Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District

Date: Nov. 18, 2008
Contact: Petty Officer Levi Read
Phone: 907-463-2065

Alaska's Very Own Guardian

by Petty Officer 3rd Class Levi Read

editor's note: photos available below

JUNEAU, Alaska -- The wind was howling and blowing at speeds of up to 60 knots. The sea was rumbling and slapping against a black hulled vessel. The wind sprayed ocean water along with rain into the faces of the crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Woodrush, a 180-foot sea-going buoy tender.  The crew was staring into the face of a storm because that's what Guardians do.

These Guardians were responding to a ‘mayday' call.  A boat was taking on water somewhere in Sitka Sound, Alaska.  The Coast Guard had lost communication with the caller so the crew stared into the vast darkness fighting the stinging spray they felt upon their faces. For one of the crewmen, Seaman Ricky Johanson, that night aboard the Woodrush was just the beginning of his Coast Guard career and that night left a definite impression.

"I remember standing amidships on the boat deck staring into the darkness searching for anything in distress with my elbow hanging over the edge. I was approximately 15 feet above the water line when the ship rolled off one of the waves and as the ship rolled I could have reached down and touched the water," said Boatswain Mate 1^st Class Ricky Johanson, 1^st Lieutenant at Coast Guard Station Juneau, 21 years later.

The Woodrush's crew searched that entire stormy night and never found the distressed boat. Although during the search, at approximately midnight, a life raft was found and a rescue swimmer was deployed into the water to investigate the raft. 

"I can still remember the anticipation of watching the swimmer swim to the raft and the empty disheartening feeling I felt as the swimmer shook his head notifying the rest of the crew of negative findings," said Johanson.

Johanson has served his entire 21-year Coast Guard career in Alaska. Johanson is a native Alaskan by birth and by heart. He was born in Juneau and raised in Hoonah, a small native village approximately 40 miles southwest of his birthplace. He is a member of the Tlingit Tribe.

On July 5, 1987 Ricky Johanson signed his enlistment papers and officially entered the United States Coast Guard. He was one of the last recruits who signed up in Juneau before the recruiting office moved to Anchorage.  He wanted his first assignment to be aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Basswood homeported in Guam. Since that didn't work out, he decided to come home to Alaska straight out of boot camp and now the rest is history.

He has been involved in hundreds of search and rescue cases and various other missions in and around Alaskan waters. Although Johanson was serving in Alaska during the time of arguably the biggest and most devastating marine casualty in Alaskan history, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, he did not play a significant role in the clean up efforts because the Woodrush had just arrived in Bellingham, Wash., for a dry-dock and repair period.

During his time aboard the Woodrush from 1987-1990 he responded to the 1989 Cape Decision Lighthouse fire that damaged the tram dock, boat house, hoist house, paint shed and helipad. The crew of the Woodrush transported firefighters and other rescue volunteers from the nearby town of Petersburg and helped in rigging fire fighting equipment. The lighthouse and surrounding area has since been repaired and is still in operation.

After his stint aboard the Woodrush, Johanson transferred to Station Ketchikan where he advanced to boatswain mate 3^rd class. He served in Ketchikan from 1990-1991. He was involved in a search and rescue case in Clarence Strait where sea cucumber divers resurfaced after a diving excursion and found their fishing vessel, Bandito, stuck in heavy seas and taking on water. The divers called for help and Station Ketchikan responded in their 41- foot Utility Boat and started towing the Bandito.

The shortest route to safety was to cross Clarence Strait heading west. The problem was that the storm was coming from the north and crossing the strait would have put the rescuers in a perilous position being beam to, to the seas. The decision was made to follow the Tug Venture and its fuel barges up through Clarence Strait using the barges as a shield from the weather. The storm was strong enough to carry breaking waves clear over the barges and onto the bow of the 41-foot rescue boat. The rescue took approximately 11 hours to complete.

His next assigned unit was Air Station Sitka as a boatswain mate. This was described by Johanson as being forgotten by the Coast Guard detailer. Apparently other boatswain mate 3^rd classes stationed in Ketchikan were receiving orders but not Johanson. He called his detailer and the only billet available was a position at Air Station Sitka. He served there from 1991-1994.

His main job at the air station was to drive the practice boat for the helicopters during rescue exercises.

After his time at Air Station Sitka, Johanson says he was forgotten by the detailer again and this time was given the choice to serve time in the Lower 48 or to work at the Integrated Support Command Kodiak firehouse. He chose Kodiak and was stationed there as a boatswain mate 2^nd class from 1994-1998. During his time at the firehouse, he was involved in fighting a major fire that broke out at the Star of Kodiak cannery. The cannery is housed inside a beached ship. The April 4, 1997 fire resulted in several ammonia releases estimated at 100 pounds each. Firefighters including Johanson fought the fire for approximately 18 hours.

"At this point I chose to stay in Alaska and serve at the fire station in Kodiak because it kept me and my family in Alaska," said Johanson. "I wanted my kids to go to school and finish school in Alaska."

Johanson said he hasn't had a problem with staying in Alaska because he thinks most other Coast Guardsmen don't want to come to Alaska and the detailers know he likes it up here and wants to stay up here. In fact he always mentioned on his dream sheet that he was from Alaska and didn't mind the gloomy weather or the small remote towns.

After his tour in Kodiak he was stationed in Juneau at the small boat station from 1998-2002. Here he qualified as a boat coxswain, on the 41-foot Utility Boat, 47-foot Motor Lifeboat and the 25-foot Response Boat Small. One of his biggest cases as a qualified coxswain was in response to the cruise ship Spirit of '98 grounding in Tracy Arm, approximately 40 miles southeast of Juneau. The cruise ship had hit a submerged object and began to take on water uncontrollably.  The cruise ship's 93 passengers were evacuated and Air Station Sitka supplied six dewatering pumps but the pumps were not able to reach a void beneath the crew's quarters and in spaces aft of the engine room.

The small boat crew rigged a P-1 pump into a thru-hull fitting that Machinery Technician 2^nd Class Ryan Savage discovered during the inspection of the vessel after Johanson noticed the cruise ship was taking on more water than the pumps could keep up with.

Johanson said upon arriving in Tracy Arm he noticed an accommodation ladder hanging from the cruise ship that was approximately a foot above the water. He noticed later that the bottom step of the ladder was underneath the water. This told him that even though the crew of the Spirit of ‘98 thought the flooding was under control, it was not.  They needed to investigate and inspect the cruise ship to find where the flooding was coming from. Johanson and his crew were on scene with the Spirit of '98 for 36 hours. Johanson received the Coast Guard Commendation Medal, awarded to those who distinguish themselves by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, for his involvement in this case.

