Interpreter Corps member Anatoli Raidenkov
By Glendon J. Buscher, Jr.
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
The
US Coast Guard Auxiliary Interpreter Corps is a component of the USCG Auxiliary
International Affairs Directorate. The interpreters are Operations members of
the USCG Auxiliary. They offer their linguistic skills to the US Coast Guard
and other agencies of the Department of Homeland Security and Department of
Defense. Members of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary
Interpreter Corps meet the International Language Roundtable 2+ standards and
already have provided over 50,000 mission hours, mainly in Coast Guard
Operational Support.” It is the goal of the Corps to be able to make available
a qualified interpreter wherever needed to augment the missions of the Coast
Guard. Among the most challenging of these missions is deployment to a cutter.
Interpreter Corps member Anatoli Raidenkov recently
deployed to the USCGC Stratton as a mission critical Russian linguist to
support the cutter during a portion of its three-month Alaska Patrol. He served
for thirty days from September 22 to October 22, a period that required him to
take a leave without pay from his employment as Senior Export Compliance
Specialist at Honda. Auxiliary interpreters are unpaid volunteers who offer
their services as a force multiplier for Coast Guard missions. It is an honor
to be such a volunteer. Anatoli is a native Russian speaker, who also speaks
Japanese. He is a licensed Marine Radio operator and has assisted in disaster
and humanitarian relief operations. A veteran interpreter, he has deployed on
other Arctic missions. Last summer he volunteered for an air mission out of
Kodiak, Alaska.
Assigned interpreters perform both synchronous and
simultaneous interpretation and translation as needed and per the captain’s
discretion. They are also on call if needed to assist in boarding foreign
vessels to question the crew to ensure they are not engaged in smuggling,
poaching, illegal fishing, or violating the security of the maritime boundary
lines. During any patrol, there arise occasions, if needed, to be involved in search
and rescue operations. As expected, there were occasions when Anatoli was awakened
at two or three AM and called to the bridge for assistance.
The deployment of interpreters depends on the nature
of the mission to which they are to be assigned. The Interpreter Corps must
make its decision about who is to be deployed based on the security requirements
of the cutter mission, the availability and language ability of an interpreter
and on considerations of the level of security clearance needed for the
mission. Therefore, not every deployment opportunity may be available to an
individual interpreter.
USCGC Stratton (WMSL-752) is a Legend Class national security cutter named after Coast Guard Captain Dorothy C. Stratton (1899–2006). Stratton served as director of the SPARS, the Coast Guard Women's Reserve during World War II. The cutter has a length of 418 feet
and the capability for deployment worldwide in support of homeland security and
defense missions. According to recent news releases from the Coast Guard, Stratton’s
mission was to patrol the US-Russian maritime boundary in the Arctic in
furtherance of US national security
strategy and projection of US sovereignty during a transit north through the
Bering Strait towards the Chukchi Sea and throughout the Arctic. At one point
the Stratton performed
a series of patrol maneuvers jointly with CGC Kimball (WMSL-756) and later
joined in a search and rescue exercise with the Canadian Coast Guard ship Sir
William Laurier. An additional mission consisted of multiple outreach
events with villagers and key leaders in indigenous communities at Savoonga on
St. Lawrence Island and Utqiagvik and Kaktovik on Alaska’s North Slope.
Anatoli recently agreed to an interview to talk about
his experiences. While his interpretation tasks were consistent with the
mission needs of the cutter, given the national security aspects of the
Stratton’s patrol, he could not share details about what specific linguistic
assistance he was called on to perform.
He described the
experience as a challenge and an adventure. It was not like being on a cruise
line to the South Pacific or Hawaii. In addition to the importance of his
interpretation work, he was eager to stress how much the presence of
interpreters should also contribute to the morale of the crew. It is important
to demonstrate that you are a valuable addition to the crew and to meaningfully
contribute your special skills to the success of the mission. He also talked
about what it is like to live on the cutter in Arctic conditions.
