Legislature(2019 - 2020)SENATE FINANCE 532
05/09/2019 11:15 AM House JOINT ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
JOINT ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
May 9, 2019
11:19 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Mike Shower, Co-Chair
Representative Geran Tarr, Co-Chair
Senator Lora Reinbold
Senator Shelley Hughes
Senator Mia Costello
Senator Scott Kawasaki
Representative Josh Revak
Representative Laddie Shaw
Representative Ivy Spohnholz
PUBLIC MEMBERS PRESENT
Colonel Tim Jones - retired - Fairbanks
Brigadier General Julio "Randy" Banez - retired - Fairbanks
Commander James Chase - retired - Anchorage
Nelson N. Angapak, Sr., Anchorage
Colonel Robert Doehl - retired - Anchorage
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Chris Tuck
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative Sara Rasmussen
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux
Representative Sharon Jackson
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
ARMED SERVICES PRESENTATIONS
- Brigadier General Torrence Saxe, Adjutant General, Alaska
National Guard; Commissioner, Alaska Department of Military &
Veterans' Affairs
- Colonel Cory Mendenhall, representing Lieutenant General
Thomas Bussiere, Alaska North American Aerospace Defense Region,
Alaska Command, Eleventh Air Force
- Colonel Adam Lange, representing Commanding General Major
General Mark O'Neal, U.S. Army Alaska
- Rear Admiral Mathew Bell, Commander, Seventeenth District U.S.
Coast Guard
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
BRIGADIER GENERAL TORRENCE SAXE, Adjutant General
Alaska National Guard; Commissioner
Military & Veterans Affairs
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Delivered a presentation on the Department
of Military and Veterans Affairs.
COLONEL CORY MENDENHALL, Chief of Staff/Executive Director
Alaskan Command (ALCOM) &
Alaskan North American Air Defense (NORAD) Region
Eleventh Air Force
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Delivered a Command Overview Briefing for
ALCOM.
COLONEL ADAM LANGE, representing Major General Mark O'Neil
U.S. Army, Alaska (USARAK)
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Delivered a presentation titled "United
States Army Alaska".
REAR ADMIRAL MATTHEW T. BELL, Commander
U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District (USCG)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Delivered an update for the U.S. Coast Guard
Alaska.
ACTION NARRATIVE
11:19:09 AM
CO-CHAIR GERAN TARR called the Joint Armed Services Committee
meeting to order at 11:19 a.m. Present at the call to order were
Senators Reinbold, Hughes, Costello, Kawasaki, and Co-chair
Shower; and Representatives Revak, Shaw, and Co-chair Tarr. The
public members present were retired Colonel Tim Jones, Julio
"Randy" Banez, Commander James Chase, Nelson N. Angapak, Sr.,
and retired Colonel Robert Doehl.
^Joint Armed Services Committee Presentations:
Joint Armed Services Committee Presentations:
11:20:08 AM
CO-CHAIR TARR provided introductory remarks.
11:21:07 AM
SENATOR COSTELLO said she is a committee member for the Joint
Armed Services Committee (JASC), representing District K in
Anchorage.
11:21:18 AM
TIM JONES said he is a JASC public committee member from
Fairbanks. He added that he spent 27 years in the U.S. Army,
retiring as a colonel out of Fort Wainwright.
11:21:27 AM
JIM CHASE said he is a JASC public committee member. He
disclosed that he was a commodore for the U.S. Coast Guard
Auxiliary in Alaska and has been an Alaskan citizen since 1969.
11:21:46 AM
SENATOR KAWASAKI said he is a JASC committee member,
representing Fairbanks and Fort Wainwright.
11:21:53 AM
JULIO "RANDY" BANEZ said he is a JASC public committee member.
He noted that he retired from the Alaska Army National Guard as
commander.
11:22:04 AM
SENATOR REINBOLD said she is a JASC committee member,
representing Chugiak, Eagle River, and part of JBER.
11:22:13 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SHAW said he is a JASC committee member,
representing District 26. He added that he served in the
military for 24 years including service as a U.S. Navy SEAL.
11:22:23 AM
ROBERT DOEHL said he is a JASC public committee member. He
detailed that he a retired colonel from the Alaska Air National
Guard.
11:22:32 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said she is a JASC committee member, representing
District F for Chugiak and Palmer. She added that she is the
wife of a Vietnam veteran and has a son currently deployed in
the Middle East as a C-130 pilot.
11:22:47 AM
NELSON ANGAPAK said he is a JASC public committee member. He
detailed that he retired from the Alaska Federation of Natives
(AFN) and is a retired veteran.
11:23:02 AM
REPRESENTATIVE REVAK said he is a JASC committee member,
representing District 25. He disclosed that he served in the
U.S. Army.
11:23:27 AM
CO-CHAIR SHOWER said he is a JASC committee member. He detailed
that he served in the U.S. Air Force for 24 years. He explained
that the committee meeting provides an opportunity to tell
Alaskans what is going on in the state, to communicate with
military representatives, and to identify things that might be
needed.
