I was just wondering if there are many people in the Coast Guard who actually want to be stationed aboard one of the three icebreakers (Polar Star, Polar Sea and the Healy)? I am only asking because I would love an opportunity to serve on board one of those ships and am wondering how stiff the competition is or if it is just random placement? Thanks guys
The Polar community is a pretty tight knit group of folks..... With the Star down hard and the Healy having a smaller crew, I would imagine it's pretty stiff competition for those billets. I know if I were staying in, those would be my first picks. Either way, my tour on the Star was my best tour of all. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys being a sailor.
Yes, two tours as a boot ensign on a Polar Roller ... I can see that as arduous ... couldn't hurt yer career none ... I think four years as an ensign would be enough of a clue that you weren't going anywhere in this man's outfit.
My late husband CWO retired worked on the engines for both Polar Rollers. He'd been on an ice breaker in the Great Lakes. We lived in Seattle at the time. I went down and saw them, beautiful ships.
They're hard to get. What's more amazing is that with the competition for the positions on those ships, people up and down all the pay-grades still complain about being there.
I loved my tour there, and I would be hard pressed to not put it on my dream-sheet if it were open when I am tour complete.
Currently the Senate version of the CG 08 Authorization has direction to reactivate the Polar Star and start the preverbial ball rolling on two new replacement icebreakers.
It's still in comittee I believe. I for one hope that little blurb about the breakers stays in there.
Originally posted by hulen_mark: Currently the Senate version of the CG 08 Authorization has direction to reactivate the Polar Star and start the preverbial ball rolling on two new replacement icebreakers.
It's still in comittee I believe. I for one hope that little blurb about the breakers stays in there.
Dibs on the Precomm EMC billet!
Only because Putin is claiming the undersea mineral and petroleum rights in the North Pole region for Russia. A good indicator for this will be how well the breakers are armed.
Otherwise, there is no attraction for spending money for the sake of pure science anymore.
First and formost, the Coast Guard icebreakers will be used to show the flag - at least while there is still ice up there.
Only because Putin is claiming the undersea mineral and petroleum rights in the North Pole region for Russia. A good indicator for this will be how well the breakers are armed.
Otherwise, there is no attraction for spending money for the sake of pure science anymore.
First and formost, the Coast Guard icebreakers will be used to show the flag - at least while there is still ice up there.
Not going to get into a why we need breaker argument. There are far more knoledgeable people on this board who could make the point more elequently than I.
VADM Papp recently spoke in Seattle. Of course when an Admiral speaks to all hands in Seattle, Icebreakers always come up.
I remember him saying that "The best thing to happen to the US Icebreaker program in years was the Russians placing that flag on the arctic floor".
Not going to get into a why we need breaker argument. There are far more knoledgeable people on this board who could make the point more elequently than I.
VADM Papp recently spoke in Seattle. Of course when an Admiral speaks to all hands in Seattle, Icebreakers always come up.
I remember him saying that "The best thing to happen to the US Icebreaker program in years was the Russians placing that flag on the arctic floor".
Old rivalries seem to be heating up. Natural resource exploitation will definately be center stage in the topic of restablishing the Polar program. I hear the Chinese also have an icebreaker heading that way. DCC
Hey there idiablosv2000, Where else in this CG can you basically go pole to pole and hit some of the most beautiful seanary outside the US. Australia, New Zealand (my first choice after the US), South America, Central America, ect. I'd give up my left you know what to have a chance at sailing again on a red one! Most poler sailers have been to more foreign ports the our gray hulled squids!..Can I say squid?
