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17th District Public Affairs

U.S. Coast Guard

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Media Advisory

Date: August 9, 2010

Contact: External Affairs Office

(907) 463-2065

Media Advisory: Coast Guard, USPHS to discuss Operation Arctic Crossroads 2010 Thursday

Editors note:  Please click on the photos below to download high resolution imagery.

KOTZEBUE, Alaska – A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter lands on a tarmac as an Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk and an Air Force National Guard HH-60 Pavehawk helicopter prepare to land at Forward Operating Location Kotzebue with personnel deployed in support of Operation Arctic Crossroads 2010 Sunday, August 8, 2010. Helicopter crews transported Personnel to remote northwestern Alaskan villages including Pt. Hope, Koyuk, Wales, Selawik, Shishmaref, Kivalina. Coast Guard photo taken by Petty Officer 3rd Class Walter Shinn. KOYUK, Alaska – An Air Force National Guard HH-60 Pavehawk helicopter and a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter transported personnel to Koyuk in support of Operation Arctic Crossroads 2010 Wednesday, August 4, 2010. A team of two Public Health Service veterinarians that were transported by helicopter administered 99 shots to 48 dogs and three cats in four and a half hours. Coast Guard photo taken by Petty Officer 3rd Class Walter Shinn. KOTZEBUE, Alaska – An Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew transported personnel to Shishmaref in support of Operation Arctic Crossroads 2010 Sunday, August 8, 2010. Operation Arctic Crossroads is a community outreach across Northern Alaska in an effort to integrate local knowledge with military expertise to meet the many challenges of Arctic operations. Coast Guard photo taken by Capt. Craig Lloyd. KOTZEBUE, Alaska – Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeff Tuttle, a resident of Palmer, Alaska, Petty Officer 3rd Class Megan Archer, a boatswain’s mate and resident of Juneau, Alaska, and Hiram Walker, director for search and rescue Northwest Arctic Borough, prepare to navigate through Kotzebue Sound Thursday, August 5, 2010. Coast Guard photo taken by Petty Officer 3rd Class Walter Shinn KOTZEBUE, Alaska – A Coast Guard 25-foot response boat-small crew transits across the bay while testing shallow water capabilities during Operation Arctic Crossroads 2010 Monday, August 9, 2010. The response boat has a draft of three feet and was successfully lowered into the water to test the Coast Guard’s capabilities to launch in shallow water during Operation Arctic Crossroads 2010. Coast Guard photo taken by Petty Officer 3rd Class Walter Shinn. KOYUK, Alaska - An Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, Air Force National Guard HH-60 Pavehawk helicopter and a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter transport personnel to Koyuk in support of Operation Arctic Crossroads 2010 Wednesday, August 4, 2010. The helicopters transported a Coast Guard medical doctor who examined 15 patients and a Public Health Service Optometrist who examined 10 patients. Coast Guard photo taken by Petty Officer 3rd Class Walter Shinn.

KOTZEBUE, Alaska – Members of the media are invited to join an over-the-phone discussion with Coast Guard and United States Public Health Service personnel deployed in support for Operation Arctic Crossroads 2010 from Forward Operating Location Kotzebue Thursday at 9 a.m. Alaska Standard Time.

Media interested in the media event are to contact Petty Officer 3rd Class Walter Shinn at (904) 501 7174.

During operations helicopter crews from Coast Guard, Army National Guard and Air Force National Guard helicopters flew boating safety and medical teams to Point Hope, Shishmaref, Kivalina, Koyuk and Wales.   Personnel will visit Noatak Tuesday and Shaktoolik Wednesday which will conclude Operation Arctic Crossroads 2010 operations for August.  

Operation Arctic Crossroads will continue for three days during the month of September with visits to Savoonga and Gambell, Alaska.

The Coast Guard will test the shallow water capabilities with a 28-foot utility boat-medium, which is a boat that is powered by jet propulsion in Kotzebue Sound Tuesday.  

During the visits to the villages medical doctors examined 93 patients, an optometrist examined 61 patients and veterinarians treated 193 animals.

A Coast Guard 25-foot response boat-small, an 18-foot cutter boat-medium and an 18-foot small boat were used to test shallow water capabilities around Kotzebue Sound.  

The increasingly accessible and active Arctic region has significant environmental, scientific, economic and security impacts that have broad implications for all of the agencies participating and the public responsibilities they hold.

Operation Arctic Crossroads is a community outreach across Northern Alaska in an effort to integrate local knowledge with military expertise to meet the many challenges of Arctic operations.

The discussion will last no longer than 30 minutes.

To view previous news, photo and multimedia releases click on the links below.

Photo Release: Operation Arctic Crossroads 2010 small boat crew navigates Hotham Inlet near Kotzebue

Multimedia Release: Operation Arctic Crossroads 2010 personnel participate in Kotzebue community service event, Search and Rescue demonstration

Photo Release: Operation Arctic Crossroads 2010 serves the people of Wales

 Operation Arctic Crossroads 2010 continue

Photo Release: Operation Arctic Crossroads serves the people of Point Hope

Coast Guard members head North for Operation Arctic Crossroads

Operation Arctic Crossroads personnel arrive in Kotzebue, prepare for tomorrow

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