11:24:21 AM
CO-CHAIR TARR said she is a JASC committee member, representing
District 19 in Anchorage that shares a border with JBER.
11:24:38 AM
REPRESENTATIVE RASMUSSEN joined the JASC meeting.
CO-CHAIR SHOWER announced that the JASC will first hear from
Brigadier General Torrence Saxe, the adjutant general (TAG) for
the Alaska National Guard. He explained that Brigadier General
Saxe ensures that more than 4,000 U.S. Army and Air National
Guard members are organized, trained, and equipped to respond to
both state and federal taskings. He noted that Brigadier General
Saxe has commanded at every echelon and was most recently the
assistant adjutant general and commander of the Air National
Guard. He asked that Brigadier General Saxe introduce the armed
services presenters.
11:25:18 AM
BRIGADIER GENERAL TORRENCE SAXE, Adjutant General, Alaska
National Guard; Commissioner, Military & Veterans Affairs
(DMVA), Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Alaska,
introduced the armed services presenters as follows:
• Colonel Mendenhall representing Alaskan Command (ALCOM),
Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region
(NORAD), Eleventh Air Force headquartered at Joint Base
Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER).
• Colonel Adam Lange, Deputy Commander, Sustainment, U.S.
Army Alaska (USARAK), Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
(JBER).
• Rear Admiral Matthew T. Bell, 17th District Commander, U.S.
Coast Guard (USCG).
• Brigadier General Torrence Saxe, DMVA, Alaska National
Guard, Alaska Air National Guard, Alaska Army National
Guard, Alaska National Guard Joint Staff, Division of
Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Division of
Administrative Services, Office of Veterans Affairs, Alaska
Military Youth Academy, and the Alaska State Defense Force.
He emphasized that the presentation addresses "Team Alaska".
11:25:44 AM
COLONEL CORY MENDENHALL, Chief of Staff for Lieutenant General
Thomas Bussiere, Alaskan Command (ALCOM); Alaskan North American
Aerospace Defense Command(NORAD) Region; Eleventh Air Force,
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Alaska, said his
overview is on behalf of his commander, Lieutenant General
Thomas A. Bussiere, who is unable to attend the meeting.
He explained that ALCOM represents all services: Army, Navy, Air
Force, and Marines. He said if Lieutenant General Bussiere were
in attendance he would want to express his appreciation for the
legislative support as well as the support from the governor and
the civic leaders in the communities in Alaska where military
families live. He emphasized that ALCOM could not execute its
day-to-day mission without its exceptional support from its
mission partners, the Alaska National Guard, the U.S. Army
Alaska, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the command's interagency
partners.
He addressed the agenda for his briefing as follows:
• Strategic significance of Alaska.
• Combined headquarters.
• Our mission.
• The Arctic.
• Two-year outlook.
• Military operations and construction in Alaska.
• Key takeaways.
11:27:52 AM
COLONEL MENDENHALL addressed "Alaska is the most strategic place
in the world" and summarized that Alaska's geography is vital to
the country's national security and its critical location for
homeland defense and power projection for U.S. forces. He noted
that Alaska is within nine hours from the world's following
major hubs: Moscow, Berlin, Washington D.C., Honolulu, Tokyo,
Seoul, and Beijing.
He said with the advancement in modern aircraft technology like
the F-22 and the F-35, Alaska's strategic location will be
emphasized on the globe. Additionally, the importance of Alaska
to the country will continue to grow as the Arctic evolves with
increased human activity.
He explained the "Combined Headquarters" in Alaska as follows:
• Alaskan NORAD Region Bi-National Command:
o U.S. and Canada.
o Maintains readiness to conduct a continuum of air
space control missions that includes:
square4 Daily air sovereignty and active air defense
against manned and unmanned airborne targets in a
time of crisis.
square4 Mission executed 24 hours a day, every day of the
week.
• Alaskan Command (ALCOM):
o Conducts homeland defense and support to civilians and
authorities within the Alaska area to defend the
United States.
o Provide support in a time of crisis.
• Eleventh Air Force:
o Provides dedicated, organized, and equipped forces to
project combat airpower and strategic airlift
worldwide.
• Primary Mission Partners:
o U.S. Army Alaska(USARAK).
o U.S. Coast Guard District 17(USCG D17).
o National Guard (Alaska/Hawaii/Guam).
o Reserves (Alaska).
o Federal and State Interagencies.
11:30:02 AM
COLONEL MENDENHALL addressed "Homeland Defense" as follows:
• Number-one priority: "No fail mission".
• Must be prepared for two possible scenarios:
o In the Arctic,
o Through the Arctic.
• Strong defense partnership between U.S. and Canada is
essential.
• Bottom line: "Alaska is our watch."
He addressed "Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA)" as
follows:
• Command and control.
• Deployable communications.
• Overland search and rescue coordination.
• Disaster response/request for assistance:
o Federal and state partnerships.
o Support to the State of Alaska.
