KODIAK, Alaska   –   Alaska National Guardsmen from the 176th Wing and the 207th Aviation Troop Command, based out of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, kicked off the initial phase of Kodiak Arctic Care ‘24 by flying equipment and personnel to Kodiak, Alaska, May 6.
 
Scheduled for May 9-21, the Kodiak Arctic Care is part of the DoD-sponsored Innovative Readiness Training program and plans to deliver no-cost medical, dental, optometry and veterinary services to Kodiak Island residents without regular access to comprehensive medical care. 
 
Service members from the Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and active duty, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Naval Reserve, U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Public Health Service are scheduled to provide medical services at seven sites across the Kodiak Island Borough: Kodiak, Port Lions, Ouzinkie, Larsen Bay, Karluk, Old Harbor, and Akhiok.
 
Servicemembers will work closely with the Kodiak Area Native Association as well as other regional and community partners. 
 
As part of the advanced echelon, Alaska Air National Guard aerial transport specialists assigned to the 176th Logistics Readiness Squadron worked with a C-17 Globemaster III aircrew from the 144th Airlift Squadron to transport essential gear, medical equipment and personnel from JBER to Kodiak.
 
In addition, Alaska Army National Guard aviators staged three UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters at Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak. The Black Hawks will transport medical personnel and equipment to each of the care sites throughout the mission.
 
The DoD IRT program is exclusive to the United States and its territories and delivers joint training opportunities to increase deployment readiness. The IRT program provides key services, such as health care, construction, transportation, and cybersecurity, to U.S. communities.