Speaker Notes by Victoria Wenick:
On Thursday, April 14th, Lieutenant Stephen T. Nolan, of the US Coast Guard shared the important and fascinating missions of Coast Guard ice breaking ships and his passion for spending time at sea and on ships.
The primary goal of the ice breaker fleet is to create channels for other ships to transport critical cargo such as food and fuel to get through the ice. There are three geographic areas where they operate: domestic (primarily around the Great Lakes), Arctic and Antarctica. Coast Guard ice breaking has been operating since 1976, prior to which it was handled by the Navy. The Polar Star is a unique ship which allows a cutter to ride on top of the ice and cleave down to break the ice and has a higher capacity than other ships which push the ice.
Lieutenant Nolan demonstrated his enthusiasm through some incredible photos which included close encounters with wild seals, penguins, orca whales as well as icebergs, an active volcano in the middle of the ice and perspectives of life at sea. He shared stories of other interesting sites seen while at sea including the historic wreck of Ernest Shackleton’s ship the Endurance which was recently discovered in the Antarctic.
One of his most exciting and interesting missions was searching for and rescuing a fishing vessel stuck in the ice. It was dangerous because a fishing boat cannot break ice. In fact, the ice can crush the hull of a ship. Divers and equipment were deployed which enabled them to see the damage below and then towed them back to open water, which was dangerous due to the proximity of the two ships.
The Coast Guard plans to acquire new ships and develop a hub here in Seattle to create a larger presence in the Arctic. The U.S. only has two in the fleet compared to Russia who has more than 50. The newer ships will be equipped with more energy efficiency as well as radio, GPS and radar technology which will allow them to better communicate and navigate the dangerous icy waters safely. We look forward to welcoming the fleet to Seattle in the future and hearing the comforting sounds of the bells and fog horns.
Lieutenant Stephen Nolan serves as the Public Affairs Officer for the Thirteenth Coast Guard District headquartered in Seattle. He is responsible for all developing and implementing communication strategies, liaising with local media, and running social media platforms in support of all Coast Guard operations throughout the Pacific Northwest which encompasses the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.
Lieutenant Nolan’s most recent assignment was as the Operations Officer and ship’s Navigator for the USCGC Dependable a 210-foot-long medium endurance cutter based out of Virginia Beach, VA. In this role he managed a department of 21 people and managed track-line development and shipboard navigation safety to support long-range missions including Counter Narcotics in the Caribbean Sea, Fisheries Law Enforcement along the US-Canadian Boundary line, and Search and Rescue Operations in the offshore waters of the Eastern Seaboard.
Previous assignments include: Search and Rescue (SAR) Coordinator for the 17th Coast Guard District in Juneau, Alaska, supervising all maritime SAR operations in the 49th state from 2017 to 2019; Operations Officer for USCGC Willow and Oak 225-foot-long sea going buoy tenders based out of Newport, RI where he was responsible for maintaining all floating Aids to Navigation from Rhode Island Sound to the Canadian border from 2015-2017; and Deck Watch Officer and Marine Sciences Officer for the USCGC Polar Star a 399-foot-long heavy icebreaker which deploys annually to the National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station in Antarctica in support of OPERATION DEEP FREEZE from 2013-2015.
Lieutenant Stephen Nolan graduated with high honors from the Coast Guard Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine and Environmental Sciences in 2013. He is a 2017 graduate of the National Search and Rescue School’s Maritime Search Planning course and a 2021 honor graduate of the Defense Information School’s (DINFOS) Public Affairs & Communication Strategy Qualification course.
Lieutenant Nolan’s personal awards include the Coast Guard Commendation Medal (with Operational Distinguishing device), two Coast Guard Achievement Medals (with the Operational Distinguishing device), three Commandant’s Letters of Commendation (with the Operational Distinguishing device), the Armed Forces Service Medal, two Antarctic Service Medals, the Arctic Service Medal and various other team and unit awards.
Lieutenant Nolan is a permanent cutterman, having served aboard Coast Guard cutters for more than five cumulative years and is authorized to wear the gold cutterman’s insignia.
Lieutenant Nolan is married to the former Emily Johnson of Murrieta, California.
