Coast Guard Defends Helicopter Removal

Newport Fishermen's Wives board members, County Commissioner Walter Chuck, and lawyers

Proceedings continued in Federal Court in Eugene on Monday December 8th regarding the removal of the Coast Guard rescue helicopter from the Newport Airport. Most thought that the situation had been resolved after Senators Merkley and Wyden released a statement that after a call with Kevin Lunday, Acting Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard who reported that the coast guard helicopter stationed in Newport would not be removed. However the US Coast Guard released a legal brief that they intended to continue to fight the motion for a preliminary injunction to keep the helicopter stationed in Newport year round.

A substantial point of contention in this case is the Coast Guard's reassignment of the Newport-based helicopter to support border patrol duties at the southern U.S. border. According to Coast Guard testimony, ongoing personnel shortages and a national reallocation of resources led to the redeployment of helicopters—including the one stationed at Newport—for missions such as migrant interdiction and layered border defense. The October 29 memorandum, referenced in the proceedings, makes clear that the realignment of aviation assets served these broader federal objectives.

US Coast Guard Captain Reinhold provided video testimony that there are coast guard cutters that can be just as efficient in conducting at sea rescues as the helicopter. When questioned about the benefits to Search and Rescue (SAR) missions being more effective with the helicopter and the cutters Reinhold kept saying the boats are able to work just fine and can easily find someone in the water and retrieve them.

Captain Reinhold also referred to having personnel shortages and issues with helicopter maintenance as reasons for removing the helicopter. "We're seeing shortages all across our fleet, and that pertains to pilots as well as rescue swimmers." He said they are seeing less SAR requests nationwide. "So our cases are going down nationwide, and that's primarily because of mariner safety."

Federal Judge Ann Aiken questioned the defendants lawyer on the statute that was signed by President Trump that before any air station could be closed or a helicopter removed there were several steps that would need to be taken. She took a keen interest in ensuring compliance with the statute, reinforcing that the law was specifically enacted to prevent asset reallocation without due process. For now, the court extended a temporary restraining order for 14 more days, requiring the Coast Guard to maintain helicopter operations at Newport at historic levels. The judge will make a final decision on weather or not to extend the restaining order till the end of the court case.