After four years in Juneau, he transferred back to an Aids-to-Navigation vessel homeported in Cordova. He was aboard Coast Guard Cutter Sycamore, a 225-foot sea-going buoy tender, from 2002-2005.  Johanson said his time aboard the Sycamore was fairly quiet in terms of search and rescue operations. Although he did have a frightening experience while aboard the Sycamore. The Sycamore, while transiting through Snow Pass, between Petersburg and Wrangell, was struck by the wooden hulled vessel Renigad. He said that the crew of the Sycamore lowered their small boats to assist the damaged vessel. The Sycamore only received minor dents and scratches on its hull near the Coast Guard stripe.

After his tour aboard the Sycamore, he returned to Station Juneau where he is currently serving. During this tour in Juneau he has responded to several more cruise ship groundings, including the Empress of the North in 2007 and the Spirit of Glacier Bay in July 2008.  During the Spirit of Glacier Bay rescue, the rescue crew, led by Johanson, tossed a line across to the vessel and held the cruise ship's bow steady as the tide came up. A strong current coming from a nearby river made the refloating of the cruise ship a dangerous operation. Had the bow been caught in the current the cruise ship could have been pushed  into a nearby glacier.

Johanson is scheduled to be in Juneau until summer 2010. He is currently a petty officer first class and has plans of advancing to chief petty officer prior to transferring or retiring. Either way he wants the trend of serving in Alaska to continue and plans on retiring in Alaska.

"I have a good understanding of the area, and I understand the resources available," Said Johanson.  "I have a lot of experiences to draw from during my service here in Alaska because until I returned to Station Juneau I had never done the same job twice."

He thinks the aids-to-navigation parts of his career have been the most rewarding because he has worked on aids in areas ranging from Dixon Entrance north covering all of Southeast Alaska, Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet in South Central Alaska and Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Chain.  "We accomplished a variety of things from fixing buoys, building and fixing shore-aid towers and still participating in other Coast Guard missions like search and rescue," said Johanson.

"There is a certain satisfaction in every job in the Coast Guard but with aids-to-navigation you are more proactive and can visually see work accomplished but with search and rescue there is a lot of waiting for something to happen," explained Johanson.

"The best thing about my career would have to be the relationships I have been able to have with my shipmates," said Johanson. He said he doesn't run into many of his old shipmates because he has stayed here in Alaska and they have moved on usually to the Lower 48. But when he does, it has been fun to rehash the old memories.

"We built great relationships with each other because it was routine to work 12 to 16 hour days and we suffered through it together," said Johanson.

"I live and work in the most beautiful place on earth. I probably take it for granted, even though it often provides awe inspiring moments, because I grew up here and have lived here all my life," said Johanson. "The thing that gets my attention is the constant reminders of how huge Alaska is because of the transit times from one place to another it can take hours or even days."

The most important thing that has happened to him from his time with the Coast Guard is the understanding he has provided to the Tlingit Tribe and the public in general about what the Coast Guard is and what it represents.

Johanson explained that even though his family and friends in Hoonah didn't have much knowledge about the Coast Guard they still supported his choice in serving, but now that one of their own has spent the last 20 years with the Coast Guard they have a better understanding of who we are as Guardians.

   JUNEAU, Alaska -- (1987) Seaman Recruit Ricky Johanson portrait photo at Training Center Cape May, New Jersey. Johanson has served his entire Coast Guard career in Alaska. Coast Guard photo provideded by Petty Officer Ricky Johanson.

  JUNEAU, Alaska -- (1987-1990) Coast Guard Cutter Woodrush, a 180-foot sea-going buoy tender, patrols in Glacier Bay, Alaska. The Woodrush was Johanson's first unit after graduating basic training. Coast Guard photo provided by Petty Officer Ricky Johanson.

  JUNEAU, Alaska -- (1987-1990) Seaman Ricky Johanson works on a navigational shore-aid in Southeast Alaska. Johanson has worked with two aids-to-navigation units during his 21-year Coast Guard career. Coast Guard photo provided by Petty Officer Ricky Johanson.

  JUNEAU, Alaska -- (1987-1990) Seaman Ricky Johanson on one of the Woodrush's rigid hull inflatable (RHI) boats while on patrol in Southeast Alaska. Johanson has worked with two aids-to-navigation units during his 21-year Coast Guard career. Coast Guard photo provided by Petty Officer Ricky Johanson.

  JUNEAU, Alaska -- (1987-1990) Seaman Ricky Johanson is hoisted up from an aids-to-navigation platform in Southeast Alaska by an HH-3 Pelican helicopter. Johanson has served his entire 21-year Coast Guard career in Alaska. Coast Guard photo provided by Petty Officer Ricky Johanson.

  KETCHIKAN, Alaska -- A Coast Guard photo was published in the Dec. 22-23, 1990 edition of the Ketchikan Daily News. Johanson along with three other crewmembers from Station Ketchikan responded to the fishing vessel Bandito, which was caught in heavy seas and was taking on water. Copy of newspaper clip provided by Petty Officer Ricky Johanson and approved for reprint by the Ketchikan Daily News.

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The United States Coast Guard -- Proud History. Powerful Future.

Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District

Date: Feb. 18, 2009
Contact: PA1 Kurt Fredrickson
Phone: 907-487-5700

"Coast Guardsman recognized as Master Cutterman for serving 25 years at sea"
by PA1 Kurt Fredrickson

           
(Click on images above for high resolution versions)

KODIAK, Alaska - A Coast Guardsman stationed in Kodiak, Alaska received the Coast Guard's newest honor during an informal ceremony in Kodiak Thursday where he was named the services 12th Master Cutterman. 

While many Coast Guardsmen proudly wear the Cutterman's insignia, which represents five years of sea service, the distinguished title of Master Cutterman is awarded to those having served more than 20 years at sea. 

Master Cutterman Chief Warrant Officer Randy Salenski is currently stationed aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley as the main propulsion assistant.  In May his sea time will reach 26 years.  In total his career has spanned 36 years aboard nine cutters and four tours ashore.  But despite his impressive service, being awarded for it came as a complete surprise.

"I really appreciate getting the award," he said.  "I had no clue this thing even existed, let alone being a candidate for it.  I'm honored to be one of 12 people to actually get it in the Coast Guard." 