He explained that state government plays the primary role of
implementing and facilitating local efforts before, during and
after incidents from their emergency management agencies, Alaska
State Troopers, health agencies, and the National Guard. Federal
assistance through the Stafford Act can be provided when the
governor of Alaska requests assistance for a presidential
declaration of an emergency, state, or local capabilities
exceeded, or on behalf of the impacted tribal government. What
is important to know is the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) has an area office in the Anchorage Federal Building to
serve as a forward field office for pre-disaster readiness and
planning. Civil support preparedness is part of ALCOM's daily
focus. ALCOM knows that Alaska relies on the military
capabilities and resources more than other states due to
Alaska's geography; therefore, federal and state partnerships
within and out of Alaska are more critical in order to meet
requests of state authorities. ALCOM provides disaster response
via command and control, and of active duty military and
federalized national guard forces, deployable communication and
resources expertise, overland search and rescue coordination as
well as personnel as part of the Alaska FEMA support team.
11:32:07 AM
COLONEL MENDENHALL addressed "Arctic trends" as follows:
• Melting ice.
• Competition for natural resources.
• Increased Russian military activity.
• Chinese influence.
He referenced a NASA video that depicts declining Arctic sea ice
from 1979 through 2016, averaging 13-percent decline per decade.
Arctic sea ice covered 7 million square kilometers in 1979, 4.6
million square kilometers in September 2018. The thicker "multi-
year" ice now covers less than 33 percent of the Arctic. The
reduction in sea ice enables an increase in human activity that
sets Alaska for discussions regarding the future of the Arctic.
He addressed "Alaska as an Arctic nation" as follows:
• Alaska makes the United States an Arctic nation.
• Reduction in Arctic sea ice enables transit through the
northern sea routes.
• Ships sailing from South Korea to Germany via traditional
routes takes 34 to 46 days, the northern sea route reduces
the time to 23 days.
• Increasing interest in natural resources and commercial
fisheries has increased the potential for tension and
conflict in the region.
• The Russian military has increased their military activity
and installation footprint as a result of the receding sea
ice:
o The Arctic is a large contributor to the Russian GDP.
o In the Arctic, Russia has:
square4 14 operational airfields,
square4 16 deep water ports,
square4 40 icebreakers with 11 in development,
square4 Many installations revitalized from Soviet Union
era.
square4 ALCOM closely monitors Russian activity daily.
He addressed responsibilities for "USNORTHCOM lead for Arctic
affairs" as follows:
• Arctic capability advocate.
• Maintain academia and private sector relationships.
• University of Alaska academic support.
• Arctic Domain and Security Orientation course.
• Maintain critical relationships with indigenous peoples.
• Military exercises in support of NORAD and USNORTHCOM.
COLONEL MENDENHALL said in a desire for the Arctic to remain
secure and stable in the region, General Terrence O'Shaughnessy,
Commander for U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), signed a
memorandum on March 11 designating Lieutenant General Thomas A.
Bussiere as USNORTHCOM's lead for Arctic affairs. While the new
designation does not provide additional explicit authorities, it
does imply new responsibilities for task and direction liaison
authority in order to meet the USNORTHCOM commander's Arctic
line of effort. Engaging international and interagency partners,
including geographical [inaudible] commanders to determine
Arctic-related mission requirements while gradually increasing
the department's domain awareness in the Arctic, was one of the
key tasks as well as establishing an Arctic synchronization
forum and executing an Arctic symposium series to ensure a
"whole of government approach" with respect to efforts on
defense, security, and safety in the Arctic. He noted that the
next Arctic symposium is scheduled for November 2019 in
Fairbanks.
11:34:43 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ joined the committee meeting.
COLONEL MENDENHALL highlighted ALCOM's "two-year outlook" for
major initiatives, exercises and operations as follows:
• The Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC):
o Largest and absolute best training range in the U.S.
and arguably world:
square4 Size of Indiana.
square4 Six times the size of the next largest one, the
Nevada Test and Training Range in Nellis Air
Force Base.
o Hosts year-round exercises in readiness training in
air, land, and maritime domains.
o Provides the space for demonstrating the capabilities
for the most advanced military systems like the F-22,
F-35, and the multi-launch rocket system.
o Continued JPARC support is vital to ensure the
military remains trained and ready.
• Red Flag Alaska:
o Held three to four times a year at Eielson and JBER.
o Large force simulated combat flying exercise:
square4 2018:
• Participants from 16 international partners
that was very successful.
• Arctic Edge:
o Homeland defense exercise for 2019.
o 2020:
square4 USNORTHCOM designed to practice the military's
ability to deploy and operate in the Arctic.
o Primarily focused on improving operational
capabilities that support domain awareness,
communications, infrastructure, and sustainable
presence in the Arctic.
o The outcomes will help the military to effectively
collaborate with other combative commands like Indo-
Pacific Command and European Command, and military
services to access current and future needs.
o Could not have occurred without the support of the
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation.
o U.S. Marine Corp (USMC) and U.S. Navy (USN) training
in Alaska:
square4 Growing interest in conducting operations in
Alaska.
square4 500 sailors are expected to participate in the
next Arctic Edge.
square4 A battalion-sized force of marines is expected to
conduct off-shipboard operations on to land as
part of the exercise.
