U.S. Coast Guard is on the ground and in the air in northwest Alaska for the summer.
Coast Guard opened Saturday its forward operating location in Kotzebue for the 10th year of Operation Arctic Shield.
Arctic Shield is intended “to support Coast Guard missions in response to increased maritime activity in the Arctic,” according to a news release.
Two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters and crews are stationed in Kotzebue and will assist with search-and-rescue operations and other maritime emergencies.
In addition, three Coast Guard icebreakers based out of Dutch Harbor will engage in missions in the Bering Strait and Chukchi and Beaufort seas.
The Coast Guard says it will also conduct what it calls Operation Arctic Guardian: meeting with community responders in the Arctic to teach and plan for basic oil-spill response.
Rear Adm. Matthew Bell said the forward operating location helps overcome some of the challenges of the Arctic, including “the environment, vast distances and limited infrastructure.”
Coast Guard conducted 20 search-and-rescue missions last summer as part of Arctic Shield, saving 20 lives and assisting 27 others. The mission this year will continue through October.
