Tired of dealing with the summer heat? We thought we’d give you a winter view… With a wall of snow and blizzard conditions closing in on the Air Station Kodiak flight line, Lt. Cmdr. Jake Smith prepares to launch with the aircrew of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter in response to notification of a mariner in distress on Dec. 18, 2013. Air Station Kodiak teams are frequently called upon to conduct search and rescue operations in challenging weather conditions throughout the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Arctic Circle and northern Pacific Ocean. At various times each year forward operating locations are staged in Barrow, Cold Bay and Cordova, Alaska to allow for faster response. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Auxiliarist Tracey Mertens)