Alaska National Guard

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Members of the Alaska State Defense Force work as traffic safety officers during the Arctic Winter Games on March 12, 2024. ASDF members come from a variety of employment backgrounds and many of them have served in uniform. They bring a host of skillsets from their military and civilian experiences that make them effective volunteers for events like the AWG. (Alaska National Guard courtesy photo)

Alaska State Defense Force volunteerism shines at Mat-Su Arctic Winter Games

By By Seth LaCount | April 24, 2024

Members of the Alaska State Defense Force assisted their local Mat-Su area community by volunteering at the Arctic Winter Games March 10-16, 2024...

A student from Orion Elementary School sits in a Alaska Army National Guard UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter while participating in educational activities celebrating Earth Day at Camp Denali on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, April 22, 2024. The Alaska National Guard hosted Earth Day educational activities that explored ways to support the environment on and off military installations as well as motivate the children to make a positive change in the world. (Alaska National Guard photo by Seth LaCount)

First annual AKNG Earth Day inspires youth, brings awareness to military’s role in conservation

By By Seth LaCount | April 24, 2024

On a sunny, spring morning in Anchorage, more than 100 students from Orion and Aurora Elementary Schools visited Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson’s Camp Denali for the Alaska National Guard’s first annual Earth Day event,...

An Alaska Army National Guard UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter assigned to the 207th Aviation Troop Command performs a defensive maneuver while evading a simulated aerial threat during the Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course 2-24 near Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., March 28, 2024. During the first half of the seven-week school, two Army Black Hawk aircrews have flown an intensive schedule of simulated combat missions with U.S., allied and opposing force fixed wing and rotary aircraft. The training iteration marked the first time that conventional U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk aircrews participated in the highly competitive and rigorous joint training course that integrates all Marine aviation assets, ground forces, command and control systems, logistics and air defense. (Alaska National Guard photo by Alejandro Peña)

Alaska National Guard team marks a first for Army aviation

By Balinda O’Neal | April 23, 2024

Aviators from the Alaska Army National Guard recently graduated from the Marine Corps Weapons and Tactics Instructor course, April 22, marking a significant moment in the evolution of Army-wide aviation readiness.Their...

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – Alaska Air National Guard 1st Lt. Laurel Foster, 176th Force Support Squadron Force Development and Education officer, speaks with Service High School Navy Junior ROTC cadets and retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Tom Foust (right), naval science instructor, April 17, 2024, at the school’s Anchorage campus. Foster is an alumnus of the Service HS NJROTC program. (Alaska Air National Guard photo by David Bedard)

Alaska Air National Guard officer shares story with Service High JROTC

By David Bedard | April 22, 2024

Alaska Air National Guard officer shares story with Service High JROTC...

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – A 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk takes off from JBER for a Jan. 9, 2024, training mission. Alaska Air National Guardsmen of 210th, 211th, and 212th Rescue Squadrons rescued six stranded skiers April 19, 2024, at Harding Icefield within Kenai Fjords National Park. (Alaska Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Joseph Moon)

Alaska Air National Guard rescues stranded skiers at Kenai Fjords National Park

By National Park Service news release | April 22, 2024

Alaska Air National Guard rescues stranded skiers at Kenai Fjords National Park...

Students and staff from the Kusilvak Career Academy walk onto a HC-130J Combat King II during a tour given by the Alaska Air National Guard on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, April 5, 2024. Aviation, maintenance and search and rescue personnel from the 176th Wing guided the students through each aircraft and answered questions ranging from deployment experience to the price of each aircraft. (Alaska National Guard photo by Seth LaCount)

Expanding horizons: Kusilvak Career Academy students tour Air National Guard facilities

By By Seth LaCount | April 9, 2024

Approximately 26 students from the Kusilvak Career Academy toured Alaska Air National Guard facilities on Thursday, April 4, 2024. The tour was an effort between the AKANG and the academy to present opportunities for high...

First annual AKNG Earth Day inspires youth, brings awareness to military’s role in conservation

Alaska State Defense Force volunteerism shines at Mat-Su Arctic Winter Games

A U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom helicopter, left, assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One, and Alaska Army National Guard UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters assigned to the 207th Aviation Troop Command, conduct flight operations during the Weapons and Tactics Instructor course 2-24 near Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., April 3, 2024.

U.S. Army and Marine Corps forge joint efforts to enhance aviation tactics

Kusilvak Career Academy students tour Air National Guard facilities

A selfless effort: Alaska National Guard teen wins NG Youth Volunteer of the Year award

Bethel Readiness Center dedicated to local veteran, distinguished leader in community

Alaska Air National Guardsman volunteers as JROTC drill judge

Bison Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, demonstrated readiness and resilience during their cold weather training in Bethel, Alaska, February 2-4, 2024.
This training marked a significant reunion for the Alaska Army National Guard infantry unit in Bethel, emphasizing the city's importance as a training ground that challenges Soldiers to adapt and excel in real-world scenarios.

Bison Company’s cold weather training triumphs in Bethel

In a solemn gathering at the U.S. Navy Reserve Center on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, sailors from the Alaska Naval Militia and U.S. Navy Reserve assembled Jan. 24, to pay homage to their fallen comrades lost 82 years ago.

Alaska Naval Militia, U.S. Navy Reserve pay tribute to S-26 submariners

Airmen from the Alaska Air National Guard 176th Aircraft Maintenance from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and the active duty 718th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron from Kadena Air Base, Japan, conducted a joint operation to transport an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter from Bethel to JBER in early January 2024.

Aircraft maintenance Airmen critical part of Pave Hawk transport mission

Alaska Air National Guard pilots 1st Lt. Skylar Caldwell, left, and Capt. Gerren Blair, and loadmaster, Tech Sgt. John Teamer II, enjoy time with Santa and Mrs. Claus while flying the festive couple to Bethel during Operation Santa Claus Nov. 15, 2023.

