Welcome HAMILTON family and friends. Over Labor Day weekend, the crew of HAMILTON was hard at work producing the first multi-asset Search and Rescue Exercise in the Artic Circle, dodging ice fields, swimming in the Arctic, and conducting safety boardings. Over the next few days, all hands will be participating in a series of sea-going indoctrinations for crossing into the Arctic Circle and over the International Date Line. As always, we will be staying focused throughout these last few weeks of the patrol to accomplish our mission as the forward operating cutter in the Bering Sea. ~ ENS Kevin Edes

26 AUG 2008 by LT BJ Miles, senior aviator CG AIRSTA Kodiak, ALPAT

Welcome to ice country! Today’s mission; find ice, report position of major concentrations take photos. Well mission accomplished. For the last 2 weeks we have been drooling over weather products showing illustrations of where the ice should be. We even had a C130 fly over yesterday to attempt to visually identify the ice edge, and drop a package to the cutter filled with needed aviation charts and gummy worms. All of which were much appreciated. For the first time we have now put eyes on our nemesis. They look harmless enough just sitting there, but most of us know their history as a force to be reckoned with.

The AVDET onboard includes: LT BJ Miles, LT Pat Lineberry, AET1 Barry Butler, AMT2 Al Musgrave, AET3 Bill Gilbert and AET3 Matt Lotz. All 5 are members of ALPAT, the HH65 squadron solely responsible for supplying Bering Sea bound CG cutters with aircraft and crew. Most of us are used to the hostile nature of the Bering, but ice is entirely new to most of us. Lucky for the Hamilton we are here in such benign conditions. Bump the winds up to 45kts and add a splash of 10 foot seas for good measure and the true measure of Mother Nature’s humbling powers become all too evident.

But today was as good as it gets up here. Calm winds, glassy seas and beautiful blue ice sculptures dotting the seascape. Our sight seeing mission has an important goal; find the ice now before we bump into it in the night. Surprisingly the predicted ice edges were right about where they were supposed to be. We brought along CMD Vic of the Canadian Coast Guard to help identify the quantity and density of ice and to bring back first hand navigational recommendations. For his efforts we rewarded him with one of the nicest sunset flights you’ll get up here. The Brown bears running on the beach at Icy Cape were an unexpected surprise and they looked surprisingly healthy considering the scarcity of food on these barren northern coasts.

Back to the cutter, land and put the plane to bed. Another day of ice patrols starts at first light tomorrow to guide the Hamilton past Barrow and into the history books as we accomplish the first ever WHEC patrol in the Arctic Sea.

27 AUG 2008 by ENS Mark Byrne

Today was an exciting day making way through the Arctic Ocean. I stood my watch as Break-In OOD from 0230-0530 under the instruction of LTjg Dunlevy as we anxiously looked for icebergs and any sign of Arctic wildlife. It was quite the new experience getting up on the bridge at 0200 and seeing sun still on the horizon having never set from the prior night. Later on in the day after we recovered the helicopter from an ice recon, we started to run into more pieces of ice scattered closer than before. As we neared a larger Bergy Bit (chunk of blue ice) we saw a polar bear laying on it. So, 2 weeks into the Coast Guard, I was the Conning Officer and had to maneuver the ship under the instruction of ENS Kellogg to get closer to an ice berg so the crew could get a few photos of the Polar Bear. It is August right now, and the wind chill must have been around 20 degrees. What an awesome experience to maneuver a Coast Guard Cutter through ice and also see some Arctic wildlife that some people would never even come near in a lifetime.

28 AUG 2008 by Captain Victor Gronmyr, Canadian Coast Guard, Pacific Region

On the 27th of August the Hamilton slowly worked its way around a 3/10 to 5/10 finger of ice roughly 10nm offshore from Wainwright in the fog. Just before lunch, the visibility improved and the ice was unveiled for the first time for the Captain and Crew of the Hamilton. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity of being with 175 people experiencing ice for the first time.

Thursday, 28th of August, 2008. I spent time with some of the bridge watches comparing notes on radar use for detecting ice in reduced visibility. I was impressed with the vigilance and competence that the watchkeepers displayed in keeping a safe watch.

Rear Admiral Gene Brooks, MCPO Vanderwerf and Joel Casto departed the ship today. I enjoyed having the opportunity to swap sea stories and exchange ideas about the differences as well as the common interests that both the American and the Canadian Coast Guards share. The Admiral seemed to have the better sea stories, though as it seems to be his nature, always said mine were better. I was very impressed with the admiral and his staff. I truly believe that District 17 is in good hands.

At quarters prior to his departure, the Admiral spoke of his time aboard and to the officers and crew about maintaining the ship in a state of readiness to answer the call of duty. How even though the ship may be de-commissioned some day in the future, the ship had to be ready and that all could count on him to back them up to ensure that the ship would get everything it needed in order to be ready to answer the call.

I continue to enjoy my tour aboard the Hamilton as a Supernumerary. Interacting with the Officers and Crew who are genuinely interested with everything to do with the arctic is both refreshing and inspiring.

