Welcome Aboard The CGC Northland
Counter – Narcotics Deployment - Week 1
We join the crew of the Cutter Northland underway on a six week Counter – Narcotics deployment to the Caribbean..
ENS Kristen Potter will be keeping us updated during this deployment with weekly updates. Thanks, Kristen.
All photos are official Coast Guard photos.
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The Coast Guard Cutter Northland, homeported in Portsmouth, Va.
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Catchin' Up
NORTHLAND departed homeport on February 8th on a Caribbean counter-drug patrol. Our first week underway was packed with training. On our way down to our first stop in Mayport, Florida, NORTHLAND served as the platform for AIRSTA Savannah’s pilots to qualify or recertify for conducting helo operations on the flight deck of a cutter. This gave the crew an opportunity to brush up on our flight operations and enabled us to qualify many new crewmembers. After two days we had completed 98 take offs and landings and five Vertical Replenishment , enabling six pilots to re-qualify for shipboard flight deck operations.
Upon our arrival off Mayport, Fl. we continued our training, this time with our Helicopter Interdiction Squadron (HITRON) aircrew. This was the final training required to certify the cutter to employ aircraft use of force. Our Over-The-Horizon small boat, and boarding teams conducted day and night interdiction and maritime law enforcement tactics to ensure we’re ready to stop drug smuggling go-fasts in the Caribbean.
The week wasn’t all work though, some of our sailors took advantage of the brief stay in Mayport to stock up on supplies for the patrol and enjoy some liberty ashore. Everyone is looking forward to the upcoming patrol and getting down to our operational area. This patrol is sure to be an exciting one!
Photos
BM2 Veverka handling lines on the fantail.
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SN McGhee hard at work on cutter NORTHLAND
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ET1 DeoCampo, MK1 Moore, and OS1 Herman posing in front of our embarked HITRON helo (HH-68).
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Deck force polishing the brass on the fantail, making our cutter look wonderful!
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SN Perkins, SN Diaz, SN Lewis, FN Beers, FN Cousins and SN Wiencek during our mooring in Mayport.
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YN1 Pata, GM3 Rios, FN Cousins, FN Beers, SN Lewis, SN Hoffman, SN Hatchell, SN Knechtel and SN Perkins out on the foc’sle as we pull in.
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The hot refueling detail for our helicopter.
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The HH-65 Dolphin helicopter landing onboard NORTHLAND
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DC2 Wolfe, ENS Kapusta, MK2 Post and an air crewman from air station Savannah fueling the helo.
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An AIRSTA Savannah Dolphin helicopter on deck.
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BM2 Montejano, ENS Fawcett, and LTJG Seniuk as the landing signals officers during flight operations.
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HS1 Marin enjoying the sunset on NORTHLAND.
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