Coast Guard demobilizes St. Paul, Cold Bay, Alaska, forward operating locations

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Charly Hengen (archive).

KODIAK, Alaska​ — Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak aircrews demobilized forward operating locations in St. Paul and Cold Bay, March 15, concluding the supplemental coverage of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Chain.

The aircrews deployed on two-week rotations to increase readiness and decrease response times to the Bering Sea fishing fleet during periods of increased maritime activity.

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Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrews deployed to Cold Bay from Oct. 20 to Nov. 20, 2018, and then again from Jan. 15 to Feb. 19, 2019. Aircrews​ later deployed to St. Paul from Feb. 17 to March 15, 2019, in support of Coast Guard operations in the Bering Sea to provide search and rescue and maritime law enforcement coverage.

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In addition to​ the deployed Jayhawk aircrew,​ the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley, the Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro, and the Coast Guard Cutter John Midgett, with an an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew embarked, provided supplemental SAR support and maritime law enforcement coverage in the Bering Sea.

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Throughout the three-month season,​ Coast Guard assets and crews​ conducted​ 24 SAR cases providing over​ 114 total SAR hours, resulting in 19 lives saved and​ 29 assisted.

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Due to the fishing fleet moving further north in the Bering Sea, and to augment the Coast Guard cutter presence, Air Station Kodiak increased its readiness by deploying crews to St. Paul. Before re-opening the St. Paul FOL, it had been without a deployed crew since 2014.​

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To meet mission requirements, aircrews performed 15 HC-130 Hercules airplane logistics flights, totaling​ more than​ 90 flight hours from Kodiak to St. Paul. While forward-deployed, St. Paul MH-60 aircrews responded to two cases, resulting in one life saved and five assisted.

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“This has been a great Bering Sea deployment season, and as the fleet shifted further north, it was an all-hands-on-deck evolution to mobilize our crews and reopen our facility in St. Paul mid-season,” said Lt. Cmdr. Tom Huntley, Air Station Kodiak Jayhawk assistant operations officer. “This shift allowed us to maintain our search and rescue posture and protect our critical fishing industry, and it allowed us to be ready and responsive when called upon.”

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Both FOLs are part of the Coast Guard's mobile presence, and as such, are focused on performing the services’ statutory missions to ensure maritime safety, security and stewardship throughout Alaska.

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To follow the fishing fleet and to prepare for the projected increased summer maritime activity, Jayhawk​ aircrews are scheduled to deploy to FOLs in both Cordova and Kotzebue.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Lauren Dean (archive).

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Coast Guard closes seasonal forward operating location in Kotzebue, Alaska

A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak aircrew prepares to take off to conduct a night flight from the forward operating location in Kotzebue, Alaska, Oct. 28, 2018. Aircrews are forward deployed to Kotzebue in in support of Arctic Shield to be more geographically available to respond to search and rescue cases. U. S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Bradley Pigage.

KODIAK, Alaska - The Coast Guard concluded its supplemental coverage of Northern Alaska with the closure of its Forward Operating Location in Kotzebue, Alaska, Thursday.

Air Station Kodiak aircrews with two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters were forward deployed to Kotzebue to provide better response times and coverage to remote regions of Alaska during periods of increased maritime activity.

Beginning July 1, In support of Coast Guard operations in the Arctic, aircrews consisting of 14 members operated on a rotating schedule for two week intervals in Kotzebue, providing search and rescue and maritime law enforcement coverage to the entire Northwestern portion of Alaska. Geographically, this area of responsibility spans from approximately Bethel to the Northern Alaskan-Canadian border. Throughout the season, aircrews flew 330 total flight hours in support of Coast Guard missions including over 75 hours of search and rescue that saved or assisted eight lives.

The Arctic is an important political and strategic environment for the United States. The Coast Guard serves as the only military presence conducting Maritime Domain Awareness flights to maintain sovereignty over those waters and shores. Aircraft deployed to Kotzebue also support the Whale, Walrus and Seal Initiative. WWSI is a joint biological program that studies marine mammal populations in the Bering and Chuckchi Seas, which is between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Alaskan universities and Alaska Native Organizations.

"As America's interest in our Arctic Region continues to grow, the Coast Guard is committed to fulfilling our missions and supporting remote communities in this strategically valuable area," said Cmdr. Adam Merrill, the Air Station Kodiak Operations Officer. "Air Station Kodiak aircrews provided search and rescue, community relations presence, aids-to-navigation support and interagency cooperation to monitor marine wildlife stocks throughout this year's deployment season."

These forward operating locations are part of the Coast Guard's mobile presence, and are focused on performing the service's 11 statutory missions throughout the Arctic to ensure maritime safety, security and stewardship.

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