Military
A Civil War veteran was buried in an unmarked grave in Seward. Now his identity is revealed.
Union Army Sgt. Joseph H. White, interred in a now-abandoned cemetery in 1916, will have a permanent headstone placed at his burial site this summer.
Legislators question federal directive for Alaska National Guard to prepare for ‘civil disturbance’
Alaska National Guard officials say they have received the Pentagon’s order to prepare for “civil disturbance operations” but have not begun training, and say it will not interfere with disaster relief efforts.
Veterans Day events and offers around Anchorage
A traditional JBER ceremony has been canceled, but another event honoring veterans will be held at Merrill Field.
Government shutdown forces cancellation of JBER Veterans Day ceremony
The ceremony was scheduled for Tuesday at the Alaska National Guard armory on JBER.
4 injured in back-to-back military convoy rollovers on icy Richardson Highway
The U.S. Army said the soldiers suffered minor injuries in the crashes reported Monday near Birch Lake.
With twin threats from Russia and China, U.S. military puts new focus on Alaska
In the past, large-scale exercises “occurred in Alaska,” one general says. “Now, this is high-end training that is occurring — that is about Alaska, from Alaska.”
Trump directs the Pentagon to use ‘all available funds’ to ensure troops are paid despite shutdown
Trump said in a social media post Saturday that he was acting because “our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th.”
Trump calls for using US cities as ‘training ground’ for armed forces in unusual speech to generals
Trump was joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who declared an end to “woke” culture and announced new directives for troops that include “gender-neutral” or “male-level” standards for physical fitness.
Alaska’s 1st state-run cemetery for veterans set to open in the Interior in 2027
The cemetery was awarded a $16.7 million federal grant from Veterans Affairs.
A flag was raised on Lazy Mountain to honor a fallen soldier. Now it inspires others
The father of U.S. Army Spc. Shane Woods, killed in Iraq in 2006, placed the flag atop the peak near Palmer. Volunteers ensure it keeps flying.
Coast Guard issues contract for major icebreaker port expansion in Seattle
The contract is for the first phase of a project intended to allow the Coast Guard’s Seattle base to host two new heavy icebreakers.
Coast Guard says it tracked 2 Chinese research ships off Alaska’s Arctic coast
The Coast Guard said both Chinese vessels were operating within “the delineated U.S. Extended Continental Shelf” — a term for the area of the ocean claimed by the U.S. as an extension of traditional territorial boundaries.
Pentagon’s $2 trillion F-35 fighter jet program continues to overpromise and under-deliver, review says
The findings on the $2 trillion program are likely to add to criticism from some of President Trump’s supporters, who argue the jet is too expensive and becoming obsolete in the age of drone warfare.
F-35 pilot with landing gear trouble had 50-minute in-air call with engineers prior to crash at Eielson Air Force Base
The pilot ejected before the fighter jet went down at the base near Fairbanks in January. A new report states ice in the plane’s landing gear caused the crash.
US warplanes intercept fifth Russian surveillance mission off Alaska in the past week
NORAD said the Russian military aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter the sovereign airspace of the United States or Canada.
Alaska has ‘no plans’ to send National Guard troops to D.C., governor’s office says
Six other states’ Republican governors have deployed guardsmen to police the nation’s capital, following President Trump’s orders to curb crime.
JBER airman dies in ‘vehicle-related incident’ on Anchorage base
U.S. Airman 1st Class Tatyana A. Salceda, 28, from St. Louis, was killed in the incident last Wednesday, officials said this week.
Putin will visit Alaska military base that’s been central to American opposition to his country
Alaska and Russia’s histories are intertwined, nowhere more so than at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, long used for monitoring Soviet threats.
Trump and Putin will meet Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
President Donald Trump’s meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin is set for a military base that was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the height of Cold War and still plays a role in aiming to counter Russian threats.
U.S. Coast Guard adds icebreaker to fleet for first time in 25 years
Federal officials see the refurbished ship Storis as the first of many new additions and a statement of sovereignty in the Arctic under the Trump administration.
Unusual balloon flight seen over Southcentral Alaska was part of ongoing military exercise
Arctic Edge 2025 includes military activity along the Bering Strait coast, near America’s maritime border with Russia.
Trump moves to bar nearly all abortions at Veterans Affairs hospitals
The Trump administration is moving to overturn a Biden-era policy that sought to protect access.
US and Canadian fighter jets intercept Russian planes off Alaska
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Canadian Air Force Capt. Rebecca Garand, a NORAD spokeswoman, said Thursday about the Russian flights.
Alaska’s Eielson Air Force Base is top choice for military’s first nuclear microreactor
If the pilot project planned at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks proves the microreactors have value, additional models could be added to more bases in the future.
Crew ejects before South Korean fighter jet skids off runway at Eielson Air Force Base
The crew was taken to Bassett Army Community Hospital for evaluation, according to base officials.
Major new Air Force training center in Anchorage will help boost North American defense capabilities, officials say
The project at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is slated to be completed in 2029 at a cost of up to $500 million.
Memorial Day events set for Anchorage and Mat-Su
U.S. Army rolls out ‘sex-neutral’ fitness test for some combat jobs
Female soldiers serving in combat-related roles must meet the same physical standards as their male counterparts in events such as the two-mile run and deadlifting.
Russian military aircraft detected over Bering Sea near Alaska; NORAD says no threat
Six Russian military aircraft were tracked operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone for about 2 1/2 hours Monday, according to North American Aerospace Defense Command.
Fort Wainwright soldier arrested on murder charges in Fairbanks man’s death
The 24-year-old soldier was wearing an ankle monitor linked to criminal charges filed in the last month.