INTERVIEW
Have your missions picked
up over the last year, being
the only working polar ice-
breaker, and do you expect
to continue getting additional
work aside from scientific
research missions?
HAVLIK: I have to answer that
with yes, I believe our work has
picked up. There’s this added mis-
sion in domestic icebreaking. The
ship had not been used in that
capacity in the past, especially in
Alaska. I think our workload will
probably be pretty substantial and
significant in the coming years
while we’re working to get the
Polar Star reactivated and before
any other new icebreakers come
online.
How much additional work
can you take on?
HAVLIK: I imagine there’s going to
have to be a balance of all the com-
peting priorities and, of course, the
maintenance for the ship that
needs to be completed as well to
keep the ship able to do the mis-
sion. My expectation would be that
we’ll still get to do the scientific
research support, the ship’s pri-
mary mission, but if these other
opportunities present themselves
… I don’t know if the Nome mis-
sion is the start of something more
and greater in the ship’s future. It
was unexpected for this year. I
don’t know what it’s going to mean
for future years.
U.S. COAST GUARD/PETTY OFFICER ERIC J. CHANDLER
Havlik speaks with members of the press after she and the Healy crew
returned home to Seattle from a more than 250-day deployment on Feb. 5.
Do you hope to get missions
similar to the one just com-
pleted with Renda?
HAVLIK: The Nome mission was
quite exhilarating. It was a unique
challenge and it was well within the
capabilities of the ship. It was a
good opportunity for the crew. I
would say yes. I think it would be
good on several levels and using
this ship for one of its capabilities,
the breaking of ice. If there’s a need,
we should be able to fill it. ;
