By Karen Robes Meeks
To better respond to increasing maritime activities in Western Alaska and the Bering Sea, the Coast Guard and the Alaska Air National Guard's 249th Airlift Squadron recently sent supplies and equipment to the Coast Guard's seasonal forward operating location in Kotzebue, Alaska.
Government vehicles, a generator and pallets of supplies were loaded into a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and flown from Coast Guard Air Station to Kotzebue, where it was unloaded at the Alaska Army National Guard Hangar.
“The Coast Guard is committed to having a sustained presence in the Arctic,” said Capt. Stephen White, incident commander for 17th Coast Guard District Arctic operations. “As the nation’s lead federal agency for ensuring maritime safety and security in the Arctic, the Coast Guard will protect the nation’s interests, safeguard the environment and strengthen our international, federal, state, local and tribal partnerships.”
As part of Coast Guard Arctic Shield 2017, forward operation location Kotzebue will have two Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters, and air and ground support crews stationed at the Alaska Army National Guard Hangar.
