Relocating to the USCGC Alex Haley

Welcome! 
The Alex Haley is a great unit! We focus on safety, professionalism, and teamwork. You will find your shipmates helpful and excited about the job we do. Kodiak is a great place to live but is somewhat remote. Outdoorsmen will find world-class fishing for Salmon, Halibut, and Dolly Varden. There are plenty of other ways to enjoy the outdoors such as hiking, biking, four-wheeling, and hunting. If you do not like the outdoors there are still plenty of facilities to occupy your free time. The MWR in Kodiak is the best in the Coat Guard. Once qualified, you may be involved in many aspects of shipboard life such as flight deck operations and law enforcement boarding teams. ALEX HALEY conducts most patrols in the Bering Sea doing Search and Rescue and Fisheries Enforcement. Underway morale is great, and events include golf ball drives, bingo, movies, and fishing. You can expect to work hard, have fun, and enjoy your tour.

Location of nearest exchange and commisary: 
There is an Exchange and Commissary on base.

Morale information: 
Base Kodiak has a great Morale program. It includes a movie theater, bowling alley, and a large Auto Hobby Shops. Morale Boats, Campers, and camping equipment are available for rental at a very reasonable price. The Gym is one of the nicest in the Coast Guard with a huge indoor pool, large modern weights, cardio rooms, and plenty of other facilities. For more information on the Kodiak MWR follow the link http://www.kodiakmwr.com

What type of continuing education is available in the area: 
Kodiak Community College, a satellite of University of Anchorage is in the city of Kodiak and offers classes during evenings and weekends.

Religious denominations in the area: 
There are Catholic and Protestant Services on base and in town. There are services for most religious denominations in town and can be found at http://www.kodiak.org

Members with/without dependents 

Is messing available? 
Both shipboard and base galley 

Quarters and/or barracks available? 
Yes they are both available

Is unaccompanied personnel leased housing available? 
No 

Where do most people bank? 
There are several local banks and credit unions in the community. 

Is there a mall in the area? 
No, but there are plenty of stores on Kodiak to fulfill your needs.   

Rate of auto insurance for typical 18-20 yr old single male/female: 
Rates in Alaska are typically slightly higher than the continental U.S. due to higher repair costs.  

Where will a single non-rate more than likely live? 
Barracks.

Should member submit housing application to housing office? 
No, you are entered automatically once you get entry approval. 

What is the cost of average two bedroom apartment in the area? 
$800-1200/month without utilities. 

Is leased housing available? 
No 

Is government owned housing available? 
Yes 

Housing office phone#: 
(907) 487-5170 ext 143 

Where do most dependents live? 
Base housing. 

Youth info: 
The base has a large Child Care Center and Work Life maintains a list of Child Care providers who are Red Cross certified. If you live on base your children will attend Peterson Elementary School, which is located right by base. Seasonal sports activities are widely available including youth football, basketball, and soccer programs as well as summer camp programs including a salmon camp, rafting, and a teen center located in the gym. The Kodiak environment is very safe and family oriented with extensive playgrounds located all over the base.  

What is the rate of auto insurance for typical young family: 
Dependent on auto type/similar to continental us. 

Is it advisable to bring dependents along when reporting? 
Yes. Kodiak is considered overseas, and it would be advisable to bring dependents if possible. The Coast Guard Community on Kodiak is extremely friendly and always willing to help. 

For most general questions, the best resource is the Alex Haley Ombudsman who can assist you and your family with questions about being stationed in Kodiak. They can be contacted at ahombudsman@hotmail.com

Have a junior member describe the area, job and anything else of interest to a newly arriving member: Kodiak is a small community where the coast guard people are friendly. If you are active and like to do outdoors activities, kodiak is great, although it takes a while to get used to the sun being up/down for most of the day. Kodiak is not that bad if you keep a positive attitude, because you get to learn a great deal, and there are a lot of outdoor activities. There are approximately 30 miles of paved roads in kodiak, so a four wheel drive vehicle is not required to get to work and to town, but getting to areas to fish and ride atv's can sometimes require a truck. Kodiak has all the essentials to get by; it is not in the middle of nowhere, but then again it does not have malls and many stores. There is a walmart, though. Kodiak is very beautiful, and is called the emerald island. It is a small fishing community and most of the people are very friendly. 
- From a Seaman on board.

Other General Information:

The weather in Kodiak is quite unique. In the summer temperatures range from 50-70 degrees and the sun is up for 18 hours. In the winter temperatures range from 10-40 degrees and the sun is up for about 6 hours a day. There is a lot of precipitation in Kodiak, approximately 70 inches of both snow and rain a year!