Military

The switch next month won’t change troop levels but will add resources to Army units stationed in Alaska as part of a broader shift in Arctic strategy.

After the six-day competition on JBER, the best enlisted soldier and non-commissioned officer will earn the honor of representing Alaska at the regional competition.

Staff Sgt. Seth Michael Plant, 30, of St. Augustine, Florida, was stationed in Alaska less than a year. Wildlife authorities had not located the bear as of Thursday afternoon.

The U.S. has long viewed the Arctic as a growing area of competition with Russia and China, particularly as the warming climate opens sea lanes for longer periods of time.

Next of kin have been contacted, but officials have not yet released many details on Tuesday’s fatal bear mauling in Anchorage.

The attack occurred near the Anchorage Regional Landfill, and wildlife troopers were searching for the bear.

The 53-year-old Nome resident says there are major gaps in weapons and logistics training that are creating bottlenecks in Ukrainians utilizing crucial military equipment.

The U.S. Army sent helicopters loaded with supplies to help establish the base camp on the Kahiltna Glacier, ahead of what’s expected to be a busy season in the Alaska Range.

On their trip, veterans will visit war memorials in the nation’s capital. There’ll be a homecoming at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Sullivan will be joined by U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Francisco, for sessions at JBER and Fort Wainwright.

The final two F-35A Joint Strike Fighter jets have arrived at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, completing the full complement of 54 aircraft.

Inspectors visiting the nation’s six northernmost military bases last June and July - all but one in Alaska - found none were carrying out required assessments and planning to prepare their installations and operations against long-term warming.

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore was awestruck by the conditions military members must battle in Alaska. And by their resolve and resourcefulness — things any pro athlete can identify with.

Julian Francis Jr. joined the Army in 2013 and came to Alaska first in 2014 and again in 2020.

At least 11 soldiers stationed in Alaska died by suicide in 2021. Six more deaths are under investigation as possible suicides.

Military bases at high risk for harmful behaviors often have leaders who don’t understand violence prevention, don’t make it a priority and focus more on their mission than on their people, a Pentagon review concluded.

The Jan. 24 death of 20-year-old Spc. Karolina Ferrer-Padilla “was really a tragic accident,” said John Pennell, chief of media relations for U.S. Army Alaska.

Katie Richard, 25, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Virginia last week after a trial lasting nearly a month. She intends to appeal.

The plan aims to slash the Army’s emissions in half by 2030 and train a generation of officers on how to prepare for a hotter, more chaotic world.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin affirmed the requirement in a letter after Dunleavy joined a lawsuit challenging the vaccine mandate that applies to all National Guard members.

Spc. Karolina Ferrer-Padilla, 20, died in an incident that the Army said was being investigated by the Army Criminal Investigation Division and U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center.

“It’s hard to even put into words the feeling that you have that he’s truly here after all these years,” said Paul Charvet’s sister.

The U.S. Army, for the first time, is offering a maximum enlistment bonus of $50,000 to highly skilled recruits who join for six years as the service struggles to lure soldiers into certain critical jobs amid the continuing pandemic.