Racking up days above the Arctic Circle can come with the territory for Coast Guard service members stationed in Kodiak. But it’s not common for a 105-member crew to receive the Arctic Service Award together.

Friday afternoon, the crew of the cutter Alex Haley received the award for spending more than 21 days above the Arctic Circle on a recent patrol.

The Haley crossed 66:33 degrees north on Sept. 11, and remained in the Arctic until Oct. 2. While there, the cutter enforced fisheries laws, practiced aerial cargo lowering techniques and did public affairs work. Members of the crew met with the mayor of Northwest Arctic Borough and made a school presentation.

The cutter sited 18 vessels in the Arctic and faced the challenge of working around whale hunts off the North Slope and the advancing sea ice.

While receiving the award, crewmembers said working in the Arctic meant facing “new levels of cold” and “interesting logistics.” Crewmembers also asked about future Arctic patrols and they also wanted to know if the Haley’s hull is in line to be ice-hardened.

Capt. Michael Inman, who is stationed in Juneau, presented the award with an informal discussion on the Coast Guard’s interest in the Arctic.

“We have business up there,” he said. “If not now, then in the future.

Inman said the Coast Guard would like to establish more of a presence in the Arctic, but it is limited by the shallow coastline in much of Western Alaska. He said Dutch Harbor and Nome are key ports for expanded Arctic operations.

Inman also said national politics can be an obstacle to Arctic work.

“The problem is: How do you get Joe Bob in Des Moines to realize that we’re an Arctic nation?” he said. “If it wasn’t for Alaska, we wouldn’t be an Arctic nation.”

Nicknamed “The Bulldog of the Bering,” the Alex Haley is a former Navy salvage ship known for its stability. It is the largest and newest medium endurance cutter in the Coast Guard fleet.

Mirror writer Sam Friedman can be reached via e-mail at sfriedman@kodiakdailymirror.com.