Rear Adm. Dan Abel (right), commander, Coast Guard 17th District, and Capt. Paul Mehler (center), commander, Coast Guard Sector Anchorage, talk with a gold dredging vessel operator in Nome, Alaska, Aug. 2, 2014. The visit to Nome coincided with the 17th District's Arctic Shield 2014 operation, a forward deployment of Coast Guard personnel and assets to maritime communities in Western Alaska and the Arctic. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Grant DeVuyst.