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USCG Arctic Shield 2017 program ends This year’s operations have included search and rescue, accident prevention activities and participation in training exercises Alan Bailey Petroleum News
The U.S. Coast Guard has closed down its Arctic Shield 2017 operations, the agency announced Nov. 7. Arctic Shield, which began in 2009, involves deploying assets and personnel in the Arctic region during the open water season, in response to increased maritime activity in the region in recent years. This year’s program began on July 1. Search and rescue During the program the Coast Guard conducted 20 search and missions, saving 16 lives and providing assistance to 23 other people, the Coast Guard said. These responses include the medevac of an injured crew member from a Chinese research vessel near Nome; the rescue of two people from a sinking 23-foot skiff in Norton Sound; and the rescue of six lost hunters on Saint Lawrence Island, the agency said.
From the perspective of marine accident prevention, Coast Guard personnel conducted 29 bulk liquid facility inspections; 33 commercial fishing vessel safety examinations; 53 gold dredge examinations; and 12 commercial vessel inspections. Coast Guard personnel visited 41 remote villages, mainly in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region, to instruct more than 4,000 children in water safety, as part of the state of Alaska’s “Kid’s Don’t Float” campaign.
In conjunction with local, state, federal and tribal agencies, Coast Guard personnel participated in multiple search and rescue training exercises; the Arctic Guardian oil spill seminar and equipment deployment in Utqiagvik; and in a mass rescue table top exercise in St. Paul.
Forward deployment For this year’s operations the Coast Guard deployed two Jayhawk helicopters and crews to Kotzebue, to enable more rapid response and more complete coverage for incidents in remote regions of Alaska. The Sherman, a 378-foot cutter normally home ported in Honolulu, was home ported in Kodiak to support open water operations in the Arctic region, while the Maple, a 225-foot buoy tender home ported in Sitka.
The Healy, the Coast Guard’s medium-sized icebreaker, deployed from its base in Seattle to patrol the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort seas in support of maritime domain awareness; search and rescue; community relations; partnership building; and scientific research, the Coast Guard said.
“The Coast Guard is dedicated to ensuring the protection of the Arctic maritime environment and all those who depend upon it,” said Rear Adm. Michael McAllister, Coast Guard 17th District commander. “Our crews recognize and respect the sensitive environmental characteristics of the region and partner with Northern Alaskan communities to advance our shared interests in maritime safety and security.”
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