USCGC Alex Haley

"The Bulldog of the Bering"

A former Navy rescue and salvage ship, Alex Haley is uniquely suited for a wide array of missions in “The Final Frontier” of Alaska. Primarily focused on homeland security, search and rescue, and international/domestic fisheries enforcement, the crew of Alex Haley has operated throughout the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, into the western Pacific and Sea of Japan, and north into the Arctic Circle. Since receiving the cutter from the Navy in 1999, the Coast Guard has made numerous changes that positively impacted the cutter’s ability to stay mission-ready. As the largest Medium Endurance Cutter in the Coast Guard’s fleet, Alex Haley boasts a stable design that enables it to ride well in heavy seas. Continued investment by the Coast Guard ensures an even safer working environment for the professional men and women that serve as Alex Haley’s operators.

Being homeported in Kodiak is a unique adventure. Life on Alaska’s “Emerald Isle” can be wonderful and wild. Summers are full of long periods of daylight, hiking, fishing, hunting, surfing, biking, boating, and exploring the second largest island in the United States. Winters on “The Rock” brings darkness, heavy wind and rain, and occasional bouts of ice and snow, but we still find ways to have fun! Just throw on some heavy weather layers and go do all the things you were doing in the summer! Good rain gear, a taste for adventure, and a positive attitude are essential to a successful tour here. And if you’re bringing a family, Kodiak offers an exceptional array of opportunities. On-base facilities include a Commissary, Exchange, Movie Theater, Bowling Alley, and a modern gym with an indoor swimming pool. Off-base there is a Safeway and Wal-Mart approximately eight miles away. Low crime rates, good schools, a close-knit community, and plenty of year-round activities make it so that many families who get stationed here don’t want to leave.