In 1973 Salenski began his Coast Guard career as an engineman, a rate later renamed machinery technician.  At that same time the Coast Guard was preparing to institute the newly created Cutterman's insignia. The insignia, worn on the uniform, is comprised of a helm wheel surrounded by waves which represent the heritage of the sea, a five point star noting five years sea service, and a shield representing the service and its seagoing traditions.  Prior to 1974, no recognition was given to those serving extended periods at sea.    

Recognition as a Cutterman meant that an individual had, in the tradition of professional mariners, performed duties afloat in keeping with their grade and rate and who have endured the rigors and dangers of sea duty for a substantial period.      

For Salenski, this recognition came in 1982 shortly after he was promoted to chief petty officer.  Today, after more than 20 years of sea service, he has exemplified the definition of Cutterman.  But for some, the criteria of being called a Cutterman fell short in recognizing individuals, like Salenski, with a lifetime commitment to service at sea.  In 2006 discussions began in Washington, D.C., to devise an award to recognize those with more than 20 years of service.

The final criteria for the award settled on the title of Master Cutterman, which would be presented as a certificate signed by the Commandant of the Coast Guard.  It would also depict all the cutters the individual served on during their career.  After deciding on the criteria of the award, the wording seemingly proved to be the most difficult.  After two drafts of the award failed to meet the "salty" language the Commandant was looking for, he wrote the award himself. 

The final text of the certificate reads as follows.

US Coast Guard Master Cutterman

 To all sailors who have crossed the deck of a cutter, from ghosts of the
Revenue Marine to the United States Coast Guard, wherever ye may be;
And to all Ancient Mariners, Albatrosses, Pterodactyls, Surfman and various
Breeds of dogs:

Let it be known that
CWO4 Randy S. Salenski
has stood watch, laid before the mast, made rounds, checked the navigational
 lights, monitored engine temperatures, launched boats as required,
 balanced the electrical load, provided rations, and otherwise attended to the
 watch, quarter and station bill for all evolutions required to guard the coast
 and defend the Nation for 24 years.

Accordingly, all cutterman with lesser sea time and those unaccustomed to venturing offshore shall show due honor and respect at all times.

The first master cutterman certificate was presented to Chief Warrant Officer Paul Dilger at his retirement on July 27, 2007.  Since then there have been 11 certificates awarded making Salenski's the 12th.             

Salenski's award presentation was held informally at the club on Coast Guard base Kodiak with his shipmates and fellow Cutterman who are stationed in Kodiak.  During the ceremony, Commander Kevin Jones, Alex Haley commanding officer, recounted the first time he saw the certificate. "We had this thing show up in the mail wrapped in a tube; we pulled it out and thought, "What is that?"  He noted that everyone soon realized what it was and what it took for someone to earn this particular recognition.  

Breaking from the script, Jones looked out to those gathered and explained that they were recognizing a hero.  To the young Coast Guardsmen he said, "You may not want to be a Cutterman, but right now you are.  There are a bunch of us who are because this is our career path. This is what we signed up to do.  These are our seagoing traditions and it is important that we recognize it," Jones stressed. "Here's a man who has dedicated his life to that."

Jones recounted Selinski's career from his beginning as an engineman, a rate later changed to machinery technician.  Salenski's career has included service aboard Coast Guard Cutters Sledge, Ojibwa, Resolute, Alert, Planetree, Woodrush, Firebush, Maple and Alex Haley and shore duty at Loran Station St. Paul, Alaska, Station Buffalo, N.Y., Group Buffalo and Training Center Cape May, N.J.  

Reflecting on the long list of duty stations, Jones looked to Salenski and asked about the first engine he worked on. "It wasn't steam was it?"  

Salenski accepted the framed certificate with few words, but a notable appreciation.  As an added bonus, his son, Petty Officer 2nd Class Randy Salenski, was able to literally jump ship to attend the presentation.  Since the Hickory, home ported in Homer, Alaska, was already scheduled to conduct training off Kodiak, the cutter was able to nose up to the pier and let Salenski jump off to be part of the ceremony.  Like his father before him, he is a machinery technician.  Salenski said his father deserves the recognition, and although he doesn't want the attention the award carries, he appreciates it.

Salenski's oldest son is a sergeant in the Marine Corps currently stationed in Camp Pendleton, Calif.  Salenski's wife lives in Sitka, Alaska. 

"I really enjoy my job," Salenski said.  "Being able to teach someone what I know, that's where I get the most satisfaction out of my job."

After more than three decades of service, Salenski has three pieces of advice to pass on to Coast Guardsmen just starting out.  "Separate your work and home time, pursue your hobbies and stay out of trouble."                     

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The United States Coast Guard -- Proud History. Powerful Future.

Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District

Date: Oct.17, 2008
Contact: Petty Officer Levi Read
Phone: 907-463-2065

Changing the World One Youth at a Time

By:Petty Officer 3rd Class Levi Read

Therefore the Seventeenth Coast Guard District and the Juneau School District have agreed to form a partnership to increase connectedness, resiliency, and academic, social, and life skills of Juneau school students through professionally supported mentoring relationships supervised and administered by Big Brothers Big Sisters, Juneau Office.

Coast Guardsmen who volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters are put through an extensive background check to ensure that the new relationship will be safe and rewarding for everyone involved. The volunteers can do their part through one of two programs; the school program or the community program.

The school program allows mentoring time at school between the volunteer adults and the youth within the program. Each mentor involved spends a minimum of one hour weekly with their assigned child. The time is spent doing normal everyday activities, which range from going over school work to playing with the children at recess.

Lt. Cmdr. Gary Koehler, Inspections and Investigations branch for the Seventeenth Coast Guard District, has been involved with this program for approximately eight months.

 "I don't push education on him, but I give him someone to talk to and just hang out with. Sometimes we read, sometimes we play kickball," said Koehler. "It is a rewarding experience to bring a positive influence into a child's life."

The community program is much more wide ranged with the mentoring program being spent within the community. Again the mentor spends several hours with the child two to four times a month. The activities in this program are much the same as the school program, but allows for more creativity and possibly more time between the mentor and child.

Petty Officer Joseph Baxter, a boatswains mate 2^nd class on the Coast Guard Cutter Liberty, homeported in Auke Bay, Alaska explained, as a Coast Guardsman, it can sometimes be difficult to fulfill obligations to Big Brothers Big Sisters while attached to an operational unit, but the beauty with the community program is that I can decide when to spend time with my ‘Little Brother.'

