Welcome to The Alaska Show Podcast! Seeing how Alaska really lives and works through the eyes of our exceptional people. For our first episode we sit down with Captain Sean MacKenzie, head of Coast Guard Sector Anchorage. He talks to us about the extensive missions the Coast Guard has throughout Western Alaska and takes us through his storied career that has taken him from overseeing the NY Harbor on 9/11, to Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Arabian Gulf, to Washington DC and Brussels, to counter-narcotics operations in the South Pacific, and finally to overseeing the bulk of Coast Guard operations in Alaska.   Your hosts Josiah Coe and Alex Trokey also discuss the Coronavirus evacuee stopover at Ted Stevens International Airport, the Anchorage doctor found guilty of dentisting while on a hoverboard, and announce upcoming events including the Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks and the Ice Climbing Festival in Valdez. Introduction, Events and News (1:41) Interview with Captain Sean MacKenzie (9:51) More content on https://www.theakshow.com/ Also check out "The Homer Alaska Podcast" wherever you listen to podcasts! Interview Notes Captain MacKenzie oversees Sector Anchorage with over 600 personnel under him Career taken him from Northeast to New York Harbor on 9/11 to Iraq to California to Germany to Alaska 38 sectors in the Coast Guard He was Coast Guard liaison to European command Most people think the Coast Guard only does search and rescue in Alaska Based on JBER in Anchorage Fairly significant Coast Guard presence in Valdez with small boats, patrol boat, vessel inspection unit, and support element Valdez has 125 people and Anchorage only has about 100 - terminus of the TAPS terminal makes it a key place In 2014 the Coast Guard moved to JBER for better communications and use of other military infrastructure like force protection and medical care The main Coast Guard Missions in Alaska are: - Search and Rescue - Law Enforcement and Fisheries Enforcement - enforcing fishing regulations - Oil Pollution Response - keeping Alaska's environment pristine - Facilities Inspections - inspecting things like bulk oil fuel facilities on maritime nexus - Waterways Management - organizing traffic so everyone in a community can have safe access through waterways - Vessel Inspections - proactively inspecting vessels for safety from deep draft to fishing vessels - Investigations - if there is a marine casualty the Coast Guard inspects Marine Safety Task Force - Over 400 bulk oil storage facilities across western Alaska - Typical village will have 4+ 12,500 gallon heating fuel storage tanks - Much of this infrastructure is aging and number of oil spills are increasing - This is a "trainwreck in slow motion" - Marine Safety Task force is Sector Anchorage's pitch to get more resources to get these facilities inspected annually or bi-annually and help get funding to resolve issues Captain MacKenzie born in Asheville, NC The Coast Guard Academy was the only military academy that accepted him into college Coast Guard Academy has changed culture to lower attrition rate from 50% when Captain MacKenzie went to school Out of the Academy he worked a buoy tender in the Hudson River Then Executive Officer of a 110-ft boat in 1994 Went and got a MBA in Financial Management in William and Mary with his wife Dorothy Then did a financial tour July 2001 took over command of 110-foot patrol boat ADAK On 9/11/2001 ADAK was repairing steering system in Sandy Hook New Jersey and got the word a plane crashed into the World Trade Center Cell phone towers were on the twin towers so the cell phones didn’t work First coast guard ship on the scene and designate command of New York Harbor On 9/11 had to facilitate emergency response logistics and stop people from entering Manhattan through the harbor In command of the harbor through the first 12 hours after the World Trade Center attack Other buildings fell down around the twin towers The wind switched and blew ash and smo