• Fifty USMC planners in headquarters at JBER are looking at
a new exercise on Adak and in Cordova:
o Not part of Northern Edge but will test Arctic
capabilities.
o Expeditionary capability exercise that will be
conducted in September 2019.
o Four ships will partake off the waters of Alaska for
exercises to test logistic capabilities.
11:39:13 AM
COLONEL MENDENHALL addressed military construction by the
Department of Defense (DOD) in Alaska as follows:
• Eielson Air Force Base:
o 2017:
square4 Construction began in preparation for the 2020
arrival of F-35 aircraft.
square4 By 2022 there will be 3,500 more personnel and a
total of 54 F-35 aircraft, resulting in 100
fifth-generation stealth fighters, more than any
other place in the world.
o Current spending in preparation for the F-35:
square4 $453 million:
• Beddown facilities and infrastructure.
o FY2019-FY2024 spending:
square4 $145 million:
• F-35 beddown facilities and repair center,
heat and power boilers.
• Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson:
o FY2019-FY2024:
square4 Extend runway 16/34.
square4 Repair alert hangar.
square4 Testing new agile combat deployment concept:
• Uses a small cadre of F-22 and F-17 aircraft
with:
o Self-contained mission planning,
o Munitions,
o Fuel,
o Logistic support.
• Allows for temporary aircraft dispersement.
• Concept will be tested in Galena and King
Salmon.
o $74 million in earthquake damage that occurred
November 2018:
square4 FY2019: $22.5 million in scheduled project
repairs.
• Clear Air Force Station:
o Current:
square4 $40 million:
• Fire station and power plant fuel storage.
o FY2019-FY2024:
square4 $128 million:
• Consolidated engineer/security forces
complex and dormitory.
• Long Range Radar Sites:
o Air Force investing $7.5 million in environmental
restoration across Alaska.
o Air Force plans on investing $22 million in FY2019 in
environmental restoration.
11:42:23 AM
COLONEL MENDENHALL addressed "take away" as follows:
• Homeland defense is Alaskan Command's number-one priority:
o Alaskan-based forces are ready to deploy and fight in
response to any regional threat.
• Alaska is the perfect strategic power projection location
for air and ground military forces.
• As key terrain in the Arctic changes and human activity
increases, Alaskan Command must anticipate and outpace
evolving threats:
o Remain committed to working with alleys and partners
to promote a balanced approach to improving security
in the Arctic.
• The JPARC is the DOD's premier training area for joint,
coalition, and partner nations' forces:
o Offers a world-class training environment.
o Provides high altitude, extreme cold, simultaneous
air, ground, and naval joint operations challenge that
is needed to train troops to be the best in the world.
• Alaskan support for U.S. military service members and
families is second to none.
CO-CHAIR SHOWER asked Colonel Mendenhall if there is anything
that the State of Alaska can do to be more helpful. He noted
that his question ranges from changes in the Arctic, deep-water
port studies, all the way to supporting veterans. He pointed out
that Alaska has the largest veteran community in the nation.
11:44:28 AM
COLONEL MENDENHALL replied that Alaska does a lot for the U.S.
military. He said the continued support of the military's
ability to train in Alaska and off its shores is critical to the
nation's defense. He reiterated Alaska's importance as follows:
• JPARC's ability to train like no other place in the world
is critical for the military's readiness.
• Focus in the Arctic cannot be understated.
• USNORTHCOM's commander made several comments recently about
the Arctic and his concern about the Arctic, hence the
reason for the new designation as the lead for Arctic
affairs.
• Working with Alaska natives on what they know will be
important for U.S. military forces.
CO-CHAIR SHOWER noted that on the previous day, the Senate
Transportation Committee addressed a proposed Alaska rail spur
that goes the rest of the way down through Delta to Fort Greely
and its ballistic missile defense base. He asked how important a
rail spur and a deep-water port would be for moving supplies.
COLONEL MENDENHALL replied that ALCOM is familiar with Alaska's
logistic challenges where the railroad is limited, but the
state's deep-water ports are sufficient for moving supplies. He
added that he was not familiar with the proposed rail spur and
suggested that the question be addressed to the Missile Defense
Agency (MDA).
11:48:41 AM
CO-CHAIR SHOWER recognized that Representative LeDoux was in
attendance.
He detailed that the proposed rail spur would connect the from
Fairbanks all the way through Fort Greely and the ballistic
defense base. He said the legislature is looking at a resolution
to have a rail spur that would connect Alaska through Canada and
the Lower 48 for another mode of supply transportation.
REPRESENTATIVE REVAK asked how a railway connected to the Lower
48 would impact Arctic training opportunities and operations in
JPARC.
COLONEL MENDENHALL answered that railway connected to the Lower
48 would provide options; however, not having a railway from the
Lower 48 to Alaska would not prevent Arctic training in Alaska.
