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Maj. Daniel Klinkner, left, and Staff Sgt. Cidjomor Fischer furl the company colors during the 2nd Battalion, 641st Aviation Regiment casing ceremony at the unit's aircraft hangar on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, July 9, 2021. The traditional casing ceremony was held as the unit prepares to leave for the mobilization station at Fort Bliss, Texas, prior to deployment overseas. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Victoria Granado)

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Maj. Daniel Klinkner, left, and Staff Sgt. Cidjomor Fischer furl the company colors during the 2nd Battalion, 641st Aviation Regiment casing ceremony at the unit's aircraft hangar on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, July 9, 2021. The traditional casing ceremony was held as the unit prepares to leave for the mobilization station at Fort Bliss, Texas, prior to deployment overseas. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Victoria Granado)

Maj. Daniel Klinkner, left, and Staff Sgt. Cidjomor Fischer furl the company colors during the 2nd Battalion, 641st Aviation Regiment casing ceremony at the unit's aircraft hangar on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, July 9, 2021. The traditional casing ceremony was held as the unit prepares to leave for the mobilization station at Fort Bliss, Texas, prior to deployment overseas. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Victoria Granado)

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Maj. Daniel Klinkner, left, and Staff Sgt. Cidjomor Fischer furl the company colors during the 2nd Battalion, 641st Aviation Regiment casing ceremony at the unit's aircraft hangar on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, July 9, 2021. The traditional casing ceremony was held as the unit prepares to leave for the mobilization station at Fort Bliss, Texas, prior to deployment overseas. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Victoria Granado)

Sgt. Annalisa Copeland holds the company colors while Maj. Daniel Klinkner shares his remarks during the 2nd Battalion, 641st Aviation Regiment casing ceremony at the unit's aircraft hangar on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, July 9, 2021. The traditional casing ceremony was held as the unit prepares to leave for the mobilization station at Fort Bliss, Texas, prior to deployment overseas. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Victoria Granado)

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Sgt. Annalisa Copeland holds the company colors while Maj. Daniel Klinkner shares his remarks during the 2nd Battalion, 641st Aviation Regiment casing ceremony at the unit's aircraft hangar on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, July 9, 2021. The traditional casing ceremony was held as the unit prepares to leave for the mobilization station at Fort Bliss, Texas, prior to deployment overseas. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Victoria Granado)

Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 641st Aviation Regiment stand for the National Anthem during a casing ceremony at the unit's aircraft hangar on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, July 9, 2021. The traditional casing ceremony was held as the unit prepares to leave for the mobilization station at Fort Bliss, Texas, prior to deployment overseas. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Victoria Granado)

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Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 641st Aviation Regiment stand for the National Anthem during a casing ceremony at the unit's aircraft hangar on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, July 9, 2021. The traditional casing ceremony was held as the unit prepares to leave for the mobilization station at Fort Bliss, Texas, prior to deployment overseas. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Victoria Granado)

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – Five Alaska Army National Guard Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 641st Aviation Regiment, left for Fort Bliss, Texas in preparation for an upcoming deployment overseas. The unit will depart later this month for their deployed location in support of Operation Spartan Shield.

During the deployment, the Guardsmen will be operating C-12 Huron aircraft, providing essential cargo and personnel transport in support of the CENTCOM combatant commander and commanders of all service branches and joint agencies within the region.

“We’re going to be providing transportation support,” said Maj. Daniel Klinkner, the commander of Charlie Company, 2-641st Aviation Regiment, Alaska Army National Guard. “If anybody needs to move around the area of operations, the request will come through us.”

For the last year, the Guardsmen have been conducting aircrew flight training in preparation for the deployment. This training included passenger and cargo transportation missions across Alaska and the continental United States.

Despite members of the unit deploying, the Alaska Army National Guard will maintain C-12 Huron flight operations for all Department of Defense organizations within the state of Alaska.

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HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter with the Alaska Army National Guard Golf Company, 2-211th, General Support Aviation Battalion

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An Alaska Army National Guard UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter assigned to 207th Aviation Troop Command operates near Ladd Army Airfield Aug. 3., 2023 in support of wildland fire suppression across Interior Alaska. During fire suppression operations, the UH-60 employs a Bambi Bucket filled with approximately 630 gallons of water from a nearby lake. The Alaska Army National Guard deployed the UH-60 and air crew July 31, 2023 after receiving a resource request from the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection routed through the State Emergency Operations Center.

176th Air Defense Squadron surveillance technician competes in arctic triathlon
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Alaska Military Youth Academy

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Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Grunst parachutes into his retirement ceremony July 21, 2023, at Camp Carroll on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Grunst joined the Alaska Army National Guard in 1989 and finished his 34-year career as the G3 operations sergeant major for the AKARNG.

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Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe, adjutant general of
the Alaska National Guard and commissioner
of the Department of Military and Veterans
Affairs, stands with friends and brothers in
arms of Specialist Four Harmon in front of the
new Kodiak Reediness Center sign July 27,
2023, in Kodiak, Alaska.

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Alaska National Guard kicks off IRT project in support of Shepard Point oil spill response site