It became obvious to me 18 months to two years ago that with the retreat of the multi-year polar sea ice, the Coast Guard was going to have to do more than it had in the past to provide maritime safety and security to northern and western Alaska, the Arctic Ocean and the Beaufort Sea,' U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Arthur Brooks, commander of the 17th Coast Guard District, told bloggers in a teleconference about Coast Guard units operating in the arctic environment. With the potential for increased vessel traffic in the arctic, Coast Guard operations in Alaska are focusing on how to operate in the harsh environment. 'And so we started doing initial planning as much as a year ago, and this summer - through the spring and summer - we've been conducting a test bed for moving various Coast Guard units into the Arctic environment and determining their suitability for service in northern Alaska,' he added. August 21, 2008
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