U.S. Coast Guard crews from Air Station Kodiak have opened their seasonal forward operating location in Cold Bay in advance of winter fisheries.
Capt. Mark Morin, Air Station Kodiak commanding officer, said Oct. 16 that aircrews had transferred equipment and air assets to Cold Bay to reduce the response time to Bristol Bay, the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands.
A coast Guard cutter with a Kodiak-based MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew also will be on patrol in the Bering Sea during the majority of the season.
MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews deployed to Cold Bay will rotate helicopter personnel each week, along with logistic flights by Kodiak-based HC-130 Hercules airplane crews, through the end of the opilio crab season, with a scheduled break between December and January.
Establishing forward operating locations helps to ensure the safety of mariners during peak fishing seasons in the region, Morin said.
“The FOL in Cold Bay can eliminate hours of flight time transiting from Kodiak to maritime emergencies in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands during one of the busiest fishing seasons of the year,” he said.
This past summer, the Coast Guard deployed helicopter crews to Cordova and Kotzebue.
