Alaska Air National Guard rescues injured climber near Eklutna Lake > Alaska National Guard > News

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Official websites use .mil

A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.

Secure .mil websites use HTTPS

A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

PHOTO INFORMATION

Download

Details

Alaska Air National Guard rescues injured climber near Eklutna Lake

Alaska Air National Guardsmen of the 176th Wing rescue an injured climber June 29 near Eklutna Lake after the patient was struck by a boulder and unable to self-evacuate. (Alaska Natoinal Guard courtesy photo)

PHOTO INFORMATION

Download

Details

Alaska Air National Guard rescues injured climber near Eklutna Lake

A U.S. Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk assigned to the 210th Rescue Squadron, 176th Wing, Alaska Air National Guard conducts air-to-air refueling with a U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 152, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, during exercise Kodiak Mace 25, in Alaskan airspace, May 6, 2025. During exercise Kodiak Mace 25, Marines with VMGR-152 conduct air-to-air refueling with the 210th Rescue Squadron to provide pilot

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – Alaska Air National Guardsmen of the 176th Wing rescued an injured climber June 29 near Eklutna Lake after the climber was struck by a boulder and unable to self-evacuate.

Alaska Rescue Coordination Center opened the mission in response to a request for assistance from the Alaska State Troopers. Due to the remote and challenging terrain, military support was requested to ensure timely rescue and transport.

The Alaska Air National Guard accepted the mission and deployed a 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60 Pave Hawk with 212th Rescue Squadron pararescuemen (PJs) aboard. The HH-60 crew located the injured individual, and the PJs stabilized them before loading them into the helicopter for transport to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage for further care.

Leadership of 176th Wing praised the coordination between agencies and the rapid response of the rescue crews, emphasizing the value of maintaining readiness for Alaska’s unique and demanding environments.

Op Santa comes to Anchorage, spreads holiday cheer for Western Alaskans
December 17, 2025 — For nearly 70 years, the Alaska National Guard has worked with partner agencies to spread holiday cheer to rural Alaskan communities. For the first time in recent memory, Op Santa came to Anchorage to serve Western Alaska families displaced by Typhoon Halong... MORE

Alaska Guard’s snowstorm response inspires local PD officer to enlist
December 11, 2025 — What began as a chance encounter during a severe Yakutat snowstorm set Spc. Brad Adams on an unexpected path to the Alaska Army National Guard and toward a new sense of purpose, stability and opportunity for his family... MORE

Beloved, longest serving AKNG command senior enlisted leader Small hands reigns to Phlegar, celebrates retirement
December 9, 2025 — Alaska National Guard Soldiers, Airmen, leaders, families, and community members gathered to witness a time-honored military tradition as Command Sgt. Maj. Julie Small transferred responsibility of the AKNG command senior enlisted leader position to Command Sgt. Maj. John Phlegar and celebrated her retirement following 31 years of service during a dual ceremony at the JBER Arctic Warrior Events Center Dec. 5... MORE

‘Someone real’: AKNG’s Matthew Komatsu’s path through fire and ice leads first CRO in Alaska Guard history to promote to general
December 8, 2025 — Long before he became the first Alaska National Guard combat rescue officer (CRO) in history to pin on a general star, Brig. Gen. Matthew Komatsu was a kid in the Midwest, mesmerized by Top Gun and dreaming of fighter jets. “I was eight or nine when I saw the greatest recruiting propaganda in the nation’s history,” he said with a laugh. “I wanted to be a fighter pilot like Maverick.” The dream carried him all the way to the U.S. Air Force Academy, but once there, reality arrived quickly. He struggled to fit in, chafing at the rigid environment. “I realized pretty early I was a nonconformist, and it’s not a place that encourages that,” he said. “Those first four years, you’re becoming an adult and figuring things out. I barely hung on.”... MORE

AKOM logistics experts key to Typhoon Halong response
November 26, 2025 — The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Region of Alaska is approximately the size of the state of Louisiana. Despite its size and population of about 25,000 residents scattered across 48 communities, there isn’t a paved network of highways connecting outlying villages to the hub city of Bethel, so logistics can be complex and require much planning. Bethel, located near the Kuskokwim River about 60 miles downriver from the seacoast, is home to the Alaska Army National Guard Readiness Center and its adjoining helicopter hangar, both critical logistical hubs for the Alaska Organized Militia’s ongoing response to the devastating impact of Typhoon Halong on the region... MORE

Alaska National Guard named top performer in sexual assault prevention efforts
November 24, 2025 — At a time when sexual assault prevention remains a national priority across the U.S. military, the Alaska National Guard’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program has been recognized as one of the strongest programs in the country following a recent National Guard Bureau review... MORE

Alaska Naval Militia sailor provides crucial aviation coordination for Operation Halong Response
November 20, 2025 — Bethel is 56 miles from the mouth of the Kuskokwim River and the adjoining salt water of the Kuskokwim Bay and the Bering Sea. The Western Alaska hub city is 1,136 miles from the small but crucial Southeast Alaska Acoustic Measurement Facility at Ketchikan and is 1,762 miles from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, the closest major Navy installation... MORE

AKOM’s communication team launches critical connectivity during disaster
November 17, 2025 — Following severe storms that struck Western Alaska earlier this month, members of the Alaska Organized Militia’s Communications and Information Systems Directorate, known as J6, deployed new handheld satellite tracking devices called SHOUT Nanos to maintain critical communication links with response teams operating in isolated communities... MORE

Alaska Organized Militia continues recovery support across Western Alaska
November 4, 2025 — Members of the Alaska Organized Militia continue to assist communities across Western Alaska following the devastating storms that struck the region in early October. Since activation, more than 150 Alaska Organized Militia service members have supported 13 communities through debris removal, infrastructure repair, residential assessments, and evacuation support in coordination with the State Emergency Operations Center and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. ... MORE

Alaska Organized Milita delivers food to isolated Nunapitchuk school
October 31, 2025 — BETHEL, Alaska — Alaska Organized Milita (AKOM) members delivered six pallets of food to a school in Nunapitchuk, a village about 25 miles northwest of Bethel on the Kuskokwim River, via an Alaska Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter Oct. 28... MORE