News

176th Wing flies last Pave Hawk mission, fully transitions to Jolly Green
August 12, 2026 — 176th Wing flies last Pave Hawk mission, fully transitions to Jolly Green... MORE

Alaska National Guard rescues crash victim near Trapper Joe Lake
August 11, 2026 — Alaska National Guard rescues crash victim near Trapper Joe Lake... MORE

Kang succeeds Mortrud as 38th Troop Command commander
August 11, 2026 — Kang succeeds Mortrud as 38th Troop Command commander... MORE

SOCNORTH Pioneers Augmented Reality Tele-Mentoring (ARTM) Technology to Bring Surgical Expertise to the Battlefield
August 5, 2026 — U.S. Special Operations Command North, supported by NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, is pioneering a new technology designed to project life-saving surgical expertise to the most austere, isolated environments on the globe. The Augmented Reality Tele-mentoring (ARTM) system was recently demonstrated for U.S. Army Col. Matthew Tucker, SOCNORTH Commander, and U.S. Army Col. Ted Brown, U.S. Northern Command Surgeon, highlighting its strategic value for future operations. ... MORE

Man demonstrating Augmented Reality Tele-mentoring (ARTM) system

A return to Normandy
July 8, 2026 — For more than 80 years, C-47 Skytrain tail number 42-100857 has connected generations of Airmen. On June 6, 1944, the aircraft carried American paratroopers into Normandy during Operation Overlord, one of history's defining airborne assaults. After D-Day, 42-100857 continued supporting airborne, airlift and glider operations across Europe through the end of World War II. The aircraft eventually found a second life in Alaska, transitioning from wartime service to civil airlift and search-and-rescue operations as a DC-3. ... MORE

Combat rescue officers and pararescuemen of 212th Rescue Squadron stand in front of a 211th Rescue Squadron HC-130J Combat King II combat search and rescue aircraft during the 82nd D-Day anniversary in Normandy, France. The Alaska Air National Guard Airmen jumped with the Air Force and U.S. Army to commemorate the cross-channel invasion.

Alaska National Guard rescues 4 in 4 missions during July 4 weekend
July 8, 2026 — Soldiers and Airmen of the Alaska National Guard executed four missions to save four people over the July 4 holiday weekend. Maj. Kody Schmidt, Alaska Rescue Coordination Center senior controller, said the first mission opened following a request from the Alaska State Troopers (AST) for a hoist-capable helicopter to rescue a critically ill patient from a remote residence on the Kantishna River west of Cantwell. ... MORE

Alaska connection comes full circle during Area Support Group Balkans assumption of command
July 2, 2026 — A decades-long connection between Alaska and Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, came full circle June 29 as Alaska Army National Guard Col. Kurt Rorvik assumed command of Area Support Group-Balkans during a ceremony presided over by Maj. Gen. Michael Lalor, commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command. For Rorvik, whose previous assignment was deputy chief of staff and senior Guard advisor for Alaskan Command at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, the assignment carries a unique significance. Camp Bondsteel is named for Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sgt. James L. Bondsteel, who retired from the Army at Fort Richardson, remained in Alaska following his military service and is buried at Fort Richardson National Cemetery. As he prepared to assume command in Kosovo, Rorvik reflected on that connection... MORE

Camp Bondsteel, headquarters of Area Support Balkans and NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) Regional Command-East, is named in honor of Bondsteel, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War.

Alaska Air Guard pararescue save pilot near Knik Glacier
May 13, 2026 — Alaska Air Guard pararescue save pilot near Knik Glacier... MORE

A man wearing camouflage fatigues holding up an IV bottle.

Army Guard offers full-ride scholarships for college-bound Alaskans
May 12, 2026 — Army Guard offers full-ride scholarships for college-bound Alaskans... MORE

Alaska Army National Guard CH-47 crews support Denali Base Camp establishment
April 23, 2026 — An Alaska Army National Guard CH-47F Chinook helicopter lifted off from Talkeetna with a load calculated down to the pound. Carrying more than 5,500 pounds of cargo and equipment, its destination was Denali Base Camp at 7,200 feet on the Kahiltna Glacier where there are no runways and little margin for error. The mission was straightforward in purpose but demanding in execution: deliver critical equipment into one of the most remote operating environments in North America in support of the National Park Service at Denali National Park and Preserve ahead of the climbing season on Mount McKinley. ... MORE

Alaska Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook aircrew members and National Park Service personnel assigned to Denali National Park and Preserve’s Denali Rescue Team pose for a photo at Denali Base Camp on the Kahiltna Glacier, April 14, 2026. Alaska Army National Guard and active-duty CH-47 crews delivered cargo to support the establishment of base camp operations ahead of the climbing season on Mount McKinley, demonstrating heavy-lift capability in a high-altitude environment.