Seventeenth District

Juneau, Alaska

District Commander:

vVADM Larry Shelton, (acting)

CG6001

Chief of Staff:

vacant

CG6002

Welcome to District 17 of the Virtual United States Coast Guard.  We are pleased you decided to join us.  District 17 boasts some of the most challenging weather to fly in with some of the harshest terrain to master.  District 17 is the “Arctic Defenders”.  We are responsible for an area approximately the size of the lower 48 states.  Areas of Responsibility include the entire state of Alaska and its 45,000 miles of coast line.

Mission:

We serve and safeguard the public, protect the environment and its resources, and defend the Nation’s interests in the Alaskan maritime region.

Vision:

Operational Excellence through Leadership, Teamwork, and Innovation.

MISSIONS 

In addition to Home Land Security Patrols we also conduct Maritime Law Enforcement Patrols of the US/Russian Maritime Boundary Line, and the Alaskan Domestic Fisheries in accordance with the NOAA Commercial Fisheries Service.  In doing such we are also involved with protecting the Stellar Sea Lion, Walrus, Seal, Polar Bear, and Sea Otter Habitats as well. 

MARINE SAFETY

District 17’s mission is diverse and just like the weather we fly in it is also ever changing which has put us on top for Marine Safety as well as Search and Rescue

AIDES TO NAVIGATION

District 17 has the largest buoy tender fleet in the Pacific Command.  With six LORAN stations located at Port Clarence, Attu, Kodiak, Shoal Cove, St. Paul, and Tok.

ICE OPERATIONS

District 17’s Ice Operations include: Polar Ice Breaking , National and Scientific Security Activities, along with ice measuring in the Cook Inlet and ice routing in the Valdez area.

DISTRICT 17 EXERCISES

District 17 hosts two major operations per calendar year and supports the vUSAF at Red Flag Alaska formerly Cope Thunder. Red Flag Alaska occurs every July at Eielson AFB near Fairbanks, Alaska.  Our two hosted events are Operation Arctic Guardian and Operation Northern Vigil.