29 AUG 2008 by DC2 John Eister R&A Team OSL

Today we did a SAREX in the Artic Ocean with USCGC SPAR. All of the following was simulated for the SAREX; The SPAR was acting as the Cruise Ship, Spirit of the Spar. The cruise ship struck an iceberg which injured two people, sent one overboard, and started to flood out a compartment. Hamilton launched the Helo to Medivac injured people off the SPAR, one small boat to retrieve the person that fell over board, and the second small boat to send over the Rescue and Assist Team (R&A Team) to dewater a compartment that was flooding. I am the On Scene Leader (OSL) of the R&A Team. When we set the R&A Billets I gathered up my team which consisted of MK3 Ward, MK3 Dale, MK3 Ybanez, and DC3 Walden. We quickly dressed out in our cold weather gear and collected our equipment to fight flooding. I went to the bridge to get briefed on the situation. After the brief, the R&A Team and I went to the Starboard main deck to board the small boat (HAM I) and proceed to the SPAR. Once we got on scene, I was the first one to embark onto the SPAR, so I could assess the situation. While I was talking to the crew of the Spar to get a better handle on what was going on, my team was also boarding the vessel to bring our gear onboard. After my short brief with the crew of the SPAR we decided to use their pumps to dewater the space because it was an internal compartment with no way to get the exhaust gases from our pump outside. We used a P-100, rigged with extensions for the exhaust, and a peri-jet eductor to dewater the space. Once the water was low enough in the space, my team entered the space and plugged the hole that made from the collision with the iceberg. Once the hole was plugged and the space was de-watered, we secured form the drill. The crew of the SPAR was all dressed out in civilian clothes which added to the realness of the situation. They were really pleased with how well we responded to the circumstances. They also gave us a quick tour of their ship and then we boarded HAM I and rode back to the Hamilton. Overall, it was a really neat experience and training. Hopefully now that the Coast Guard is going to be patrolling the Artic Ocean that we won’t need to respond to a real case like this, but if we do, I know that the R&A Team and the rest of the Hamilton crew will be able to respond quickly and save the lives on the other ship and the ship itself.

30 AUG 2008 by CDR Michael Rorstad, Executive Officer

Being able to come North to the Arctic on this patrol means more to me than I had originally anticipated. We were all excited to be able to bring HAMILTON to new waters, honoring our motto, “Semper Primus” or Always First. Being the first 378 to cross the Arctic Circle and conduct a multi-mission patrol is an honor that I will never forget.

As we approached the Arctic, the CAPT had us looking into the history of the Arctic and heroes of the Revenue Cutter Service. Names like Bertholf, Bear, and Hamilton reminded me of my own history. One of the prime factors that brought me to the Coast Guard was the love for the sea and its lore.

My grandfather, Johan Johnsen was a mate onboard a Norwegian Coastal Defense Vessel called the “Norge”. Although not very vocal about what happened, I think he passed on his love for the sea to my mother and uncle, who each had their kids involved in and around the waters of the Pacific Northwest.

Looking back, and doing research on the internet, I found some very interesting facts. My grandfather’s ship sunk on April 10th, 1940 in the initial attack on Norway in a surprise attack by several German destroyers as they took Narvik Fjord. He was one of 101 survivors of a crew of 270. Growing up, I can remember his immense pride of service and ability to have survived the frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean. The location of his ship’s demise was about 110 north of the Arctic Circle by the town of Norvik, Norway.

Today, I was allowed to safely put myself in his shoes. Although protected by a cold weather immersion suit, or “gumby” suit, and without hostile fire, I felt the bite of the Arctic waters and remembered his service. What an incredible experience! About 50 of us jumped one at a time from the boat deck and swam back about 50 yards to the fantail. A boat with rescue swimmers was in the water and in case something happened, we had stations poised to pull people from the water both at the boat deck and back on the fantail. Much safer than that experienced by my grandfather! The crew had an unforgettable time; I know I did as well.

Photos

A polar bear hangs out on an ice berg as HAMILTON passes by.

HAMILTON steams into the sunset off the coast of Point Barrow, AK.

One of the ice fields spotted in the Arctic.

The Rescue and Assist Team during a joint SAR Exercise with CGC SPAR (L-R, top to bottom) MK3 Steven Dale, DC2 John Eister, MK3 Rabecka Ward, DC3 Zach Walden, MK3 Chris Ybanez

Crewmembers of HAMILTON prepare for a swim in the Arctic Ocean.

ENS Al Sowers and SK2 Glenn Miller (yellow vests) land the helo.

The small boat searches for a path through the ice field for HAMILTON.

SN Robert Domholt and BM3 Rane Saunders surface in the 30 degree water.

HAMILTON passes by the Diomede Islands in the Bering Strait.

The “Gumby Cannonball” is perfected by ET3 Jacques Meehan.

HSC Antonio Cole treats a simulated injured crewmember from CGC SPAR during a SAR training exercise.

A Rescueman and members of the fueling team look on as the helo and small boat begin a Search and Rescue Exercise with CGC SPAR.