Proceedings magazine is a communication tool for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety & Security Council. Each quarterly magazine focuses on a specific theme of interest to the marine industry.
Issue link: https://uscgproceedings.epubxp.com/i/149372
For Arctic Shield's operational element, the CoastGuarddeployedonecuttercapableof operatinghelicoptersandonebuoytenderto theChukchiandBeaufortSeas(fromJulyto September),aswellastwoMH-60Thelicopterswithassociatedairandmaintenance crewsandamobilecommunicationsvan alongAlaska'sNorthSlope.Inaddition, aforwardoperatinglocationinBarrow, Alaska,providedtheland-basedlogisticalsupporttotheseremoteoperations. ★ ★ ★ The Chukchi and Beaufort Seas are marked by gold stars, the red star is Barrow, Alaska. Ofcourse,weweren'taloneupthere; commercialshiptraffchassteadily increased along the Northern Sea Route, as the Russian Federation promotestherouteasasafeandeconomicalalternativeforshippinggoodsbetweenAsiaandEurope. Moreover, Shell Oil Company contributed to the increaseofmaritimetraffcinthesummerof2012, deploying22vessels,multipleaircraft,andtwodrill rigstotheChukchiandBeaufortSeas.Thesignifcant numberofaircraftandvesselsoperatinginthearea increasedtheriskforsearchandrescuedeployment, environmentalpollutionincidents,andriskedinterferencewithAlaskanNativesubsistencelifestyles. Toaddressthisrisk,thesecondelementincludedoutreachefforts,suchasdoctorandveterinarianvisits todozensofNorthSlopevillages,aswellasCoast Guardengagementwithtribaleldersandmeaningfuldialoguewithnativesandsubsistencemanagement groups. These activities provided essential medicalservicestoremotecommunities;builtpartnershipswithfederal,state,local,andtribalagencies; andincreasedawarenessoftheCoastGuard'sroles andmissionsforArcticresidentsandourstrategic partners. The final element of Arctic Shield 2012: Assess the capabilityrequirementstooperateinremoteregions withharshweatherconditions.Specifcassessments included maritime domain awareness, communications,andairandsurfacecapabilities.Exercises focusedondeployingaspilledoilrecoverysystem www.uscg.mil/proceedings (SORS)fromabuoytenderanddeliveringlarge-scale responseberthing,mess,andessentialsuppliestoa remote site. Who Are You Going to Call? Considering the monumental scope of activities conductedduringArctic Shield 2012 in this demandingenvironment,long-termlogisticsplanningwas imperativeforfexibilityandtheabilitytorespondto day-to-dayconditionsandemergingrequirements.In response,D17personnelcalledontheprimarymissionsupportunitatBaseKodiaktocoordinatelogisticalsupportfortheBarrow,Alaska,forwardoperating location. TheDCMSorganizationprovideslogisticalsupport foroperationalunits,especiallyforcontractandprocurement levels above the operational command. Inthiscase,BaseKodiakprovidedasinglepointof contact for the operational commander to access and coordinatethewidevarietyofDCMSservices,which includedlogisticalsupport,berthing,communications,supplies,andtransportation. Why is Everything so Difficult (and Expensive)? Determining a location for the Arctic Shield 2012 forwardoperatingbasewasadauntingtask.Despite havingverylimitedinfrastructureandnominallodgingcapacity,D17personneleventuallydetermined Summer 2013 Proceedings 27