Anatoli flew to Anchorage, Alaska, and then switched
to a tiny turbo prop to meet the cutter at the port of Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian
Islands. The flight and the arrival saw
some of the sunniest weather they had seen in Dutch Harbor this year. After
boarding the cutter and checking in with the officer of the day, he changed
into ODUs. All temporarily assigned personnel are required to wear masks for
the first three days.
When interpreters are deployed onboard, they become an
extra hand to the crew. The goal is to
be one with the crew. You will see and
work with them every day. Auxiliary interpreters need to fit into the structure
of the active-duty crew, so they need to shed any signs of “office” or “level
of authority”. They need to have only the simple patch of membership on their ODUs.
About half the crew consists of twenty-year-old recruits, who are just out of
basic training, so there is a need to be sensitive to that fact. The new crew members are nervous enough trying
to identify the rank of their active-duty superiors without having to figure out
the status of a newcomer.
For interpreters deploying on such a mission there are
technically no age limits or medical requirements, only that they are in good
physical condition so that they do not become a burden to the crew and to the
operation of the mission. There is a full medical facility on board and there
are fully qualified medical personnel to treat anything that comes along unless
the situation requires evacuation by helicopter to the mainland.
The further north the cutter goes, particularly as
winter approaches, the rougher the sea is more likely to become. The interpreter must be prepared to quickly overcome seasickness
and find their sea legs so as not to become incapacitated and a burden to the
crew. These factors can seriously impede the work of interpretation.
Prior to Anatoli’s arrival there had been another volunteer who had to be
evacuated by helicopter due to constant seasickness. It is best to purchase
tablets or certain types of wrist bands that help prevent or mitigate
seasickness. The cutter medical personnel will have some available as well.
Anatoli spent thirty days on the cutter but did not become
seasick once. Perhaps this is because he had previously worked on a seafood
processing factory ship in the northern Pacific. These ships go out in the middle of the ocean
and deploy amid groups of small fishing boats.
The small boats offload their catch onto the factory boat, which then
processes and cans the fish. The type of fish they catch depends on the season
and there are some seasons when it is illegal to catch certain types of fish.
These may be subject to confiscation by the Coast Guard.
During the October portion of the patrol
the cutter did not encounter or need to deal with any substantial ice floes. The
national security cutter is built for speed and maneuverability as opposed to
the icebreaker cutters, which move more slowly and are designed with sharp bows
to cut like bulldozers through the ice pack. A consequence of that maneuverability
and speed is that the floors inside the boat and on the deck are constantly
heaving or moving at angles up and down. There is a “three points” rule onboard
that states that you must always have at least three limbs in contact with some
surface or metal bar to avoid falling. This rule is true even in the shower.
Anatoli was fortunate to be assigned a
bed in one of the officer’s quarters, sharing the quarters with only one other
person. The officers’ quarters are above deck. He described the bed as “like a
little kid’s bunk bed” in that it had rails to keep him from rolling out when
the ship rocks and rolls. This good fortune depends on the size of the cutter
and the particular patrol. On some missions you might have to bunk in the crew
spaces. Apparently, when the rocking
gets too high, there is a standing joke among the crew to cry out “just who is
driving this thing??”
Anatoli had a metal locker to store his
clothes and ODUs, although there was basically no room for luggage. He was
responsible for cleaning his own quarters. He was also fortunate that there was
a room with a washer and dryer a few feet away from his cabin.
Crew quarters are below deck and tend to
be cramped. There is limited space for
storage or luggage and there is only a single room with three washers and dryers.
If necessary, there is an ironing board available, Anatoli did not see a single
person using it. Use of the machines is based on the principle, “if you see a
machine that’s available, take it”. There was not a lot of time for washing or
ironing clothes.
Fortunately, on this cruise there was no
occasion when formal uniforms were required. The winter order of uniforms was
in effect. This consisted of ODU
trousers, t-shirts, hoodies, or the fleece liner jacket, which has a rank tab
on it, so in that case you will clearly see who has what rank. Hoodies are
practical, foldable, and easily combined with a harder parka or
winter coat. Hoodies are also a matter of pride, showing the person's unit
or place (cutter, base, or team). The hoodies must be either dark Navy or
black in color. They are easily and quickly washable.
