Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District

Date: August 8, 2008
Contact: Public Affairs Office
Phone: 907-463-2065

Coast Guard Continues Operation Salliq Above Arctic Circle

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Coast Guard units continue testing operational capabilities of various assets during Operation Salliq in Barrow, Alaska.  The 16-day operation includes two HH-65 Dolphin helicopters, one from Air Station Kodiak and another from Air Station San Francisco and two 25-foot response boats from Station Valdez.  Boat and air crews have been in Barrow since July 27 and are expected to end the operation August 11.  The overall exercise will determine what Coast Guard requirements and capabilities lie in the Arctic. 

Based on priorities outlined in the National Security Counsil's interagency review of Arctic policy, it is anticipated that the Coast Guard will have the following expanding Arctic roles and missions in the next five to ten years: 

• Enhance National Security
• Project U.S. presence
• Protect sovereignty in Arctic
• Safeguard our oceans and resources
• Pollution prevention & response related to increased destinational shipping & offshore energy exploration in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas Living Marine Resource protection
• Facilitate safe navigation and protect Arctic maritime commerce associated with destinational traffic Waterways management Arctic shipping standards via IMO Enhance Arctic Domain Awareness SAR (eco-tourism and subsistence fishing/hunting) Arctic mariner credential/licensing standards
• Support expanding year round research in Arctic

Video -- All videos are available on the internet. To download the following videos, right click the text and choose "save target as".

BARROW, Alaska (JULY 2008) -- Coast Guard personnel forward deployed to Barrow from small boat stations around Alaska conduct small boat operations offshore. USCG video by PA1 Kurt Fredrickson

BARROW, Alaska (July 2008) -- Coast Guard members from around the state of Alaska arrive in Barrow to conduct Arctic operatons. USCG video by PA1 Kurt Fredrickson

BARROW, Alaska (August 2008) -- Members of Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak conduct rescue swimmer operations offshore of Barrow in support of the Arctic effort. USCG video by PA1 Kurt Fredrickson

BARROW, Alaska (August 2008) -- Members of the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary give boating safety training to the residents of Barrow during a deployment to the region. USCG video by PA1 Kurt Fredrickson

Photos -- Click on the photos to view a higher-resolution version. To download the image, rIght click the larger photo and choose "save as."

BARROW, Alaska -- Petty Officer 1st Class Wil Milam, rescue swimmer from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, stands on ice while conducting training in the Arctic Ocean near Barrow Aug. 2, 2008. The flight was part of the Coast Guard's first Arctic exercise which began July 27, 2008. (Official U.S. Coast Guard photo by PA1 Kurt Fredrickson) 

BARROW, Alaska -- A truck and communications trailer is unloaded from a Kodiak based HC-130 Hercules airplane at the airport in Barrow July 27, 2008 to take part in the Coast Guard's first Arctic exercise. (Official U.S. Coast Guard photo by PA1 Kurt Fredrickson)

BARROW, Alaska --  Air crews from Air Stations Kodiak and San Francisco perform maintenance on two HH-65 Dolphin helicopters taking part in the Coast Guards first Arctic exercise which began July 27, 2008. The two helicopters were flown to Barrow from Air Stations Kodiak and San Francisco. The exercise will test the capabilities of the helicopters in the region as well as other Coast Guard assets and capabilities. (Official U.S. Coast Guard photo by PA1 Kurt Fredrickson)

BARROW, Alaska -- Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Bybee, Coast Guard Station Juneau, stands aboard a 25-foot response boat near Barrow July 31, 2008 as part of the Coast Guard's first Arctic exercise which began July 27, 2008. (Official U.S. Coast Guard photo by PA1 Kurt Fredrickson)

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