CO-CHAIR TARR addressed projects in the Fairbanks area,
specifically the central heat and power plant boilers at Eielson
Air Force Base. She asked if there are any energy integration
partnership opportunities for the Fairbanks area.
COLONEL MENDENHALL answered that he must defer the question to
the Eleventh Air Force at Eielson.
11:51:26 AM
SENATOR HUGHES asked if there is anything the Alaska Legislature
can do to urge Congress to be more aggressive with Russia and
China in the Arctic waters.
COLONEL MENDENHALL answered that he must defer the question to
Admiral Bell from the USCG.
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ said she is curious about the
following:
• The infrastructure needed to support the military in
Alaska.
• The Port of Alaska's role in supporting the military's
buildout.
• The Port of Alaska's role in supporting the Eielson Air
Force Base's expansion.
• The Port of Alaska's designation as a military strategic
defense port.
COLONEL MENDENHALL answered that ALCOM supports the port being
fixed or upgraded in addition to a need for oversight. Twenty
percent of the military's goods for military operations come
through the Port of Alaska. Approximately 90 percent of all
goods for Alaska comes through the Port of Alaska. For the most
part, the military does everything it can to support what the
state wants to do with the Port of Alaska.
11:54:15 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ noted that one of questions has been
related to the additional price tag for the Port of Alaska that
comes along with it being designated as the military strategic
defense port. She asked Colonel Mendenhall to address the
funding required for the port's military designation.
COLONEL MENDENHALL replied that ALCOM is aware of the estimated
cost to fix the Port of Alaska. He asked if Representative
Spohnholz was asking if the DOD should offset some of the port's
repair costs.
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ answered no. She specified that her
question was more related to the $250 million in additional
costs associated with being a military strategic defense port.
COLONEL MENDENHALL replied that he did not know about the added
cost for the Port of Alaska. He said just like the railroad
coming from the Lower 48, providing the military with more
options to train and project force across the Pacific and Arctic
is beneficial.
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ conceded that there still is discussion
at the federal level about whether there is federal funding
available to the Port of Alaska. She pointed out that the port
is relevant for the military in supplying fuel, and goods and
services to support military bases in Alaska. She emphasized
that the discussion about the Port of Alaska is not just about
civilian and commercial needs, but military readiness and
security as well.
11:57:02 AM
COLONEL MENDENHALL concurred and emphasized that the Port of
Alaska is important to ALCOM; however, the port is not a
limiting factor for the military to execute it mission in a time
of war.
CO-CHAIR SHOWER asked Colonel Mendenhall to address the growth
of the ballistic missile defense base as well as Kodiak's launch
complex. He noted that the Kodiak launch base is generating more
on the civilian side; however, he pointed out that the facility
matters to the nation due to its ability for polar orbit
launches.
COLONEL MENDENHALL suggested that Co-chair Shower's questions be
directed to the MDA and the USCG.
CO-CHAIR SHOWER noted that his intent was to address a broader
perspective to let people know about the ballistic missile
defense base and Kodiak's launch complex.
COLONEL MENDENHALL remarked that the U.S. is no longer a
sanctuary and Alaska is vital as the first line of defense for
the Arctic and North America.
12:00:14 PM
COLONEL ADAM LANGE, Deputy Commander, Sustainment, U.S. Army
Alaska (USARAK), Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Alaska,
delivered a presentation titled "United States Army Alaska". He
thanked the committee for the opportunity to speak on behalf of
the commanding general for USARAK, Major General Mark O'Neal,
the 11,000 "Arctic Warriors" and their families, and the
civilians that support USARAK. He added that he thanked the
committee to able to publicly say "thank you" to the surrounding
communities that USARAK calls home in Alaska. He remarked that
Alaska communities outside of JBER are quick to welcome soldiers
and their families with open arms when they arrive in Alaska.
He noted that USARAK's motto is "Arctic tough", a motto that
describes the application of the warrior ethos and the
profession of arms to the unique and challenging environments of
Alaska. The motto also serves as an expression of the U.S.
Army's partnership with Alaska.
He pointed out that a paratrooper photo in his presentation
illustrated the "Arctic tough" motto. The photo shows the
paratroopers from the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team which is
the only extreme cold weather trained airborne brigade in the
DOD. He said the photo shows the brigade conducting an airborne
operation at the Donnelly Training Area near Fort Greely. The
photo is representative of a day-in-the-life of USARAK, "24/7"
for all seasons. He emphasized that readiness is USARAK's
number-one priority for the units stationed in Alaska, units
that are uniquely postured to generate and sustain readiness.
COLONEL LANGE said the combination of world class training
facilities, the opportunity to leverage joint-force training
exercises, and the strategic reach for deploying forces from
Alaska serve to make the state a premier location for USARAK.
Alaska's location in turn helps to ensure that USARAK's soldiers
and units are ready to deploy, fight, and win anywhere in the
world. USARAK says, "If you can do it here, you can do it
anywhere in any environment, regardless of where we are called
on to deploy."
