U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Alexandria Preston, Air Station Kodiak.
JUNEAU, Alaska — The last Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter aircrew deployed forward operating location to Cordova for the summer returned to home at Air Station Kodiak, Monday.
Throughout the helicopter deployment, which started May, 14, 2020, aircrews out of forward operating location Cordova flew on 11 missions, and saved four lives.
The U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak personnel deploy to Cordova every summer in the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound. This allows to the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrews provide better response times and coverage to remote regions of Alaska during periods of increased maritime activity.
In addition to the forward-deployment to Cordova, the Coast Guard also forward-deploys resources to the Bering Sea region both in summer and winter to address increased commercial fishing activity.
Coast Guard photo by Tracey Mertens.
“Having crews staged at these forward operating locations allows us to reduce the distance aircrews have to travel when responding to emergencies,” said Lt. Zach Farrell, a pilot with Air Station Kodiak. “Even in the summer, the Alaskan environment can be dangerous and unpredictable, making quick response times an absolute necessity when disasters occur.”
-USCG-
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