Coast Guard assets from Kodiak can respond to situations in the Arctic, but it takes a considerably longer time to respond, said Colbath. “The immediate response is to send a C-130 from Kodiak or use an H-60 from Forward Operating Location Barrow if they are forward located during a crisis. 2012 was the first time Coast Guard helicopters were stationed in Barrow for the open-ocean period.”

“We’re quickly going to run out of communications capability and bandwidth in the event of a major mishap along the North Slope,” Ostebo added. “Barrow and the other remote communities are not connected by fiber optic and if you look at the demand for information and the demand for command and control-type information we’ve seen from [Hurricane] Katrina, Deepwater Horizon, and [Hurricane] Sandy, for example, we would overwhelm the communications capability up there.”

Ostebo said the Coast Guard has engaged every partner available – the Department of Defense (DoD) through U.S. Northern Command, and Joint Task Force-Alaska and Alaskan Command; the state of Alaska; the Alaska National Guard; local communities; tribal communities and native partners; and industry – to decide how to solve this problem in the short run. “One of the big goals with the Arctic Shield exercise we held this past summer was for all of us to come together and walk through what we would do if we had to conduct a mass rescue. We examined what would be the community centers of excellence that could help us out. Nome, Barrow, and Dutch Harbor are the three places that have been alerted to this growth in operations and have stepped up as local community partners to help us do that.”

Another one of those capabilities is floating assets, Ostebo said. “The national security cutter Bertholf was operating up there this summer. It’s not an icebreaker, but it is a highly capable ship and it did a phenomenal job in the capabilities that it brought offshore.”

Ostebo said the Coast Guard and the nation need more ice breaking capability. “We will be bringing one of our icebreakers back to active-duty service. Polar Star will be coming out next summer, which will essentially double our icebreaker capabilities for the nation, and we’ll have more capability to use in the Arctic, not only for scientific work, but also to complete all the missions of the United States Coast Guard in the Arctic, particularly during times of ice-covered waters.”

The entire Aleutian Islands – a chain of 14 large islands and 55 smaller ones that extends for 1,200 miles – is a national environmental sanctuary. The surrounding waters are incredibly dangerous. “On a routine basis, we’ll have hurricane-force winds. There are also homeland defense and security risks, from stowaways to illicit cargoes, coming through there,” Ostebo said.

Much of that great circle traffic also passes through Dixon Entrance, the pass just south of Ketchikan leading to Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Prince Rupert is a new port, with a new railhead and highway connection. “It’s a growing port,” said Ostebo. “In fact, it’s already bigger than the port of Oakland [Calif.]. There’s thousands of vessels that go through Dixon Entrance east and west, and cruise vessel traffic – a million passengers a year – and Alaskan freight going north and south.”

 

Tribal Partners

“We value our relationship with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners,” said Sudie Hargis, tribal liaison for District 17. “We have many challenges to overcome in the Arctic, and we need the knowledge and experience of our partners to help us achieve our goals.”

Hargis said the service is committed to working with its Alaska Native partners who reside in the Arctic. To prepare for last summer’s Operation Arctic Shield 2012, advance teams – including the 17th District commander and other senior staff members, actively engaged tribal leaders during the planning phase and throughout the 2012 season to minimize adverse impacts from Coast Guard operations on tribal rights, interests, and subsistence activities.

In addition to engaging with Alaska Native tribal governments, the Coast Guard engaged extensively with local, state, and other federal agencies to maximize operations. “Working with tribes and local governments really helped us learn how to operate safely and respectfully in an area where subsistence activities are critical to survival of the residents in the region. We are building relationships that will be vital to our long-term success in the region,” Hargis said.

The Coast Guard also conducted outreach to 27 different Arctic communities to conduct water safety training at schools and with residents; worked with local SAR personnel in Nome and Barrow to carry out ice rescue safety cross-training; and provided medical, dental, and veterinary outreach in many of those communities.

“We try to be as far forward-leaning as we can to look after and protect our national environmental, security, and defense interests. And we’re doing that with all the partners that we can. But I temper that with the fact that there are some places, like in the Bering Strait, there is very little we can do in the control of those spaces,” Ostebo said.

“We’re the smallest Coast Guard district in terms of personnel, but the largest in terms of area. We have more shoreline here than the rest of the U.S. combined. We have very few coasties up here, and they all do a great job. Just turn on your TV and watch Coast Guard Alaska and you’ll be impressed with the men and women up here – not only how brave they are, but how adaptable they are to the operating environment up here. It’s amazing. I couldn’t be more proud to be their district commander.”

This article first appeared in the Coast Guard Outlook 2013 Edition.