Air Station C-130

Josh works in the meteorology group at Air Station Kodiak. He is one of the people that provides weather briefings to the Coast Guard pilots - quite the challenge in a place like Kodiak. This air station supports all of Alaska from the far North of the Bearing Sea to the Aleutian Islands and the border with Russia. I believe they even cover some of the Pacific Northwest of the mainland (Pacific Ocean above 40N). Total coverage is over 4 million square miles! The scope of coverage is huge and the the variety of calls is wide - including military operations support. In recent news you may have read about Russia sending aircraft to "test" the Alaska border. The CG is one of the first to respond to such calls. If the Russians are persistent (which was the case), the Air Force will send in combat aircraft to send a stronger message.

The C-130 is a mainstay of the Coast Guard. Its range and capability/flexibility make it a workhorse in Kodiak. We were able to walk through one of the hangers on a quiet Sunday afternoon. I never turn down an opportunity to tour a hanger! This C-130 was in for routine maintenance and made a great photography subject. With four large turboprops and a ton of electronic gear, it is an impressive bird. The CG keeps these planes polished up to reduce drag and increase range - more than just looks. This air station is also home to a group of rescue swimmers. These guys are the Navy Seals of the Coast Guard. They may not be heading into battle but they take on some incredibly dangerous operations in the often-violent waters of Alaska. On the left side of the first photo and bottom of the third photo, you get a glimpse of their gym and workout equipment. When they are not on a mission, they are in that gym staying in shape. Yes, you can get paid to work out! This was a Sunday afternoon so the gym was not being used but the story is that these guys are clearly athletic (big and strong) and a different breed than the most of us (jumping into frigid water for one).

Thanks,

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