Lookouts of The Last Frontier
A rocket can blast to the next galaxy before a mariner catches sight of an island in The Last Frontier. You’re not in space. You’re on an Alaskan patrol.
Innovation from a life at sea
From machinery technicians to boatswain’s mates, all have an equally important role in aids to navigation work. Known among mariners as ATON, it’s an integral part of living and working on a Coast Guard buoy tender in Alaska that consists […]
Women empowering women – a top down perspective
by Petty Officer 3rd Class Lauren Dean Sudden shifts in climate, unforgiving seas, and snowcaps everywhere. Life in Alaska requires a different breed of person to adapt and truly thrive in its wilderness and waters, both of which are as […]
Coast Guard closes seasonal Cold Bay, Alaska forward operating location
Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak aircrews closed its seasonal forward operating location in Cold Bay, Alaska, March 15, in response to the ending of the winter fishery season. Ten helicopter aircrews saved 18 lives while it was opened Oct. 2017 […]
Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro completes 34-day Bering Sea patrol
The Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro and crew returned to homeport in Kodiak, Alaska, March 18, after a 34-day patrol in the Bering Sea. The cutter and crew conducted a multitude of missions including living marine resources, maritime safety, […]
Coast Guard, Arctic Wind crew emphasize safety, training
Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Charly Hengen Alaska’s unpredictable weather and notoriously rough seas can be unforgiving. This resonates loudly for two crewmembers aboard the fishing vessel Arctic Wind who narrowly escaped death on January 22, 2018. The […]
Challenges loom large in Arctic – So do the rewards
Things are a little different in the Arctic. Logistics are a strain. Distances are vast. The weather is always a wildcard.
Cutter Sherman crew and North Slope Borough, Alaska, volunteers swap search and rescue ideas
Story and photos by Chief Petty Officer John Masson 9th District Public Affairs, attached to Operation Arctic Shield People have been disappearing in the Arctic for as long as there have been people in the Arctic. Difficult terrain, unpredictable weather […]
Coast Guard flight paramedic provides higher level of care in Alaska
Wearing a bright orange drysuit and large blue helmet while carrying gear that looks to weigh twice as much as she does, a small-framed, 5-foot coastguardsman rushes to the waiting helicopter. She throws her gear in and takes her seat amongst the rest of the crew. Though not in her job description, she prepares to take flight on a search and rescue case in the last frontier.