SEATTLE — The Coast Guard Cutter Healy is scheduled to depart July 24 for a four-month deployment to the Arctic Ocean to carry out multiple scientific research missions, the 13th Coast Guard District announced in a release.

Healy will provide presence and access to the Arctic while conducting three major science research missions. In partnership with the National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Office of Naval Research, scientists will conduct physical and biological oceanographic research in the Arctic Ocean.

Healy’s first mission is a NOAA-sponsored mission to increase understanding of biological processes along Alaska’s Continental Shelf. This mission comprises three mission subsets: Distributed Biological Observatory, Northern Chukchi Integrated Study, and the Ecosystems and Fisheries-Oceanography Coordinated Investigations.

The second mission of Healy’s Arctic deployment is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research and is focused on understanding how upper-level ocean stratification and sea ice in the Beaufort Sea is responding to inflow and surface forcing changes. The Stratified Ocean Dynamics of the Arctic project aims to increase understanding by deploying subsurface moorings and specialized on-ice instruments to observe the fluctuations across an annual cycle.

Healy’s final mission is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and will examine the effects of the Pacific water inflow into the Arctic and its associated boundary current on the ecosystem. This study is part of a multiyear endeavor that combines shipboard measurements taken in the spring and fall, with measurements from a subsea mooring deployed in the center of the boundary current.

Currently under the command of Capt. Greg Tlapa, Healy is the nation’s premiere high-latitude research vessel and is one of the only U.S. military surface vessels that deploys to and is capable of operating in the ice-covered waters of the Arctic. In addition to science operations, Healy and the crew are capable of conducting a range of Coast Guard operations such as search and rescue, ship escorts, environmental protection and the enforcement of laws and treaties in the Polar Regions.

Healy provides access and presence throughout the Arctic region to protect U.S. maritime borders and to safeguard the maritime economy. Homeported in Seattle, Healy is the largest ship in the U.S. Coast Guard at 420 feet long with a displacement of over 16,000 tons and a permanent crew of 87.

JUNEAU, Alaska — The Coast Guard opened forward operating location (FOL) Kotzebue, Alaska, in support of Arctic Shield 2018 operations throughout the Arctic region July 1, the Coast Guard 17th District said in a release.

As part of operation Arctic Shield 2018, Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak deployed two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters and crews to Kotzebue to give the Coast Guard an opportunity to leverage existing infrastructure and strategically positions its crews to effectively respond to maritime emergencies in the Bering Strait and the Northern Slope.

In addition to FOL Kotzebue, the Coast Guard will have cutters Healy, Stratton and Douglas Munro engage in operations encompassing a variety of missions from Dutch Harbor through the Bering Strait and along the North Slope including the Northern Alaska Outer Continental Shelf.

Operation Arctic Guardian is also a part of Arctic Shield, and it is an exercise that will conduct outreach with community responders in the Arctic by teaching basic oil spill response tactics and sub-area planning. Several Coast Guard personnel and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation will conduct Operation Arctic Guardian in Bethel.

“The Forward Operating Location in Kotzebue helps mitigate several of the major challenges when operating in the Arctic including the environment, vast distances and limited infrastructure,” said Rear Adm. Matthew Bell, commander, Coast Guard 17th District. “Arctic Shield 2018 operations and activities will include performing multiple missions, leveraging partnerships and increasing maritime domain awareness to reduce risk and promote safe, secure and environmentally responsible maritime activity. “

Arctic Shield operations began in 2009 to support Coast Guard missions in response to increased maritime activity in the Arctic. Arctic Shield operations and activities include focusing on promoting national interests and sovereignty throughout the Arctic. Arctic Shield 2018 operations and activities will include performing multiple missions, leveraging partnerships and increasing maritime domain awareness to reduce risk and promote safe, secure and environmentally responsible maritime activity.

Arctic Shield 2018 focuses on understanding and responding to the risks to the sea, risks to those on the sea, and risks from those who might use the sea to do us harm. Increasing maritime domain awareness, building and strengthening partnerships with both national and international Arctic stakeholders, and having an active presence in the region will enhance the safety, security and stewardship of the nation’s Arctic waters.

