Photos

Courtesy photo of Col. Tracy Smith, Assistant Adjutant General - Air, Alaska Air National Guard.

Members of the Alaska Air National Guard's 176th Force Support Flight Sustainment Services stand alongside the dedicated kitchen staff of Five Loaves, Two Fish Kitchen in Wasilla, Alaska, Sept. 22, 2020. “I have two extended families, my church and my military family,” said pastor Rick Cavens, retired Alaska Air National Guard chaplain who oversees the volunteer staff. “The National Guard has offered a tremendous helping hand during this difficult time of uncertainty. We’re very thankful for their hard work and dedication to helping the local community.” (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Seth LaCount/Released)

Alaska Air National Guardsmen Tech Sgt. Brayden Van Bevera and Tech Sgt. Allen Wilson work alongside head chef Mike Gor-don at the Five Loaves, Two Fish Kitchen in Wasilla, Alaska, Sept. 22, 2020. The Airmen have worked with the dedicated kitch-en staff since mid-August, pre-paring fresh, cooked meals for Alaska residents in need. The kitchen provides meals to My House Homeless Teens Resource Center, Knik House and Family Promise. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Seth LaCount/Released)

(From left to right) Alaska Air National Guardsmen Tech Sgt. Brayden Van Bevera, Airman 1st Class Fionna Kelty, Tech Sgt. Allen Wilson and Senior Airman Alex Choi, all members of the 176th Force Support Flight Sustainment Services, cut fresh produce at the Five Loaves, Two Fish Kitchen in Wasilla, Alaska, Sept. 25, 2020. Food preparation is one of the many steps in creating quality meal packages for local Alaska residents in need. The Airmen have been volunteering at the kitchen since mid-August, preparing an average of 150 meals per week for local non-profit organizations. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Seth LaCount/Released)

Chief Warrant Officer Two Paul Gillquist, an Alaska Army National Guard pilot assigned to the 207th Aviation Regiment, stands in front of UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, Aug. 22, 2020 at the Bryant Army Airfield on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Gillquist’s call sign is "Icy 13", and he happened to perform his first real-world rescue mission on the 13th of September 2020. (Courtesy photo)

Members of the Alaska Army National Guard's 207th Aviation Regiment, led by Chief Warrant Officer Two Paul Gillquist, conduct hoist training on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in the winter, Feb. 20, 2020. Gillquist recently performed his first real-world rescue mission near the village of Tyonek on Sept. 13, 2020.. (Courtesy photo)

Alaska Army National Guard Capt. Jamie Bowden, who specializes in medical operations for the 103rd Civil Support team, tests COVID-19 samples at the Alaska State Public Health laboratory on June 8, 2020. Bowden augmented the Alaska State Public Health laboratory, working closely with state microbiologists, processing COVID-19 samples for testing. Over the course of approximately 21 days of testing, totaling more than 148-man hours, the two officers tested 11,426 samples. (U.S. Air National Guard courtesy photo by Capt. Roger Tran)

Alaska Air National Guard Capt. Roger Tran, the Nuclear Medical Science Officer for the 103rd Civil Support team, tests COVID-19 samples at the Alaska State Public Health laboratory on June 8, 2020. From early June, to mid-August, Tran augmented the Alaska State Public Health laboratory, working closely with state microbiologists, processing COVID-19 samples for testing. Over the course of approximately 21 days of testing, totaling more than 148-man hours, the two officers tested 11,426 samples. (U.S. Army National Guard courtesy photo by Capt. Jamie Bowden)

Alaska Air National Guard Capt. Roger Tran, the Nuclear Medical Science Officer for the 103rd Civil Support team, leads the unit in assessing biological hazards at a validation exercise in Anchorage, Aug. 4, 2020. Tran assisted the Alaska State Public Health laboratory during the COVID-19 pandemic. from early June to mid August (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Seth LaCount/Released)

