ICE BREAKER LAUNCH - U.S. Coast guard photo

MARINETTE, Wisc. (Apr. 2, 2005) - The newest Coast Guard Cutter, a Great Lakes Ice Breaker (GLIB), falls from its cradle into the Menomonee River April 2. More than 60 years ago the first Mackinaw was launched on the Great Lakes and was tasked with many missions, one of the most important being ice breaking and keeping commerce moving on the lakes during the frozen winter months. This new cutter, the new Mackinaw, is a state of the art, 240-foot ice breaker/buoy tender, will carry on the traditions of the old Mackinaw as well as make quite a name for itself. The ?New Mack? is scheduled to be included in the Coast Guard fleet in late 2005. USCG photo by PA3 Allyson E. Taylor