During their time together Baxter and his ‘Little Brother' have gone to the rifle range, archery range, hunting, fishing, camping, swimming and biking.

There are 216 kids in Juneau that are part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Most of these kids have been matched to a mentoring ‘Big Brother or Big Sister' including 12 youth who have been matched with a Coast Guardsmen. Four other Coast Guardsmen are waiting to be matched with a ‘Little.'  The Coast Guardsmen may mentor only six percent of the Juneau children within the program, but the stories and feedback provided by those involved prove the partnership has been a great success not only for the children but also for the adults.

"I have been a ‘Big Brother' for almost two years now and absolutely love the program. Though I have children of my own, I felt like I am able to make a big difference in a less fortunate child's life, said Lt.j.g. Brett Sprenger. My particular ‘Little Brother' came from a home where midway through last school year he lost his mother.  I was able to be there for the young man, provide comfort and cheer him up.  It was nice to know that though this little guy lost his mother, I was still able to make him laugh on occasion."

Sometimes these mentorship's turn into lifelong friendships, one of those stories belongs to Lt. Todd Wimmer, formerly of the Coast Guard Civil Engineering Unit in Juneau and currently attending graduate school at the University of Colorado, who made such an impact in his mentorship with his assigned little brother Ernie, he and his mother and sister drove from Alaska to Colorado to attend Wimmer's wedding.

A study performed by Public/Private Ventures, a Philadelphia-based national research organization showed kids involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America are 46 percent less likely to begin using illegal drugs; 27 percent less likely to begin using alcohol; 52 percent less likely to skip school and 37 percent less likely to skip a class. The study also showed that the kids were more confident of their performance in schoolwork.

Can we change the world?  Well, we can certainly do our part within our community. As I try to change the world, and as my fellow Guardians try to change the world one youth at a time, maybe just maybe, we can change the world together.

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The United States Coast Guard -- Proud History. Powerful Future.

Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District

Date: Sept. 7, 2007
Contact: Petty Officer 1st Class Kurt Fredrickson
Phone: 907-487-5700

 

"FEATURE STORY"
COAST GUARD CUTTER CROSSES ARCTIC CIRCLE ON ANNIVERSARY OF NORTHWEST PASSAGE 
By Petty Officer 1st Class Kurt Fredrickson

Today the Kodiak based Coast Guard Cutter SPAR is adding to the services rich history of operating in Alaska's remote northern waters.  As a fitting historical reminder the SPAR crossed the Artic Circle Thursday on the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Northwest Passage by the Cutters Bramble, Storis and original SPAR.     

"The existence of a Northwest Passage connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific through the Arctic had tantalized and frustrated explorers and navigators for centuries," said Lt.j.g. Tim Brown, navigator of the SPAR.  "The route offers an alternative to transit through the Panama Canal or around South America and can save hundreds of miles off of a ship's voyage."

The successful completion of the Northwest Passage by the Storis, Bramble and SPAR on September 6, 1957 was a nationally celebrated achievement, Brown noted.  Today the SPAR's mission in the Bering Sea is directly connected to economic, strategic and humanitarian missions, reminiscent of those conducted by its namesake decades ago as well as the first Bering Sea patrols of the 1860s.  While the predecessors of the Coast Guard were called to service to regulate the booming fur trade, a large source of national income, today the region is still of vital economic importance and international debate.

"The Arctic is rich in natural resources, including petroleum reserves, commercially important metals, and fisheries," Brown explained.  "The Northwest Passage is being considered as an alternative for transit again, especially by for Asian-European trade since it cuts time from the Panama Canal transit."

As the desire to use the Northwest Passage increases, the mission of the SPAR becomes a focal point to ensuring the safety of mariners in the region.  The SPAR, a 225-foot buoy tender, has the capabilities necessary to create a waterway safe for navigation by commercial shipping. 

"The aids to navigation that we establish can make the area more desirable for general navigation," Brown explained.  "As a buoy tender, we are responsible for 155 fixed and floating aids to navigation ranging from Kodiak, to False Pass and Dutch Harbor in the eastern Aleutians, all the way west to Adak and Attu at the end of the Aleutian chain, and north to Bethel and the Pribilof Islands."

As part of this mission the SPAR is conducting a comprehensive review of traffic patterns, nautical charts, port facilities and existing aids to navigation to assess the efficiency of the aids to navigation system in the area.  The SPAR also carries a hydrographic survey system that can map the bottom of the ocean in small areas leading to harbors and can forward the data to NOAA's National Ocean Service for inclusion in future editions of nautical charts, Brown explained.  This data can then be used to assist in establishing new aids in specific locations. 

The SPAR is also heavily involved in fisheries law enforcement, has an advanced electronics and communications suite to support homeland security operations, and carries oil skimming equipment to support environmental protection.  The five week deployment will cover 6,000 miles and will conclude with aids to navigation servicing stops throughout the Aleutian Chain and Western Alaska.  While the cutter will be heavily involved with aids to navigation, it will also patrol the maritime boundary line with Russia and the Bering Sea for illegal fishing activity and conduct community service projects in rural communities as has been done since the first cutters entered the region more than 100 years ago.

"SPAR is equipped with a modern sickbay and carries a health services technician aboard at all times to respond to emergency needs, both onboard and in the communities we visit," explained Lt. Tim Howard, executive officer of the SPAR.  "SPAR is also providing mechanics to conduct repairs on a boat ramp and borough owned skiff in Barrow."

While the SPAR's north trip is largely based on modern technology, the unchanging Bering Sea is a reminder to the crew of the Coast Guard's history in the region.

"This trip gives us the opportunity to honor the legacy of the Coast Guard in Alaska at the same time that we work to build a new one," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Mindy Tucker, SPAR crewmember.  "It's a great feeling to follow in the footsteps of the famous crews of the Bear, Storis and other Bering Sea patrol ships."

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PHOTOS: High resolution photos can be found by clicking on the photos below.

 BERING STRAIT, NEAR WALES, Alaska - The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter SPAR forms a 57, for the year of the original completion of the Northwest Passage, and 07 to commemorate this years voyage into the Arctic. The SPAR crossed the Artic Circle September, 6, 2007 on the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Northwest Passage by the Cutters SPAR, Storis and Bramble. Official U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ens. Michael Manuel.

 ABOARD CGC SPAR, BERING STRAIT, Alaska - The aurora borealis shines ahead of the Coast Guard Cutter SPAR as it enters Arctic waters September 6, 2007.  Official U.S. Coast Guard photo by Ens. Michael Manuel.

