An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

NEWS | Jan. 19, 2022

Arctic Guardians support response to Yakutat local disaster

By David Bedard 176th Wing Public Affairs

Alaska Air National Guardsmen of the 176th Wing worked late into the night of Jan. 11 to ensure 20 Alaska National Guard Soldiers and Airmen were ready to depart JBER on a 211th Rescue Squadron HC-130J Combat King II Jan. 12 for the Southeast Alaska community of Yakutat.
 
The region received tremendous amounts of snow and rain over the previous seven days, prompting a local disaster declaration.

The day prior, Yakutat submitted a declaration of local disaster emergency to the state, and requested assistance with the community’s ongoing emergency. Given the fact that the community is isolated and off the road system, and all local available resources have been exhausted, the State Emergency Operations Center requested Alaska National Guard support.

Lt. Col. Hannah Sims, 176th Force Support Squadron commander, said her unit was instrumental in collecting names of volunteers and processing Active Guard Reserve Airmen before preparing their scheduled relief team of Airmen on state active duty orders.

“Initially, this was an immediate-response authority under which we are only sending out full-time personnel,” she said. “So, all eight of the 176th Wing members who went out the door to Yakutat are AGR personnel, but immediate-response authority only lasts for 72 hours, so Saturday we will be swapping them out for a new request to continue to have 10 Air Guard personnel volunteers out there on state active duty orders.”
 
Sims explained state active duty orders are necessary to pay Airmen and provide them proper authority while supporting a disaster that isn’t under federal jurisdiction.
 
“State active duty is for a state-requested response for a domestic operation, in this case helping out Yakutat with snow removal,” she said. “That’s juxtaposed with Title 32 orders that would be for other state training missions or Title 10 federal orders for federal mission support.”
 
Master Sgt. Santiago Maya, 176th Logistics Readiness Squadron Air Terminal Function superintendent of operations, said the 176th LRS ATF was key in getting the team south to Yakutat with their own ground transportation.
 
“Our involvement as the air terminal function was to deploy assets down to Yakutat to help assist with the weather they are having down there,” he said. “Our primary focus with the ATF was to joint inspect cargo that was designated to go down, which was a truck with 20 passengers.”
 
Maya said 176th LRS worked a long day following notification of the mission.
 
“We got the tasking around [4 p.m.], and once all the gears and wheels started getting into motion, we had everything completed by 10:30 [p.m.] local and then bright and early in the morning to get everything uploaded,” he said. “So it was a long night, early morning, but it worked out, which is great.”
 
Maj. Chris Brunner, 211th Rescue Squadron HC-130 aircraft commander, said, though he is accustomed to “hiccups” during a routine mission, there were zero issues with this load.
 
“We showed up, and the LRS and the supporting agencies had everything up and running,” he said. “The Army folks that we were delivering seemed super excited and appreciative.”

Guard members serving on Joint Task Force-Yakutat provided building safety assessments and emergency snow removal for several facilities in the community. Following the hazardous winter weather and heavy snowfall there was significant building damage and continued risk of unsafe conditions.
Bethel Readiness Center dedicated to local veteran, distinguished leader in community
March 19, 2024
Bethel Readiness Center dedicated to local veteran, distinguished leader in community

Alaska, Maine Guard Conduct Disaster Preparation Exercise
March 13, 2024
Alaska and Maine National Guardsmen offload from a 176th Wing C-17 Globemaster III while supporting Exercise Vigilant Guard 2024-2 (Alaska) at Merle K. “Mudhole” Smith Airport, Cordova, Alaska, March 5, 2024.

Alaska Air National Guardsman volunteers as JROTC drill judge
February 22, 2024
Alaska Air National Guardsman volunteers as JROTC drill judge

Bison Company’s cold weather training triumphs in Bethel
February 7, 2024
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.

Alaska Naval Militia, U.S. Navy Reserve pay tribute to S-26 submariners
January 24, 2024
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.

Aircraft maintenance Airmen critical part of Pave Hawk transport mission
January 11, 2024
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.

Alaska National Guard's Operation Santa Claus spreads holiday cheer to remote communities
December 5, 2023
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 Military Youth Academy honored with Gold Pan Award
November 22, 2023
The Anchorage Chamber of Commerce hosted the 66th Annual Gold Pan Awards on Nov. 17, 2023, at the Dena'ina Center in Anchorage.

Alaska National Guard's Operation Santa Claus makes a lifesaving detour
November 16, 2023
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

Cadets soar in Civil Air Patrol search and rescue exercise
November 13, 2023
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.