Guard Station Juneau from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m but is not open to the public.

Crews aboard Coast Guard buoy tenders in Alaska service 1,250 navigational aids along 33,000 miles of coastline while actively participating in search and rescue, environmental protection, and law enforcement missions.

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