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Log Book visibility, I was confident that I could spot any approaching bears and warn the crew before they posed a threat.” In the end it wasn’t bears that would ruin their plans. The unpredictable and sometimes violent North Slope weather had washed away the ramp where they were supposed to launch the boats. Ever ready, the crews tried launching from the rocky beach but it proved too steep to do anything but dip their engines in the water. Spending most of the morning trying to get underway, the crew rallied together in the afternoon with some brisk Arctic exercise. After regrouping they tackled the issue of getting underway. Lt. Terry Holom, MSST Anchorage executive officer, came to the crew with a solution. British Petroleum and Alaska Clean Seas, a oil spill response cooperative, were running a cleanup exercise and offered to let the MSST come along and observe. Even though the boat lacked an orange stripe, they could return to Anchorage satisfied that they had experienced the Arctic Ocean firsthand. “I feel very successful about Prudhoe Bay,” said Holom. He explained that their mission was to lay the foundation for future Coast Guard Arctic operations and that he felt they had accomplished just that. The next day, as they boarded the C-130 they carried with them a sense of accomplishment. They were pioneers in a way. They learned what it takes to deploy to this remote yet vital area. Even though they’re now veterans of the Arctic, when they return next summer they’ll still have to keep an eye out for hungry polar bears. End of the Line Deadhorse, Alaska, on Prudoe Bay, is home to the largest oil field in North America. and the starting point of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Photo by PA3 Victoria Bonk Under the cover of darkness, Law Enforcement Detachment 404 was aboard the USS McInerney, closing in on a target spotted by a Navy over-flight. With only inches of the long, flat vessel above the water, no running lights, and no flags flown, the suspicious vessel was likely loaded down with cocaine. The boarding team had no way of knowing that they were on the tail of a massive bust or that they would almost be washed over the side of the sinking drug boat. Roughly 350 miles west of Guatemala, the frigate was keeping a careful distance to avoid alerting the suspected smugglers. The Navy marine patrol aircraft circling high above was keeping an eye on the smugglers but was low on fuel. Running out of time, the McInerney launched the Miami-based LEDET aboard two small boats in the early hours of Sept. 13. Approaching from the stern, the team was prepared for the unknown. “We felt confident,” said the officer in charge, “but there’s always risk involved.” A parachute flare split the darkness and distracted the operator, allowing the boarding team to verify the vessel had no indication of nationality and to quickly spring onto the sub’s slick decks. “They had no idea we were on board until we pounded on the cockpit,” said the OIC. The team’s linguist and boarding officer shouted in Spanish for the driver to stop, “para! para!” The operator panicked and kicked the sub into reverse, trying to knock the team into the sea, or worse, into the screws. The boarding officer maintained his composure and yelled even louder for the crew to stop the engines. “That’s what we train for. It’s a state of mind,” he said. The smugglers weren’t going to make it easy. They opened a valve designed to quickly scuttle the vessel. Sea water rushed over the deck and swirled around the knees of the boarding team who grabbed hold of the exhaust and intake tubes to keep from going overboard. “A few of the guys were nervous and were hanging on for dear life,” said the OIC. The team quickly recovered and, with weapons drawn, convinced the four- person crew to stop the vessel and secure the scuttling valve they had opened. First Things First When the crew of MSST Anchrage tested their engines it was the first time a Coast Guard vessel entered Prudoe Bay. Photo by PA3 Victoria Bonk Laying Low The crew of the CGC Midgett inderdicted a semi-submersible loaded down with 7 tons of cocaine Sept. 16. Scratching the Surface Coast Guard Magazine 42 Coast Guard — Issue 4, 2008 43 uscg.mil/mag Coast Guard photo