12:02:56 PM
He said USARAK's mission is to provide for "trained and ready
forces" in support of worldwide unified land operations, being
prepared to protect the homeland, and to provide defense support
to civil authorities in the event of a natural disaster.
USARAK's broad mission includes supporting U.S. Indo-Pacific
Command, U.S. Army Pacific, partnering with U.S. allied and
partner nations, those particularly with Arctic or extreme cold
weather capabilities, and sustaining and strengthening
interagency relationships.
He said for USARAK to do its mission there are an array of
forces assigned to resource through America's First Corps, which
is located at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington state, and
U.S. Army Pacific in Hawaii; those represent the USARAK's two
senior higher-level headquarters in its chain of command. He
explained that for operations and training related to homeland
defense and defense support civil authorities, USARAK works
through ALCOM to ensure readiness to support to ALCOM in Alaska.
He explained that the footprint for USARAK is challenging in
Alaska. USARAK is bifurcated by the Alaska Range and separated
by 350 miles. USARAK has combat power at both JBER and Fort
Wainwright. USARAK also operates a third location as a very
important training center. The forces assigned to USARAK include
the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) at JBER and the
1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team stationed at Fort Wainwright. In
addition to the 1st Stryker Brigade at Fort Wainwright, the base
is also home to aviation battalions: First Attack Reconnaissance
Battalion of the 25th Aviation Regimen, which is assigned to the
25th Infantry Division; and the 1st General Support Aviation
Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment assigned to the 7th Infantry
Division at Joint Base Lewis McChord; however, both of the
battalions provides direct support to USARAK's formations.
COLONEL LANGE explained that to help sustain the U.S. Army's
Alaska-based force, the USARAK also has the 17th Combat
Sustainment Support Battalion which is headquartered at JBER and
split at Fort Wainwright. The 17th Combat Sustainment Support
Battalion provides logistics and sustainment support to all
USARAK units north and south of the Alaska Range.
He detailed that USARAK's third location is the Northern Warfare
Training Center (WTC) at the Black Rapids Training Site located
near Fort Greely. WTC is the U.S. Army's center for the
development of extreme cold weather tactics, techniques,
procedures, and instruction. The Black Rapids Training Site is a
valuable training and testing center that is available to the
total force to increase extreme cold weather operational
capability.
12:05:46 PM
He addressed "Home Station Training", noting that USARAK's
number-one priority is readiness, a priority that entails
generating trained and combat ready, dependable, rapidly
deployable formations made up of skilled, tough, alert, and
adaptive warriors. To sustain focus on readiness, USARAK plans
and executes a demanding training schedule centered on
collective training events that employ combined arms maneuver.
The training events are enabled by JPARC.
He detailed that USARAK trains to be prepared to respond to any
crisis or contingency the nation calls upon; in Alaska that
means training to sustain the ability to conduct combined arms
maneuver as unified land operations, but there is a component of
support to civil authorities in defense of the homeland from
Alaska. The 7.2 earthquake that occurred in November 2018 was a
potent reminder of how important it is for USARAK to strengthen
its interagency relationships which are so important in
responding to major crisis.
He detailed USARAK's training exercises as follows:
• Arctic Anvil 19:
o October 2019;
o JPARC;
o Annual exercise to prepare Brigade Combat Teams to
succeed during Combat Training Center rotation;
o Focuses on readiness for worldwide deployment.
• Courage Ready:
o January 2019;
o JPARC;
o Emergency Readiness Deployment Exercises hosted by
America's First Corps as part of the U.S. Army's
readiness model.
• Spartan Pegasus:
o March 2019;
o Deadhorse, Alaska;
o Homeland Defense/Defense Support of Civil Authorities
exercise focused on Arctic Operations to test on
thriving in the Arctic;
o Rotates yearly between the two Alaska Brigade Combat
Teams;
o Example of joint and interagency cooperation.
• Alaska Shield:
o April 2019;
o Alaska;
o State of Alaska disaster response exercise;
o Exercises USARAK's Defense Support of Civil
Authorities response capabilities;
o Example of joint and interagency cooperation.
• Northern Edge 19:
o May 2019;
o JPARC;
o Biennial INDO-PACOM exercise focused on improving
future application of combat operations and weapon
capability.
• Arctic Aurora:
o May 2019;
o JPARC;
o Annual bi-lateral exercise with the Japanese Ground
Self Defense Force;
o Strengthens solider and unit relationships with allied
forces and supports interoperability in the Pacific.
COLONEL LANGE emphasized that all the previously noted training
is made possible by the infrastructure made available at JPARC,
a world class training environment that enables realistic, large
scale, force-on-force training so important to building adaptive
leaders and ready units. He concurred with U.S. Senator Dan
Sullivan's proclamation that, "JPARC is the crown jewel of the
Department of Defense training environment." USARAK's units know
JPARC is a world class training environment, they do not take
the center for granted, and they seek to maximize JPARC's
training benefits every time they go out and exercise their unit
missions.