Alaska National Guard's Operation Santa Claus spreads holiday cheer to remote communities

The Anchorage Chamber of Commerce hosted the 66th Annual Gold Pan Awards on Nov. 17, 2023, at the Dena'ina Center in Anchorage.

Alaska Military Youth Academy honored with Gold Pan Award

From the left, Holly Demert and Clifton Dalton, both flight paramedics with LifeMed, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Bryan Kruse, Bethel Army Aviation Operating Facility commander, move a critically ill patient from an AKARNG UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter to an ambulance during a medical evacuation from Napaskiak to Bethel, Nov. 15, 2023

Alaska Army Guard medevacs patient from Napaskiak

Civil Air Patrol Lt. Col. Stephen Sammons, left, Alaska Wing emergency services officer, instructs CAP cadets from the Southcentral Region where to find an Emergency Locator Transmitter onboard a Cessna 172 aircraft during a three-day training event Nov. 4, 2023, at the Birchwood Airport in Chugiak, Alaska.

Cadets soar in Civil Air Patrol search and rescue exercise

Alaska Army National Guard Capt. Michael Thrall, left, outgoing commander, and 1st Sgt. Bethany Amarone, outgoing noncommissioned officer in charge, both assigned to the 297th Military Police Company, retire the colors of the unit’s flag as part of a deactivation ceremony for the company at the Alcantra Armory in Wasilla, Alaska, Nov. 2, 2023.

AKARNG "Wolf Gang" Military Police Company deactivates, ushering in new detachment

Alaska Army National Guard 1st Sgt. Oliver Meza, Bravo Company first sergeant, shows off his unit’s patch during a deployment ceremony where family members, friends, and fellow Guardsmen came together to pay tribute to Soldiers of B Co., 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, at the Alaska National Guard Armory on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Sept. 29, 2023.

Alaska Army National Guard’s Bison Company set to deploy to Middle East

Alaska Army National Guard Sgt. David Kocur, a horizontal construction engineer assigned to the 910th Engineer Support Company, operates a grader to create a broad flat foundation on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Aug. 8, 2023.

910th Engineers construct new ground

Retired U.S. Navy Chief Warrant Officer 4 Solomon Atkinson, center, is greeted by Verdie Bowen, right, the director of the Alaska Office of Veterans Affairs, and escorted by son-in-law Franklin Hayward before receiving the Alaska Governor’s Veteran Advocacy Award during a ceremony in Metlakatla, Alaska, Dec. 10, 2018.

Navy celebrates Sol Atkinson for legacy of service to country, Alaskan veterans, community

Warriors of the Tundra: Bison Company Infantryman Enhance Arctic Combat Readiness in Bethel, Alaska

Feb. 7, 2024 | 1:18

Approximately 30 Alaska Army National Guard Infantryman assigned to Bison Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment consolidated in Bethel, Alaska for February drill weekend to conduct cold weather integration training Feb. 2-4, 2024. The Soldiers trained across the Bethel landscape of frozen tundra to enhance their ability to fight in an arctic environment and properly use their cold weather equipment in harsh conditions that reached -30 degrees Fahrenheit. The infantry unit engaged in realistic training exercises that rigorously tested their field-craft skills, individual movement over arctic terrain, and arctic transportation proficiency.

Operation Santa Claus: Uniting Alaska's Communities through Joy and Hope

Dec. 22, 2023 | 3:46

In its 68th year, the Alaska National Guard's annual community outreach program, Operation Santa Claus, continues to bring the magic of the season to the remote communities of Fort Yukon, Golovin, Koyuk, and Tuluksak. In partnership with the Salvation Army, the program delivered gifts and tidings of good cheer to approximately 560 children. The video highlights the annual Operation Santa Claus, a collaborative effort between The Salvation Army and the Alaska National Guard, spreading joy to communities across Alaska during the Christmas season. The Salvation Army collects, wraps, and packs gifts for children, and the Alaska National Guard plays a crucial role in transportation, logistics, and planning. Video by Alaska National Guard public affairs 1st Lt. Balinda O'Neal, Staff Sgt. Katie Mazos-Vega, Staff Sgt. Seth LaCount and Mr. Dana Rosso.

Alaska Army National Guardsmen with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, and their families were honored during a deployment ceremony at the Alaska National Guard Armory on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Sept. 29, 2023. Approximately 100 Soldiers are deploying to the Middle East for nine months in support of Operation Spartan Shield.

Honoring commitment: Bravo Company deployment ceremony

Oct. 3, 2023 | 2:02

Alaska Army National Guardsmen with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, and their families were honored during a deployment ceremony at the Alaska National Guard Armory on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Sept. 29, 2023. Approximately 100 Soldiers are deploying to the Middle East for nine months in support of Operation Spartan Shield.

Laying The Groundwork: 910th ESC Annual Training 2023

Aug. 16, 2023 | 2:06

Alaska Army National Guard Horizontal Construction Engineer Soldiers assigned to the 910th Engineer Support Company utilize various heavy equipment to level a field as part of their annual training near Bryant Army Airfield on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Aug. 13-16, 2023. Horizontal Construction Engineers operate heavy construction equipment like bulldozers, tractors, backhoes, cranes, excavators, and road graders to help pave the way for their fellow Soldiers and to make room for construction projects (U.S. Army video by Sgt. Seth LaCount)

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Warriors of the Tundra: Bison Company Infantryman Enhance Arctic Combat Readiness in Bethel, Alaska

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Operation Santa Claus: Uniting Alaska's Communities through Joy and Hope

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Honoring commitment: Bravo Company deployment ceremony

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Laying The Groundwork: 910th ESC Annual Training 2023

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