[1][2][3] Wind-class icebreakers had hulls of unprecedented strength and structural integrity, with a relatively short length in proportion to the great power developed, a cut away forefoot, rounded bottom, and fore, aft and side heeling tanks.

deck gun and three quad-mounted Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft autocannons when in Navy service, and unarmed for the Coast Guard.

From April 1948 to December 1956, Burton Island participated in 19 Arctic and Alaskan cruises, including Operation Windmill.

During Operation Windmill in the Antarctic, Burton Island was the flagship of Gerald L. Ketchum, commander of Task Force 39.

In February 1958, Burton Island assisted Sōya, which had become iced in near Antarctica carrying a replacement crew of Japanese geophysical researchers.

A helicopter carried out the original crew, stranded at the Japanese base at Showa Station, but was forced to leave 15 dogs behind, including Taro and Jiro, who survived an Antarctic winter without human accompaniment.

In the operations, Burton Island was responsible for creating and maintaining aids to navigation, clearing channels through the ice for supply vessels, laying cables, delivering and dispatching the U.S. Mail at remote stations and vessels, search and rescue, fisheries patrol, law enforcement, and giving dental and medical treatment at remote Native Alaskan communities.

In addition to Deep Freeze operations, Burton Island served as a floating platform for scientific surveys and research around Alaska and other isolated polar areas.

From November 1970 to April 1971 she participated in Operation Deep Freeze 1971 and again her accompanying icebreaker USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278) was disabled.