12:09:32 PM
COLONEL LANGE referenced "1/25 Stryker Combat Team National
Training Center Rotation" as follows:
• Over 42,000 soldiers from 1/25 SBCT deployed to the
National Training Center (NTC), Fort Irwin, California in
February 2019.
• NTC tested the 1/25 SBCT's combat readiness to be globally
deployable and regionally engaged.
• The 1/25 SBCT, joined by "Airmen and Marines", totaled over
6,000 personnel.
• The 72nd Tank Brigade of the Japanese Ground Self Defense
Force (JGSDF) also participated in the training to
strengthen the bilateral partnership.
• SBCT's skills will soon be put to good use at their
upcoming deployment to Iraq.
He addressed "Globally Responsive and Regionally Engaged" in his
presentation for upcoming events as follows:
• Deployments:
o Operation Inherent Resolve 1/25 Stryker BCT:
square4 Iraq;
square4 September 2019.
• Exercises:
o Iceman 2019:
square4 Bilateral training event with Canada;
square4 Quebec, Canada;
square4 February 2019.
o Land Force Talks:
square4 Mongolia;
square4 April-May 2019.
o Joint Warfighter Assessment 19.1/Bayonet Focus:
square4 Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
square4 April-May 2019.
o Arctic Aurora:
square4 Japanese Ground Self Defense Force.
square4 JPARC.
square4 May-June 2019.
o Arctic Anvil:
square4 Camp Shelby, Mississippi.
square4 September-October 2019.
• Combat Training Center Rotation:
o 4/25 IBCT (Airborne):
square4 Fort Polk, Louisiana.
square4 January 2020.
COLONEL LANGE said the "Artic tough, Arctic warriors" of USARAK
remains hard at work building readiness while supporting the
nation across the globe from Alaska. He reiterated that USARAK's
readiness is its mission, calling and duty. He emphasized that
Alaska provides an ideal training environment, opportunities,
and support that cannot be matched.
12:13:40 PM
CO-CHAIR SHOWER recognized that Representative Jackson is in
attendance.
SENATOR KAWASAKI said his co-chair colleagues have been working
diligently on suicide prevention across Alaska. He pointed out
that the total number of veterans who die per day is 22, noting
that those who have served in the armed services are twice as
likely to commit suicide. He recalled that Major General O'Neal
opened an inquiry and deployed a team at Fort Wainwright to
discuss suicides. He asked if there has been an update on the
noted suicide study.
COLONEL LANGE explained that in April there was a team of 15
that was formed out of the Army Surgeon General's office. The
team is comprised of medical providers, clinical social workers,
and epidemiologists. The team came together under the name of
the "Epicon Team", which stands for "epidemiological
consultation" team. Epicon conducted interviews and executed
over 50 focus group engagements with a wide range of military
members, information that Epicon is parsing through. A survey
will be conducted for the forces at Fort Wainwright. A mid-term
review from Epicon is expected by October 2019 with a final
report due January 2020.
SENATOR KAWASAKI responded that Major General O'Neal's attention
to detail is appreciated. He said whatever the Alaska
Legislature does, suicide prevention is important.
12:16:15 PM
REPRESENTATIVE REVAK asked if the proposed rail connection would
benefit USARAK's training or opportunities in Alaska.
COLONEL LANGE answered yes. He said a rail line would be helpful
for moving large equipment at Fort Wainwright. He said a rail
line is not a requirement, but given the extreme weather
conditions, having another option would be of utility.
CO-CHAIR SHOWER noted that there has been an issue getting
access to the training land due to a bridge. He asked if there
are any access issues specifically related to the state that
USARAK would need help with for training requirements.
COLONEL LANGE answered that he is not aware of issues at the
USARAK level. He surmised that there may be some issues that are
being worked on by the installation team at Fort Wainwright.
MR. JONES asked Colonel Land if USARAK supports the Port of
Alaska's importance in supporting its operations, specifically
the 25th Stryker Brigade.
COLONEL LANGE answered that the Port of Alaska is very important
to USARAK for moving heavy vehicles, fuel, and logistical
requirements.
BRIGADIER GENERAL SAXE announced that the next presentation will
be from Rear Admiral Bell with the Seventeenth District U.S.
Coast Guard.
12:19:02 PM
REAR ADMIRAL MATTHEW BELL, District Commander, United State
Coast Guard (USCG) Seventeenth District, Juneau, Alaska,
delivered a USCG update for forces across Alaska. He explained
that he is one of four district commanders that report to the
USCG Pacific Area Commander, Vice Admiral Linda L. Fagan in
Alameda, California.
He addressed "Coast Guard Missions" as follows:
• Prevention:
o Commercial vessel safety and security.
o Waterfront facility safety and security.
o Aids to navigation and waterway management.
o Icebreaking.
o Boating safety.
• Response:
o Search and rescue.
o Oil and chemical spill response.
o Law Enforcement:
square4 Fisheries,
square4 Drugs,
square4 Migrants.
o Defense operations.
o Boarder and port security.
