Coast Guard Cutter Kimball returns to Honolulu after 120-day Arctic patrol

The Coast Guard Cutter Kimball returned to Honolulu on Jan. 1 following a 120-day deployment covering approximately 16,500 nautical miles in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, according to the US Coast Guard.

During the deployment, the crew conducted law enforcement patrols, emergency response operations and joint training exercises. The cutter operated in coordination with other federal agencies as maritime activity in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions continues to increase.

Kimball’s law enforcement teams conducted 13 inspections of fishing vessels and conducted joint boardings with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement. Three citations were issued for violations that included two cases of illegally retained catches.

The crew also conducted extensive training with MH-60 helicopters from Air Station Kodiak to enhance proficiency between cutters and air crews. In addition, Kimball tested the new Vertical Takeoff and Landing Battery (V-BAT) unmanned aerial system while patrolling the Bering Sea, conducting several operations to evaluate and enhance the cutter’s surveillance capabilities.

Following the aftermath of Typhoon Halong, Kimball’s crew provided critical support to the area by positioning as a ready fueling platform for responding air assets. The crew also served as the on-scene coordinator and rendered assistance to a disabled and adrift bulk carrier that lost propulsion near a heavily trafficked pass through the Aleutian Islands.

Kimball participated in two joint operations with United States Alaskan Command under Operation TUNDRA MERLIN. These activities involved Kimball and multiple US Air Force aircraft in simulated joint maritime strikes, and provided valuable insight into the national security cutter’s capabilities while demonstrating integration of Department of Homeland Security and Department of War assets for the purpose of homeland defense.

“I am immensely proud of this crew for standing the watch over one of the harshest maritime operational areas in the world,” said Capt. Craig Allen, Kimball’s commanding officer. “This crew demonstrated remarkable skill, tenacity, and teamwork across a wide spectrum of Coast Guard missions. Their professionalism made a direct positive impact to the safety and security of the Alaskan community.”

While on patrol, Kimball’s crew crossed the Arctic Circle, earning the designation as “Blue Nose Polar Bears.” The crew also engaged with the Dutch Harbor, Alaksa, community by volunteering for a beach clean-up and hosting a holiday-themed tour of the cutter for nearly 250 local residents.

Commissioned in 2019, Kimball is one of two 418-foot, Legend-class national security cutters homeported in Honolulu. The cutter’s primary missions are counter-drug operations and defense readiness. The namesake of US Coast Guard Cutter Kimball is Sumner Increase Kimball, the organizer of the United States Life-Saving Service and its general superintendent from 1878–1915.