BOSTON — The Coast Guard Cutter Campbell returned to its homeport in Kittery, Maine, June 15 after an 80-day counternarcotic patrol in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard 1st District said in a release.

Campbell’s crew disrupted six narcotic smuggling ventures, seized about 12,000 pounds of cocaine worth $209 million and detained 24 suspected smugglers.

Equipped with an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew deployed from the Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron unit based in Jacksonville, Florida, Campbell patrolled known narcotic transit zones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Central and South America in support of Joint Interagency Task Force-South, which facilitates international and interagency interdiction to enable the disruption and dismantlement of illicit and converging threat networks in support of national and hemispheric security.

Campbell’s crew also rescued three sea turtles found entangled in loose fishing gear.

“During this challenging deployment, the crew excelled in all assigned missions and should be exceptionally proud of their accomplishments,” said Cmdr. Mark McDonnell, Campbell’s commanding officer. “Our efforts to integrate with partner agencies and nations are key to the safe and successful execution of these complex interdiction operations as we work together to remove cocaine bound for the United States and help dismantle criminal networks.”

Campbell is a 29-year-old Famous-class medium-endurance cutter, with a crew complement of 100.

WASHINGTON — Adm. Karl L. Schultz took command of the U.S. Coast Guard during a June 1 ceremony at Coast Guard headquarters presided over by President Donald J. Trump and attended by most of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, homeland security officials, a large international contingent, current and former Coast Guard members, and family and friends.

“Today is a day of hails, a day of farewells and a day of thank yous,” Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in her introductory remarks at the change of command, which marked the end of the four-year tenure as commandant of Adm. Paul F. Zukunft, who officially retired from the Coast Guard in a ceremony immediately following the event.

“‘Service above self,’ an Adm. Zukunft quote, is a reflection of his 40 years of service in the Coast Guard, words to live by that I share,” she said.

Zukunft became the 25th commandant on May 30, 2014. His leadership and vision were instrumental in increasing the pace of the Coast Guard’s recapitalization efforts, according to a release from the service. He worked with Congress and the White House to achieve funding for completion of the national security cutter program of record, the acquisition of new fast response cutters, and funding for the waterways commerce cutter and the offshore patrol cutter. He also ensured the Coast Guard began receiving necessary funding for the acquisition of the nation’s first new polar icebreaker in more than 40 years.

Zukunft led the service’s efforts to respond to the unprecedented 2017 hurricane season, where Coast Guard personnel saved or assisted nearly 12,000 victims from flooded communities in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico.

Schultz reports to Coast Guard headquarters as the 26thh commandant from Portsmouth, Virginia, where he served as the Atlantic Area commander since August 2016, directing all Coast Guard missions from the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf, spanning across five districts and 40 states.

Noting Schultz’s oversight of last summer’s hurricane response as Atlantic Area commander, Nielsen said “confidence, leadership and dedication to country was evident in the mission. As he assumes command today as the commandant of the Coast Guard, President Trump and I have full confidence in Adm. Schultz’s ability to lead this proud organization with honor and integrity.”

“We’re gathered together today for a truly special occasion,” Trump said during his remarks. “We are here to mark a change in command of the United States Coast Guard and celebrate the incredible career of its 25th commandant, Adm. Paul Zukunft. On behalf of the American people, I thank you for a lifetime of noble service. Congratulations on everything you have achieved for nearly half a century. For 45 years, Paul has proudly worn the Coast Guard uniform. That’s a long time, you don’t look that old,” he joked.

“In that time, he has led every kind of mission never backed down … he’s never lost a challenge,” Trump said. “For the last four years, Adm. Zukunft … has led with extraordinary skill, devotion and pride. … Throughout the admiral’s tenure, he poured his heart and soul into the service of our nation and he brought remarkable vision to the task of ensuring the Coast Guard’s rightful place at the forefront of American security and prosperity. America is safe because our Coast Guard is strong.”

Trump also thanked Zukunft’s wife, Fran DeNinno-Zukunft for her own service as a devoted mentor and representative for military families.

