Saturnino said the many unprecedented changes are occurring in Alaska’s north with regard to the physical, social, geoeconomical as well as geo-political realities. “To mitigate these changes over the years, Sector Anchorage has increased its operational expeditionary acumen in its efforts to meet its statutory responsibilities,” he said. There is little infrastructure in the north to support normal response activities or disaster responses. Hotels, rental cars, food, ferries and, in some cases, even flights in and out of locations are few and far between. Further complications arise from the nature of Alaska itself: intense cold, extreme weather, winter darkness, interaction with wildlife, and rapid shifts in conditions add risk and delay in any effort to move Coast Guard members in pursuit of their daily missions. What was unique about the Merbok response was not just its expansive nature (to find a joint Federal operation that was this expansive in Alaska would lead all the way back to the Exon Valdez oil spill response in 1989) but the challenge of executing an Arctic (or near-Arctic) disaster response operation at the onset of winter. Despite the challenges, the task force was able to send teams out to 22 villages. There were 56 flights conducted between the Coast Guard, the Bureau of Land Management, and commercial airlines; more than 600 homes were inspected; 673 citizens registered for individual assistance, and more than $6.5 million in various forms of financial aid was issued to survivors. Chief Petty Officer Samantha Fisher, the logistics section chief, reiterated the difficulty in Arctic disaster response. “Seasonal limitations to disaster response are a reality in Alaska and especially in the Arctic regions; when winter sets in, less can be done,” she said. “Operating in the Arctic environment is a completely different animal. You have to put aside the experience you apply in the lower 48 and think outside the box while exercising patience." . Above: Global Diving and Salvage, Alaska Chadux Network and locally contracted residents in the community of Chevak, Alaska, tackle the cleanup of fuel storage containers that floated away during Typhoon Merbok, Sept. 24. Photo courtesy of Alaska Chadux Network Below: Capt. Leanne Lusk, commader, Coast Guard Sector Anchorage (far left), Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski (center left), U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, representative of Alaska (center right), Rear Adm. Nathan A. Moore, commander, Coast Guard 17th District (right) and Robert Edwardson, the tribal liaison for the Coast Guard 17th District (far right), pose for a photo outside of the Nome Volunteer Fire Department with Coast Guard members who deployed to Alaskan communities affected by Typhoon Merbok. Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ian Gray Issue 1 • 2023 . ReseRvist 15 CELEBRATING CELEBRATING 70 70 YEARS OF THE RESERVIST YEARS OF THE RESERVIST