 The original Coast Guard Cutter SPAR, left, the current Coast Guard Cutter SPAR, right. Official U.S. Coast Guard Photos.

Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District

Date: Aug. 25, 2008
Contact: Cmdr. Joseph Lo Sciuto
Phone: (907) 271.6605
Petty Officer Sara Francis
(907) 271.2660

Coast Guard Conducts Port State Control Exam on Clipper Pacific, Detains Vessel for Violations

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Coast Guard Inspectors at Sector Anchorage conducted a Port State Control exam on the Bahamian-flagged, cruise ship Clipper Pacific, in Seward over the weekend issuing a 32-item deficiency list and detaining the vessel temporarily for significant International Ship Management code violations in respect to oil record books, engineering logs and engineering rough logs.

The Clipper Pacific customs clearance for departure was withheld until a surety bond for $1.1 million was provided by the owner but was later cleared by U.S. Customs and Border Protection after a Letter of Understanding was received from the owner.

The inspectors found issues with the vessel's documentation and non-compliance of the International Ship Management Code for Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS). Vessels operating in U.S. waters are required to meet the SOLAS and other International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards enforced by the U.S.

There is evidence the vessel's crew operated the oily water separator and potentially inaccurate oil content meter in the U.S. exclusive economic zone in potential violation of United States Code known as the Clean Water Act, 33USC1321 (b) (3). They also failed to report a discharge of oil into a navigable U.S. waterway while draining the bilges of their lifeboats which is another violation of the CFR, 33CFR151.15.

After four days the crew of the vessel had fixed enough of the critical deficiencies that Coast Guard officials were comfortable with the vessel leaving the U.S. port. However, concerns about the oily water discharge system and the fact that this is a foreign-flagged vessel that may not return to the U.S., prompted officials in cooperation with Customs and Border Protection to require the vessel's insurance agency, the P&I Club, to issue a the $1.1 million Surety Bond.

"The vessel has some more work to do to come into full compliance with SOLAS but we determined that it had reached an equivalent level of safety and was ready to sail prior to letting them leave the port," said Cmdr. Joseph Lo Sciuto, deputy commander Coast Guard Sector Anchorage and a qualified senior marine inspector. "In the long run, we want to make sure the vessel comes into full compliance with SOLAS and meets their international responsibilities."

The Coast Guard has required the captain of the vessel to have permanent documentation rather than interim certificates before they return to the U.S.

The Clipper Pacific had previously operated in U.S. waters under a different owner and name. Their operations in the U.S. ceased from 1996 until last month after Pearl Owner Ltd. purchased the vessel. Records show the vessel operated in the Mediterranean from 1997 to 2008.

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The United States Coast Guard -- Proud History. Powerful Future.

Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District

Date: Feb. 29, 2008
Contact: PA1 Kurt Fredrickson
Phone: 907-487-5700

PREPARED CREW SAVES SHIP FROM RAGING FIRE IN BERING SEA  
By PA1 Kurt Fredrickson
Public Affairs Detachment Kodiak, Alaska

"Photos and video available after text"

KODIAK, Alaska - For thousands of years mankind has recognized the power of the four basic elements of earth, wind, fire and water; catalysts of life, yet equally pervaders of destruction.  Perhaps nowhere is this commingling of power as abrupt as the maritime environment, where a shipboard fire can pit a crew against a raging inferno yet place their backs to an unforgiving sea.  It was in this situation that the crew of the Pacific Glacier found they were struggling to survive in one of the most destructive forces of nature in one of the harshest environments on the planet. 

It's only been a few days since fire threatened to destroy the 253-foot fish processor in the Bering Sea.  Yet today the ship sits moored in Dutch Harbor; testament to the battle that crews fought and won in the now charred trench-like hallways.  Although no evidence of the ordeal is visible from the outside, the smell of smoke permeates the wind as one boards the ship.  The crew is busy giving statements to Coast Guard investigators and reclaiming what belongings they can before flying home.  The process of examining the ship to determine exactly what happened has just begun.  But as the 106 crew prepare to leave, all uninjured from their ordeal, one thing is certain; something went tremendously right aboard the Pacific Glacier.

On February 26th the Pacific Glacier was 136 miles northeast of Dutch Harbor.  Half the crew was on shift engaged in fishing while the rest of the crew was on their free time below deck, some sleeping.  In the wheelhouse Olaf Vagen, captain of the Pacific Glacier and Odd Rotset, his first mate, were standing watch.  For the Bering Sea the weather was calm and everything was going as usual.  It was then that the ships fire alarm broke the routine of the evening.  Rotset, following procedure, immediately grabbed a radio and sent fire crews to the area indicated by the alarm.  This was the beginning of a fight neither man had ever fought in their more than six decades of combined experience as commercial fishermen.          

As the fire teams struggled to get control of the situation below decks near the crew berthing area, ships in the immediate area were appraised of the situation.  Meanwhile, the rest of the crew were falling back on training they probably never thought they would use.

"The rest of the people had no training," Vagen explained.  "They were all in survival suits right after the alarm went off and they were the first ones to be evacuated."

Within 45 minutes of the fire alarm, it became clear that the situation was deteriorating.    Across a sea of static Rotset broke the silence. "Comm Sta Kodiak, Comm Sta Kodiak, Comm Sta Kodiak, this is Pacific Glacier, Pacific Glacier, Pacific Glacier ... we have a fire aboard ... the fire is not under control.  We are starting to evacuate people to other boats in the vicinity" 

This initial notification to Communications Station Kodiak was received at 6:26 p.m., and gave the Coast Guard notice to begin preparations for a rescue mission.  "Contacting the Coast Guard early and often is the first of three steps mariners need to take during a shipboard fire,"  as pointed out by Ken Lawrenson, 17th Coast Guard District commercial fishing vessel safety coordinator.  "Letting someone else know that your vessel is in trouble is key."

In response, the Kodiak based Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley was diverted from its Bering Sea patrol, but it would take five hours to reach the burning vessel.  Despite the severity of the situation the crew of the Pacific Glacier found themselves surrounded by a sea of help.

More than a dozen ships from the fishing fleet responded to the Pacific Glacier's call for help.  Several deployed rescue boats and began the process of evacuating the majority of the crew.  Vagen noted that the crew trains up to twice a month for fire, but they had never evacuated a ship before.  It was routine in the fact that everything went fairly smooth, he added.  With the daunting task of evacuating 90 crew completed those remaining behind turned their full attention to the fire, while Vagen and Rotset coordinated the response from the wheelhouse.

