The Last Frontier State

Jeannie's summer assignment was on the Coast Guard Cutter, Mellon. She spent her summer cruising between the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea. They boarded fishing vessels and checked for marine law compliance. Some of the ports they visited were Dutch Harbor, Nome, Adak, Kodiak and Juneau.

Part of their cruise took them above the Arctic Circle. Those on the ship who had not already been above the Arctic Circle had to participate in a ceremony so they could become a "Blue Nose Polar Bear". This involved, among other things, swimming in the Bering Sea with a dry suit on. The water temperature was a brisk 38 degrees!

Jeannie was able to practice shooting an M16 rifle during her summer cruise. She thought it was interesting to be that far north and never see the sun set during the day or night. While Jeannie indicated the weather was pretty gray during much of her northern cruise, she said it was a great experience overall.