“We are grateful for everything you’ve done to advance the Coast Guard mission, it’s been a lot,” he said.

After highlighting some of the Coast Guard’s accomplishment’s during Zukunft’s tenure, Trump praised last year’s “unbelievable” hurricane response and noted that, “with this ceremony we proudly pass the helm of the United States Coast Guard to the man who oversaw those emergency operations.”

Echoing Nielsen’s comments about Schultz, Trump said, “I have complete confidence that Karl will carry out his new mission with the same talent, strength and devotion that have characterized his entire career. He has had an incredible and very brave career. Karl, we congratulate you and we thank you for answering this call to service. …

The change of command, Trump said, comes “at a great moment, not just for the Coast Guard, but for our entire nation. Your service makes all of America proud. American knows that we can always count on the Coast Guard because the Coast Guard is always ready.”

“Today is the first day of hurricane season, this is a good day to cut and run,” Zukunft quipped, after receiving the orders relieving him of command. He used a series of baseball analogies to describe his tenure as commandant.

“When I came into this position, I told my senior leadership team that it is high time that we swung for the fences. For too many years we went up to the plate and squared around to bunt. You’re never going to hit a ball out of the park when you bunt every time you step up to the plate. Well swing we did. … 2018 was the largest appropriation for the United States Coast Guard,” he said.

“When I look what we are investing in, our fleet of national security cutters, originally this was going to be a fleet of eight, we now have 11 on budget and under construction. The offshore patrol cutter, it was a hope in 2014 … well it’s a reality, the first one will hit the water in 2021, with many more to follow. … And we’re building polar icebreakers, the first one arrives in 2023. … We’re building out a fleet of what we call waterway commerce cutters. In 2019, we will open up a cyber curriculum at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. We have to grow the talent. We’re also investing in unmanned aerial systems. … We’re investing our people as well, we’re growing the force.

“Yes, we swung for the fences, we hit a home run, but this is an infinite game and the game goes on and, yes, it must go on,” he said.

After reading his orders to report for duty as commandant, Schultz pledged to carry on the work that had begun under Zukunft’s watch.

“Our Coast Guard is in fact strong. We have been a well-run and led organization. The privilege of assuming command today is amplified by the fact that this will be a seamless transition. Much more about a continuity of command than a changing of command. … As I survey the waters and the opportunities that lie ahead for this service, I envision our heading remaining generally steady, but we’ll look to pick up spend when possible and where appropriate,” Schultz said.

“As I assume my new duties, I am confident that we have built a strong leadership team. We are eager to get about the work of leading this Coast Guard.”

WASHINGTON — The commandant of the Coast Guard said that the recent congressional focus on the Jones Act in the wake of the 2017 hurricane relief efforts for Puerto Rico threatens to invite repeal of the act, one that would have unintended negative consequences for national defense, maritime commerce and shipbuilding.

“There’s this fixation that we need to get after the Jones Act,” Adm. Paul F. Zukunft said in response to a question from the audience May 8 at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. “The consequences of the Jones Act [repeal] could have severe repercussions as well.”

The Jones Act — formally titled the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 — generally prohibits foreign-built, foreign-owned or foreign-flag vessels from conducting coastwise trade within the United States and between the United States and its overseas territories. It also generally applies restrictions that effectively prohibit ships under the Jones Act from being overhauled at foreign shipyards. Ship crews must be composed of U.S. citizens or legal residents of the United States.

Zukunft listed three consequences he said would ensue if the Jones Act is repealed.

“All of our coastwise trade will probably be done by a third nation, namely China, [and] not just coastwise trade, but plying our inland river systems as well,” he said. “If we’re looking at, ‘hey, if we can lower the cost of doing business, we can have a third nation do it on our behalf.’

“The next thing that goes away is the [U.S. and state] maritime academies,” he said. “You don’t need them because we have foreign mariners. We don’t know who they are, but they’re foreign mariners plying our waters and our internal waters as well to conduct maritime commerce, which is a $4.6 trillion enterprise in the United States.
“Then the next thing that goes is our shipyards and the technology that goes with the shipyards,” he said, speaking of the smaller labor costs of foreign shipyards.