Alaska Air National Guard Capt. Roger Tran, the Nuclear Medical Science Officer for the 103rd Civil Support team, alongside Alaska Army National Guard capt. Jamie Bowden, a Medical Operations officer for the CST, participate in a unit validation exercise in Anchorage, Aug. 4, 2020. The two Guardsmen assisted the Alaska State Public Health laboratory during the COVID-19 pandemic from early July to mid-August(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Seth LaCount/Released)

Alaska Air National Guardsmen Lt. Col. Shane Wallace and Chief Master Sgt. Heather Pineiro, the Commander and Chief Enlisted Manager assigned to the 176th Air Defense Squadron stand beside 1st Sgt. Melissa Erhard, the Alaska Air National Guard's 2019 First Sergeant of the Year, Sept. 15, 2020 on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Erhard distinguished herself in 2019 through her ability to foster resiliency among her Airmen and her community. The red stars in the backdrop represent the number of Russian intercepts made by the unit through the years, whose mission is to defend the nation's Air Sovereignty in the region. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Seth LaCount/Released)

Col. John Oberst, director of staff for the Alaska Air National Guard, presents the Alaska Air Guard award for 2019 Field Grade Officer of the Year to Lt. Col. James Truesdell, the commander of the 176th Security Forces Squadron for his leadership accomplishments in 2019 at the 176th Wing Headquarters on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Sept. 15, 2020. Truesdell is also a retired Alaska State Trooper. He played a pivotal role in the success of his unit’s deployment to Afghanistan in 2019 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Seth LaCount/Released)

Alaska Air National Guardsmen Lt. Col. Shane Wallace and Chief Master Sgt. Heather Pineiro, the Commander and Chief Enlisted Manager assigned to the 176th Air Defense Squadron stand beside 1st Sgt. Melissa Erhard, the Alaska Air National Guard's 2019 First Sergeant of the Year, Sept. 15, 2020 on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Erhard distinguished herself in 2019 through her ability to foster resiliency among her Airmen and her community. The red stars in the backdrop represent the number of Russian intercepts made by the unit through the years, whose mission is to defend the nation's Air Sovereignty in the region. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Seth LaCount/Released)

Alaska Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Conner, a member of the 297th Infantry Battalion medical platoon, poses for a photo. Conner has been an Army Guard medic since 2010, and has worked as a firefighter for about 30 years. His current position is fire chief at Ester Volunteer Fire Department. (Courtesy photo)

Alaska Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Conner, a member of the 297th Infantry Battalion medical platoon, poses for a photo. Conner has been an Army Guard medic since 2010, and has worked as a firefighter for about 30 years. His current position is fire chief at Ester Volunteer Fire Department. (Courtesy photo)

United States Marines and Sailors with Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF) participate in cold weather training during Operation Arctic Eagle aboard Fort Wainwright, AL. on Feb. 25, 2020. CBIRF conducted this training to practice responding in the extreme cold. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Blakely Graham/Released)

Research and development experts observe and evaluate the performance of search and extraction training at the Combined Arms Collective Training Facility, Fort Wainwright Alaska, Feb. 23 thru 25, 2020. The training was part of exercise Arctic Eagle 2020 - a statewide exercise designed to evaluate cold weather capabilities. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Shannon Chace)

United States Marines and Sailors with Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF) participate in cold weather training during Operation Arctic Eagle aboard Fort Wainwright, AL. on Feb. 24, 2020. CBIRF conducted this training to practice responding in the extreme cold. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Blakely Graham/Released)

A joint search and extraction mission within a helicopter crash scenario was conducted on Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Feb. 23, as part of Arctic Eagle 2020. Arctic Eagle is a statewide exercise involving national, state and local agencies designed to provide opportunities for participants to conduct sustained operations in the extreme cold-weather conditions found in arctic environments. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Grace Nechanicky)

Research and development experts observe and evaluate the performance of search and extraction training at the Combined Arms Collective Training Facility, Fort Wainwright Alaska, Feb. 23 thru 25, 2020. The training was part of exercise Arctic Eagle 2020 - a statewide exercise designed to evaluate cold weather capabilities. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Shannon Chace)