As an interpreter assigned to a cutter, it is best to
pack light and pack to keep warm. Anatoli
brought a couple of light soft-sided military duffel type bags. He was wise to
avoid hard-sided luggage or shell-like luggage.
When he was going up or down a ladder on the boat, Anatoli was grateful
to avoid having to hold onto his luggage and could just toss it up or down
without fear of it breaking or cracking against the hard deck or floor.
Once onboard, unless invited by the chiefs or officers,
interpreters will be assigned to eat with the crew. Anatoli was scheduled in
with the crew and at least once a week was assigned to a cleanup squad. This
consisted of being handed mops and towels, or other cleaning tools with which to
clean and sanitize the mess and kitchen area.
The cutter is a busy place. There is constant noise on
the cutter. There is not a lot of leisure. Weekends are generally observed and
constitute the bulk of the leisure time, subject to whether you are on duty or
on watch. During one of the weekend periods, Anatoli made a presentation on the
history of the indigenous tribes of Alaska. He also taught some of the younger
crew members how to play Chinese checkers. These activities proved very popular
with the crew. The morale of the crew is a very important component of any
mission. If you can contribute to it based on your specific skills, you should
do so. Depending on the details of a particular patrol and on the availability
of time, there may be opportunities for an interpreter to qualify in other
Auxiliary skills or certain required qualification tasks. Depending on the
details of a particular patrol and on the availability of time, there may be
opportunities for an interpreter to qualify in other Auxiliary skills or
certain required qualification tasks.
A big element of morale occurs when the cruise crosses
the Arctic Circle. There is a special
initiation for those who are crossing the Circle at sea for the first time.
These individuals are called “Bluenoses” and they go through this ritual to
become “Polar Bears”. Each cutter has its own type of initiation, and the
details are not to be revealed. However,
Anatoli did share that the initiation was not a one-day thing, or maybe not
even a two-day thing and it involved water – and maybe not warm water.
When the cutter is in an Arctic environment, the crew are
generally always inside the cutter unless there is a need to be on deck to
fulfill a particular task. The
goal is to keep the crew safe and generally out of extremely cold weather. Any
boarding party leaving the cutter had to be attired in special dry suits up to
their necks, PFDs, helmets, and well insulated clothing and hats. While crew
members are inside the cutter, they can often not tell what the outside
temperature is. It is possible, however,
to guess the height of the waves and swells from the heaving of the floor. According
to a recent statement from the Stratton, at one point in its patrol, while
heading north to the Arctic in rough seas, “the sea spray reached as high as Stratton’s mast, which is
nearly 150 feet tall.” During the period
of Anatoli’s deployment, there was an occasion when the cutter was
experiencing calmer seas, and he could go on deck to take a few pictures. He
also had the opportunity to see the Northern Lights.
Anatoli left the patrol back at Dutch Harbor on
October 22, at which time another Auxiliary interpreter came on board. There
had been some other temporarily assigned duty personnel on board on the cutter as
well, so to mark the farewells, the captain assembled the crew on the deck and then
made several presentations. The captain presented
Anatoli with one of his personal challenge coins and the chiefs presented one
of their own. Getting a challenge coin
is a big thing and part of an honored tradition. Anatoli has also created his
own challenge coin to commemorate his trip to the Arctic and his crossing of
the Arctic Circle. After leaving the cutter, he had a couple of weekend days during
which he could see a bit of Dutch Harbor. He then flew back to Anchorage. The
flight back took place unfortunately in some rather bad weather.
The US-Russia Maritime Border is approximately 1700
miles in length. Cutter patrols of this area are a necessary part of the
protection of our national sovereignty and of preservation of the cooperative
relationship between the United States Coast Guard and the Russian Border
Guard. The deployment of interpreters on board cutters in this area is an
important asset for these patrols. We are grateful to Anatoli and to all
Auxiliary interpreters, for their willingness to volunteer for this task.