"Together with Olaf we ran the communications between the fire teams, wheelhouse and the nearby boats," Rotset explained.  "There was times when I had to run out and cough my brains out, and Olaf would take over, there was so much smoke in the wheelhouse at times, you couldn't stay in there."

As the fire teams methodically began to battle the fire, which was now spreading though the woodwork and into a second level of the ship, one shortcoming became clear.  They would soon not have enough air to battle the fire. 

The Pacific Glacier is required to carry four self-contained breathing apparatus for firefighting, explained Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Lee, Supervisor of Marine Safety Detachment Kodiak and an investigating officer.  But upon inspection in Dutch Harbor there were considerably more aboard the ship.  As it turns out, the additional vessels that responded to the fire not only evacuated the nonessential crew, but also contributed firefighters and equipment.  Lee noted that sometimes the best trained crews and having all the necessary equipment just aren't enough. 

Having the necessary equipment and knowing how to use it is the second key to managing an emergency at sea, Lawrenson noted.  Vessels can never have enough fire extinguishers, firefighting and response equipment, he added. Luckily for the Pacific Glacier they were surrounded by equipment.  The American Beauty, another fishing vessel responding to assist, was alongside the Pacific Glacier and transferred personnel and air tanks during the battle.  It is the other vessels Vagen and Rotset credit with turning the tide in their favor.

"We would have run out of air and never had a chance to stop the fire if we didn't have the support from the other vessels," Rotset stressed.  "We had at times 76 full bottles aboard that we got from other boats and they were refilling them all the time."

For investigators, seeing the large amount of additional firefighting equipment on board told them a lot about what happened during the course of the fire.

"A lot of the fires that go bad are attributed to lack of training, lack of preparedness on the crew or equipment issues," Lee explained.  "With that said, even with the best trained crews, the best equipment things can still go pretty badly on board a vessel.  In this particular case the crew was very successful and I think a lot of it has to do with partnering they had going on with the other vessels in the area."

That partnering was no coincidence.  Vagen has been fishing in Alaskan waters on factory trawlers since he came to Alaska from Norway with Rotset in 1980. 

"Olaf had so many of our companion ships in the area that we knew we could get lots of help if we needed it," Rotset explained.  "It was a heck of a team effort.  It could have never been done without the support we got from the other ships." 

At about midnight the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley arrived and found the Pacific Glacier surrounded by support vessels.  An HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from the Alex Haley had previously been monitoring the situation as well as an HC-130 Hercules airplane from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak.  An additional MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter was launched from St. Paul Island to the northwest.  Although the Coast Guard had arrived, Vagen was not ready to abandon the vessel.

"We had a limit," Vagen said.  "So long as we were able to contain the fire on the two lower decks we figured we could fight.  If it was expanding to the next deck level we would probably decide to call it."

As a master of a vessel the size of the Pacific Glacier, Vagen holds a masters license and is no stranger to the stringent requirements for equipment, training and drills.  Training and continued practice is the third step that historically has shown to make all the difference.

"All of the successful search and rescues that we've had, and the mariners who have survived all the different groundings and sinkings around Kodiak this year, the success of those folks surviving has come back to their training," Lee noted.  "If they keep their training up, chances are their going to do okay when a particular event pops up."

Vagen expressed his full confidence in the ability of his crew and confessed that training is obvious, but after the fire it is more obvious than before. To mariners Vagen advised, "Take all the training and all the repeating drills seriously. You'll never be quite ready for it but it will make you more prepared." 

By 6 a.m., the fire was out.  Crews had fought for nearly 12 hours through the night and saved the ship. The fire had spread on the port side, from stern to amidships, consuming crew berthing and galley spaces, destroying two decks in the process.  Despite the destruction there was a sense of accomplishment among the crew.

"We felt great and I think the whole fleet felt great," Rotset explained.  "We were beat but we came out of it.  We still had a long run to go to town so we had fire watches ready to go.  It was a long tiring ordeal but we came out of it with the boat and everybody was intact."

The Pacific Glacier was able to make its way to Dutch Harbor under its own power, escorted by the Alex Haley.  Although the fire is believed to have started in a laundry room, conclusive evidence is pending completion of an investigation by Coast Guard Sector Anchorage.  While we will have to wait for the cause of the fire, the fishing community is already examining how they can improve their firefighting techniques.

"A lot of the other boats are already talking about this," Rotset explained.  "They are all saying they are starting to think a few different things when they saw what was going on. Hopefully something good will come out of it."      

-USCG-

Photos can be found at the following links:

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=232102
http://cgig.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=232167
http://cgig.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=232163
http://cgig.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=232170
http://cgig.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=234836
http://cgig.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=234827
http://cgig.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=234830
http://cgig.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=234833

Audio interviews and the distress call can be found at the following links:

Interview with Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Lee
http://cgig.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=234959 
Interview with Odd Rotset
http://cgig.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=234962
Interview with Olaf Vagen
http://cgig.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=234965
Interview with Ken Lawrenson
http://cgig.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=234955

Mayday call from the fishing vessel Pacific Glacier to Coast Guard
http://cgig.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=231953

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Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District

Date: January 16, 2008
Contact: Petty Officer Richard Brahm
Phone: 907-487-5700

 

 

SAFETY TRAINING SAVES LIVES OF ALASKA'S FISHERMEN
By Petty Officer Richard Brahm 

KODIAK, Alaska - Of all the fishing seasons in Alaska those taking place in winter pose the greatest hazard while also offering some of the biggest rewards. Although crews head out with hopes of returning with a lucrative catch, they must contend with forces beyond their control.  What is within their control is how prepared they will be should an unforeseen emergency arise. 

To assist mariners in preparing for the inherent dangers of their job the Coast Guard and Alaska Marine Safety Education Association have joined forces to provide free educational instruction on how to improve their chances of survival during a maritime accident. 

"AMSEA was started about 22 years ago and it was really a grass roots program to start enhancing safety in the commercial fisheries," Steven Campbell, AMSEA Kodiak area training coordinator explained.  "People were sick and tired of not seeing their friends come home." 

The program slowly gained interest from the fishing community after debuting in 1990.  Campbell began instructing in 1999 and since then has seen a big change in the number of people doing the training. 

"People are getting more familiar with the equipment and procedures for using them," said Campbell. "We show people exactly what they need to do, with what gear, in any given emergency." 

