JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska –
The Alaska Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion played a key role in developing the next generation of leaders through its support of the Junior ROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge program, held in two locations across the state from May 27–31.
The AKARNG RRB hosted the southcentral event at Camp Carroll on JBER, delivering hands-on leadership development and team-based challenges to cadets from multiple high schools. Simultaneously, Guard Soldiers from across the state participated in and supported the northern JCLC event in Fairbanks providing mentorship, aviation familiarization, and career pathway discussions to cadets attending from Interior communities.
The annual JCLC programs are designed to challenge cadets mentally and physically while fostering teamwork and reinforcing military values. This year’s events featured hands-on training, career briefings, and mentorship from Guard members and civilian partners.
In Anchorage, cadets took part in land navigation, obstacle courses, water survival training, and problem-solving tasks. The Alaska Air National Guard provided orientation flights, and the event culminated in a recognition ceremony and community BBQ hosted by the battalion.
Spc. Katlyn Olexa, an RRB recruiting assistant and former Bartlett High School JROTC cadet, attended JCLC in 2022. This year, she returned to the Anchorage event as a safety observer and mentor.
“Being on the other side of the uniform is a full-circle moment,” said Olexa, who enlisted in the AKARNG in December 2023 as a human resources specialist. “I remember looking up to the Soldiers who mentored me during JCLC. Now I get to be that example and help cadets see what’s possible.”
At Lost Lake Scout Camp, Interior cadets took part in high and low Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience courses, survival training, map reading, first aid, and a Senior Leadership Course for select participants. They also trained at Chisholm Lake with open water swims and canoe-over-canoe drills, and toured Ladd Army Airfield for a close-up look at the AKARNG’s HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter and learned about medevac missions and Army aviation careers.
Career engagement was a central theme in both locations. In Fairbanks, smoke jumpers with the Bureau of Land Management’s Alaska Fire Service shared how their military experiences shaped their transition to wildland firefighting. The Alaska Division of Forestry also participated, offering cadets insight into state-level civil service roles.
Pfc. Jack Warwick, who enlisted in the AKARNG in July 2024, served as a career mentor during the Fairbanks JCLC event through his civilian role as an emergency firefighter with the Alaska Division of Forestry. Warwick shared how his path – from college ROTC and summer firefighting to joining the Guard – reflects the value of service in multiple forms.
Warwick and fellow firefighter Zane Brown, a Navy veteran, demonstrated field gear and spoke to cadets about the similarities between firefighting and military life.
“Our goal was to show them how both careers require discipline, teamwork, and patience,” said Warwick. “Everything we do takes time, and the best way to tackle it is one day at a time.”
Though Warwick did not have access to JROTC in high school, he was involved with Civil Air Patrol, and said he sees tremendous value in programs like JCLC.
Events concluded with ceremonies that recognized cadet achievement and commitment. In Fairbanks, cadets participated in a formal flag retirement ceremony and the Raider Challenge—a competitive test of physical and mental strength—before graduating in front of family and mentors.
A total of 49 cadets participated in the Fairbanks-area event, representing Lathrop, North Pole, and West Valley High Schools.
Approximately 250 Cadets participated in the South-Central event from Bartlett, Bettye Davis East, Bethel, Colony, Dimond, South Anchorage, West Anchorage, and Robert Service High Schools.