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297TH Regional Support Group prepares to be the first National Guard unit to take over base operations in Poland
May 28, 2020 — Alaska Army National Guard 297th Regional Support Group (RSG) completed pre-mobilization training to be the first National Guard unit to take on the mission of base support operations in Poland at Fort Hood, Texas, May 27, 2020. The 120th Infantry Brigade from Fort Hood, Texas, put the Alaskans to the test, seeing how they would react to different... MORE

Alaska Army National Guard Sergeant Charles Medlin, 297th Regional Support Group, works with Sergeant 1st. Class Arthur Washington,120th Headquarters, Headquarters company Infantry Battalion, to go over his chaplain assistant duties while in Poland at Fort Hood, Texas, May 25, 2020. Chaplains Assistants are responsible for working with Soldiers in regards to their individual faiths, and making sure their religious needs are met. (U.S. Army National Guard Photo by SGT Heidi Kroll)

Refilling the life supply: Alaska National Guard and Blood Bank of Alaska hold blood drive at AKNG armory
May 27, 2020 — More than 30 Alaska National Guard Soldiers and Airmen, Alaska State Defense Force Soldiers, and other DMVA personnel volunteered to give blood at the National Guard Armory here yesterday in coordination with the Blood Bank of Alaska.The blood drive was led by Lt. Col. Joseph Gerace, the 49th Brigade, Medical Detachment Commander of the ASDF, under... MORE

Alaska Army National Guard Capt. James Tollefson, an operations plans officer with Joint Task Force-Alaska, donates blood at the Guard Armory on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, May 26, 2020. Blood donation centers have been impacted by a lack of donors during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the need for blood, plasma and platelets continue to be critically needed for many medical services. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Seth LaCount/Released)

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Staff Sgt. Bethany Hendren completes 100 mile BOSS challenge while preparing for deployment
May 21, 2020 — Alaska Army National Guard Staff Sergeant Bethany Hendren completed her 100-mile run in a month challenge with the 297th Regional Support Group surrounding her at Fort Hood, Texas, May 22, 2020. Hendren is currently at Fort Hood in preparation for deployment to Poland with the 297th Regional Support Group, an Alaska Army National Guard... MORE

Alaska Army National Guard Staff Sergeant Bethany Hendren completes her 100 mile challenge at Fort Hood, Texas, May 22, 2020. She is surrounded by her Guard family members from the 297th Regional Support Group as she prepares for mobilization to Poland later this year. (U.S. Army National Guard Photo by SGT Heidi Kroll)

Wings and Blades of Hope
May 18, 2020 — In the case of the HH-60 Pave Hawk and HC-130J Combat King II combat search and rescue aircraft, the first “H” stands for “help.”Both machines and crews, of the Alaska Air National Guard’s 210th and 212th rescue squadrons respectively, provide that help by training every day for their combat mission of going behind enemy lines and inserting... MORE

Alaska Air National Guard Loadmasters aboard a HC-130J Combat King II observe an HH-60 Pave Hawk as it prepares for an aerial refueling. The 176th Wing conducted the first of the flyovers for Alaska. The Salute to Alaska flyovers were an approved training mission and part of the Air Force Salutes initiative designed to show appreciation to the heroes around the world battling the pandemic, and to lift morale in communities across America. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Victoria Granado/Released)

Frag Out! Alaska Air Guard PJs throw grenades with Geronimo Soldiers
April 30, 2020 — As April came to a close amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. military in Alaska continued to makes strides toward maintaining mission readiness.On April 29, in a Joint effort with U.S. Army Alaska’s 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, 14 pararescuemen (PJs) from the Alaska Air National Guard’s 212th Rescue Squadron used the Small Arms... MORE

An Alaska Air National Guard pararescueman assigned to the 212th Rescue Squadron hits his mark using an M67 fragmentation grenade, sending a rubber tire flying through the air at the Small Arms Complex on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Apr. 29, 2020. 14 AKANG PJs used the grenade range run U.S. Army paratroopers (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Seth LaCount/Released)

Joint Task Force-Logistics team helps in Alaska National Guard response to COVID-19
April 28, 2020 — The Alaska National Guard Joint Task Force-Logistics team is supporting three mission assignments for the State Emergency Operations Center and is continuing a coordinated response to assist the state during the COVID-19 pandemic.The team is in charge of sourcing and disseminating equipment and available personnel internally to support entities... MORE

Members of the Alaska National Guard's Joint Task Force-Logistics team work hard to ensure community requests for assistance are fulfilled by resourcing needed equipment and personnel at the Alaska National Guard armory April 28, 2020. The Joint Task Force was stood up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that the members of the Alaska National Guard are ready to respond when needed. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Grace Nechanicky/Released)

Proactive Posture and Partnership The formation of Joint Task Force-Alaska and its preparation to help tackle COVID-19
April 17, 2020 — President James Buchanan told 19th century Americans that “the test of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there.”More than a month has passed since President Donald Trump issued a national emergency declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic. Though Alaska remains a state with one of the... MORE

On Call and Always Ready: The Alaska Naval Militia
April 14, 2020 — On March 24, 1989, a man-made disaster shocked the 49th state.The Exxon Valdez oil tanker had run aground, spilling more than 10.8 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound. More than 1,300 miles of coastline were slicked with the greasy substance affecting all manner of wildlife.The ramifications would be felt for decades, but state... MORE

Sailors on State Active Duty Orders for the Alaska Naval Militia pose for a group photo in the National Guard Armory at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, April 14, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Victoria Granado/Released)

The 49th State’s defense force: key ally for AKNG in fight against COVID-19
April 13, 2020 — Alaska’s geography, land mass and weather create a unique challenge in combatting the state’s more common natural disasters like earthquakes, fires and floods. So how much more is that challenge accentuated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic?There simply aren’t enough law enforcement officials, firefighters or others employed in the field of domestic... MORE

Members of the Alaska State Defense Force and Alaska Army National Guard Soldiers set up tables to screen incoming travelers before coming into Alaska at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Apr. 6, 2020. "It's great to work alongside the folks at the ASDF," said Pfc. Connor Sheehan, an AKARNG signal specialist. "The prior service connection has definitely made for a positive experience for me, and it's great to be out here helping people who need it." (Courtesy photo)