Campbell stressed that knowing the equipment and having a plan are vital.  He explained that knowing what to do in case of emergency will ultimately alleviate panic, which time and time again results in fatalities.  

"These drills show you the harsh reality of what can happen out there," said Kodiak based commercial fisherman Bob Bowhay.  "It's not just enough to tell a (new) guy this is what happens and this is what you do. He needs to put an emersion suit on, jump over board and get back on the boat." 

While the AMSEA program supports commercial mariners through a host of programs and training opportunities, Campbell noted that the AMSEA program is also reaching out to recreational boating in Alaska. 

"The recreational side of boating has had more fatality than the commercial side and that's shocking," said Campbell.  "So we're trying to nose our way into the recreational area and bring peoples awareness up about safety." 

History has shown that deaths associated with commercial fishing have decreased since the introduction of the AMSEA program.  Commercial deaths have been reduced from an averaging of 38 lives a year to about 11 for the past 5 years in Alaska, according to AMSEA statistics. 

"This training is all dead serious but we try to make it fun for people to do as well."  Campbell said. "There are no tests involved with the AMSEA course.  If you demonstrate you can do the skills required we will sign it off and it's free!" 

Individuals who would like to learn more about AMSEA and its programs can visit http://www.amsea.org/ or call 1-888-508-3287.

Photos available by clicking the links below.
Photos by PA1 Kurt Fredrickson:
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=208851

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=208847

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=208854

-30-

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Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District

Date: Nov. 29, 2007
Contact: Petty Officer Sara Francis
Phone: (907) 271.2660

 COAST GUARDSMEN REMEMBER THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE ON ATTU

 While most of the WWII conflict took place in the Pacific and European theaters, there were significant campaigns in Alaska. That activity included the stationing of men, planes, ships and armament on the Alaska mainland and throughout the Aleutian Islands. The Aleutian Islands are the only place in America that the Japanese were able to gain a foothold. 

 On June 6, 1942, the Japanese 301st Independent Infantry Battalion landed on Attu in Chichagof Harbor. At the time, Attu's population consisted of several Blue Fox, 45 native Aleuts, and two Americans: Foster Jones, 60, a schoolteacher, and his wife Etta. The village consisted of several houses around Chichagof Harbor.

 The villagers survived by fishing, trapping fox, and weaving baskets. Missionaries, as well as government patrol boats and small fishing craft, provided the inhabitants with their only direct link to the outside world...except for a small radio operated by Jones. 

 Jones subsequently committed suicide after the Japanese invasion with his wife attempting to do the same. Etta recovered under Japanese care. For a short time, the Japanese occupational forces commandeered the services of the Aleut fishermen to supply them with food.

 As the Japanese forces became more entrenched on Attu, Etta and the entire Aleut population of the little village of Chichagof were transported to Hokkaido, Japan in the hold of a freighter for internment. After WWII, the Aleuts were resettled on Atka Island, another island in the Aleutians.

 Today the inhabitants of Attu Island are the 20 Coast Guardsmen who maintain the Loran Station at Massacre Bay. The tour of duty is one year. It is unaccompanied meaning that for a year their families are left behind. Their only lifeline is the Coast Guard C-130 aircraft that arrive every two weeks with supplies and mail. Occasionally they host film crews and wildlife biologists. Remnants of the village and the occupation are still evident. Weapons, unexploded ordinance, ink bottles, china and other artifacts have been found over time.

 After enduring 14 years of extreme Aleutian weather, the plaque that commemorates the Attu Aleut village finally succumbed to the elements. It was found by the station personnel on the ground this spring. The plaque was in several pieces and in need of repair. The crew brought it back to the station and worked on the plaque during their free time.

 Damage Control Technician First Class Timothy Florezadams, of Victorville, Calif., rebuilt the plaque base and remounted the aluminum placards on it. Chief Machinery Technician Richard Boxleitner, of Curlew, Wash., Machinery Technician First Class Joshua Hickman, of Redlands, Calif., and Machinery Technician Third Class Matthew Burnard, of Monroe, Mich., drove out to Chichagof harbor on Saturday, November 3 to perform a re-dedication ceremony. They bowed their heads and said a brief prayer to remember those that lived and died in the small village. The rebuilt plaque was placed in the same location that it was found.  

 Attu was retaken by American Forces in May 1943. The battle lasted 18 days. Approximately 2351 Japanese and 549 Americans were killed. It was the only land battle in North America during the war. There are two cemeteries on the island. More than 600 American servicemen rest there. This past summer station personnel, Dept. of Defense POW/ Missing Personnel Office members and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service members assisted the Japanese in identifying mass graves on Attu. 

 This plaque, the WWII memorial and the remnants of the village are a tribute to those who lived and died on the desolate island. The Coast Guardsmen who stand duty there are steadfast and remind us of the sacrifices our service men and women make for our country.

TO SEE PHOTOS OF LORAN STATION ATTU AND THE PLAQUE CLICK THE LINKS BELOW:
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=198290
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=198359
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=198363

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Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District

Date: Oct. 31, 2007
Contact: Petty Officer 1st Class Kurt Fredrickson
Phone: 907-487-5700

 

NORTH POLE FLIGHT USHERS IN NEW ERA OF COAST GUARD ARCTIC OPERATIONS
By Petty Officer 1st Class Kurt Fredrickson
Public Affairs Detachment Kodiak, Alaska

"Photos and video available below"

KODIAK, Alaska - A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplane departed Barrow, America's northernmost city, Thursday and successfully reached the North Pole, ushering in a new era of Coast Guard operations in the Arctic. 

The 2,300-mile flight, which originated from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, was the first to reach the North Pole exclusively for the purpose of Arctic domain awareness.  This new mission for the Coast Guard is based on recently observed climate changes that will provide greater maritime access to the Arctic.  But for the Coast Guard reaching the northernmost point on Earth was more than a typical maritime patrol.

"The significance of crossing the North Pole is a statement," Rear Adm. Arthur Brooks, Commander of the 17th Coast Guard District in Juneau, said.  "It's a statement that the U.S. Coast Guard is prepared to operate in the Arctic and the high Arctic.  We are here to work."

This first Arctic domain awareness flight is not just the beginning of a changing Coast Guard role in the region, but also a step toward learning how to conduct missions in one of the harshest environments on the planet, Brooks said.

"The primary change in the Arctic is that for 150 years we have done exploration and research," Brooks explained.  "The change is we now must prepare to do all Coast Guard missions in the arctic, including maritime surveillance."

