Command Sgt. Maj. John Phlegar, left, the state command sergeant major of the Alaska Army National Guard, embraces Sgt. 1st Class Jason Schlegel, with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, on the flight line at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Aug. 10, 2024, after a nine-month deployment to Kuwait. Approximately 100 Soldiers of “Bison” Company, as they are affectionally known, deployed in November as part of Operation Spartan Shield. (Alaska National Guard photo by Balinda O’Neal)