Thursday's flight was the first step in that direction.  Although it was uncertain if the mission would be a success, it was a vital step in setting a baseline for Arctic operations.

"The main expectations were to see how our instruments and radio communications work, what altitude we can (reach) before hitting our cold weather limitations, and what the forward support limitations are going to be in Barrow itself," explained Lt. Tommy Wallin, aircraft commander for the North Pole flight.

Although the operating environment of the Arctic has similarities to the day-to-day missions of the Coast Guard, it also presents great challenges.

"The main difference is that we are flying extreme distances under extreme temperatures without any support," Wallin said.  "Once we get up to the Arctic we're kind of on our own.  There's a lot of logistics that you have to do ahead of time and a lot of preplanning because once you get there everything has to already be planned out.  It's similar to what we do day to day but just a little bit more extreme."

This extreme nature of Arctic flight was experienced as the aircraft neared the pole where temperatures outside dropped to -40 degrees.  Despite the extreme temperatures Coast Guard airplane 1703 crossed the North Pole at 12:23 p.m., under the glow of a noontime full moon.  The rising morning sun was left behind as the mission entered latitudes trapped in perpetual winter darkness.  With a magnetic variation of more than 70 degrees in some locations, the compass guides aboard the aircraft were jumping, as if unsure of where the aircraft was.  But as planned, navigation was maintained by GPS and the skills of the navigator.  Although everyone aboard was excited to cross the North Pole, perhaps no one was as excited as the navigator who tracked the aircraft's every move.

"I'm a navigator so for me one of the most fun aspects of the flight, besides being in a unique mission, was when we headed over the pole and we headed south," said Chief Petty Officer Dave Boschee, Air Station Kodiak HC-130 navigator.  "We were heading true south, but we were heading magnetic north because we were above the magnetic North Pole.  I was bouncing out of my seat with excitement.  We were on the other side of the world at that point. I would have never thought I was going there."

Before returning home the aircraft circled the world, crossing every longitude and passing through every time zone, briefly making it the fastest moving object on the planet.  For the second time that day, the sun rose for the passengers and crew of aircraft 1703.  On this day with two sunrises the Coast Guard began a new chapter in Arctic history.

As the world examines the changing Arctic it is likely that Thursday's flight will not be the last to navigate its way toward 90 degrees north.  For the Coast Guard, future Arctic operations may mean more than the occasional over flight.  The Coast Guard is examining the possibility of establishing a seasonal base in the Arctic.  As the principal federal maritime enforcement agency in the Arctic, the Coast Guard will be called on to carry out its safety, security and environmental stewardship missions as maritime traffic increases in the region.

"When we start moving aircraft and small boats into the Arctic it's going to be a great opportunity, but it will also be a great challenge, because this is hard, and this is dangerous," Brooks said.  "Like many other things in Alaska, it's beautiful and it's magnificent, but it can be deadly."

While the mission succeeded in reaching the pole safely, the trip was not without problems.  But it is those issues that arise that provide insight into how to best conduct operations in the Arctic.  Friday morning a hydrologic leak was discovered which grounded the aircraft at the airport in Barrow.  One propeller had to be removed entirely in sub freezing temperatures by the crew and replaced with a replacement flown in from Kodiak.  In regard to logistical support, operating in the Arctic is difficult to say the least.      

"When you work outside in the Arctic, in the wind and the cold, without any protection it's really hard and it can be dangerous with the ice and the wind with the guys working on the plane," Wallin said.  "If we're going to be up there for extended periods of time, providing shelter for the crew and the planes for scheduled maintenance is the most difficult thing."

But despite the challenges faced by the crew, the trip provided valuable insight for future Arctic operations.  Wallin explained that the times of year the Coast Guard can operate from the Arctic will be limited by weather.  As winter approaches high winds, icing on the runway and other factors may limit the ability to land and fly altogether.  The fact remains that under these extreme winter conditions there may not be any waterways open and subsequently no vessels to look at, he added. 

But as with any new undertaking there will be challenges to overcome.  One of the key benefits of the mission, according to Brooks, occurred before the flight as many individuals planned for the mission.

"It's a dawn of a new era," Brooks said.  "I do believe we are looking at Coast Guard operations into the highest hardest part of the world, and we're going to have to learn how to operate in the Arctic."

Although the Coast Guard must examine closely how to operate in this new environment, one thing they are doing to better their chances of success is not stepping into it alone.  Aboard the flight to the North Pole was Charlie Hopson, a senior whaling captain from Barrow.  Brooks noted that the knowledge held by those who inhabit the Arctic is an invaluable tool to the Coast Guard's success in the region, and he explained that the Arctic is in no way an exclusively Coast Guard domain.  He said the people of the arctic nations must decide the course of action to be taken in this new frontier.

 "We are just a small part of the entire Arctic equation," Brooks said.  "Understanding that the basic questions of the Arctic:  Where are the boundaries?  What is American?  What do we own?  What will we defend?  Those questions are unanswered, and they're not Coast Guard questions."

As the Arctic nations examine how the resources of the Arctic will be used and developed the Coast Guard is preparing its own people to expand its missions should they be needed.  

"Everything is dangerous -- everything has risks -- and the challenge here is doing things that minimize risk," Brooks said.  "We have to be able to operate in every part of the world now, from McMurdo Sound in Antarctica to the North Pole in the Arctic.  We're going to have to make sure that the Coasties who come, that we give them the training, give them the equipment and we give them the passion for operations in a new part of the world."

 -USCG-

Click on the following links for high resolution photos or visit and search http://cgvi.uscg.mil.

Photo 1 - Group photo
Photo 2 - Airplane Navigator
Photo 3 - Air crew
Photo 4 - Airplane repairs
Photo 5 - Airplane repairs
Photo 6 - Airplane repairs
Photo 7 - Arctic sunrise
Photo 8 - Navigation instrument reading
Photo 9 - Whale meat
Photo 10 - Pilots crossing the North Pole
Photo 11 - Airplane in Barrow
Photo 12 - Pack ice
Photo 13 - Barrow mileage sign
Photo 14 - Whale bones
Photo 15 - Flying over pack ice
Photo 16 - Pack ice

Click on the following links for video. 
Video 1 - Interview with Rear Adm. Arthur Brooks, Commander 17th Coast Guard District in Juneau. 
Audio 1 - Interview with Lt. Tommy Wallin, HC-130 aircraft commander.
Audio 2 - Interview with Chief Petty Officer Dave Boschee, HC-130 navigator.

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