COMMANDER BELL summarized that the USCG serves and safeguards
the public, protects the maritime environment and its resources,
and defends the nation's interest in the Alaska maritime region;
in a state as vast as Alaska, the USCG cannot do that alone so
the USCG works closely with its federal, state, local, and
native partners as well through transparent engagement with
industry, nongovernmental, and private organizations to meet the
diverse needs of the maritime public across all of USCG's
statutory missions.
He said the USCG's missions fall predominantly in the prevention
and response side. He remarked, "If it is happening on or near
the water, the U.S. Coast Guard is engaged and engaged often as
Alaska is a maritime state." He noted a recent search and rescue
that occurred in the Sitka area where crew members were forced
to abandon the vessel Masonic.
He addressed USGA activities in Alaska as follows:
• Outer continental shelf drilling in the Arctic has come and
gone and may come back again.
• Cruise ship activity in the Arctic started in 2016.
• A widened Panama Canal has brought new and larger cruise
ships to Alaska.
• USGA's commandant presented an "Arctic Strategic Outlook"
where Alaska and the Arctic are center stage with focus on:
o Enhanced capability to operate effectively in a
dynamic Arctic.
o Strengthen the "rules-based order".
o Innovate and adapt to promote resilience and
prosperity.
• Protect living marine resources:
o Ensure the both the safety and sustainability of the
$6 billion industry.
o Work closely with federal and state partners to
conduct fisheries boardings at the dockside, inshore,
and the nation's exclusive economic zone.
o Alaska has a sustainable fisheries program because of
all the participants are fulfilling their important
roles in the active management of those resources.
He addressed USGC's international activities in the northern
Pacific as follows:
• Works closely with northern Pacific countries such as:
Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, and Canada.
• Conducts joint patrols and law enforcement activities to
enforce treaties designed to protect highly migratory
fisheries such as salmon from illegal, unreported, and
unregulated fishing on the high seas.
• Despite heightened global tensions, cooperation amongst the
northern Pacific countries remains strong and the joint
efforts have reduced overfishing in the region:
o Noted the seizure of the Run Da fishing vessel for
illegal fishing.
12:22:37 PM
COMMANDER BELL addressed "Coast Guard Forces Stationed in
Alaska" as follows:
• USCG's 17th District includes the entire State of Alaska
and its 44,000 miles of shoreline.
• Area of responsibility encompasses nearly 4 million square
miles of ocean.
• USCG looks to best position its finite resources to
effectively meet mission demand.
• USCG performs its statutory missions throughout Alaska with
a force of 2,500 active duty civilian, reserve, and
auxiliary members.
• 2,800 dependents provide support to half of the uniformed
USCG members.
He addressed "Cruise Ship Traffic for 2019" as follows:
• Cruise ships bring a valuable set of visitors, resources,
and revenue to the state.
• Cruise ships present the highest risk for mass operations
in Alaska, especially in southeast Alaska.
• Up to 22 individual cruise ships executing multiple
itineraries in southeast Alaska at any given time between
April and September.
• Six very large cruise ships carrying upwards of 5,000
passengers will visit Alaska in 2019, up from 2 vessels in
2018.
• Approximately 1.4 million tourists will visit Alaska on 34
different cruise ships calling to Alaska over 500 times in
2019.
12:24:33 PM
COMMANDER BELL addressed "Fuel Storage Facility Inspections" as
follows:
• USCG partnerships are important to accomplish its in-the-
field prevention portfolio mission.
• USCG would prefer spending more time preventing casualties
than responding to them.
• Protecting Alaska's valuable marine resources and pristine
environment relies on a robust system to prevent, and when
necessary, respond to oil and chemical spills.
• USCG is the federal lead for spill response in Alaska's
coastal zones and works together with state and local
counterparts to manage activities through:
o Oil response planning,
o Training and exercises,
o Certification of oil response organizations,
o On-scene oversight of spills when they occur.
• USCG Sector Anchorage has lead on the Maritime Safety Task
Force (MSTF) Initiative:
o New "hub and spoke" mode using multi-mission teams to
reach facilities in the remote regions of the state to
conduct statutory inspections.
o USCG's goal is to inspect all USCG regulated
facilities over the next three to five years and
create a baseline assessment of facility compliance:
square4 360 out of 394 facilities are not accessible via
the road system.
square4 Facility infrastructure is aging, and oil spill
response is extremely expensive:
• For example, $9 million was expended on a
3,000-gallon heavy oil spill in a remote
part of Kodiak within the last year.
He addressed "Forward Operating Locations" as follows:
• USCG conducts missions across Alaska all year with a
seasonal search to Arctic regions for vessel and facility
inspections in the ice-free months.
• To achieve the highest state of readiness during the more
active seasons, USCG stands up three different Aviation
Support Facilities (AVSUPFAC):
1. Cordova:
square4 Stands up from May 1 to September 30.
square4 Single H-60 helicopter.
square4 Stands in Bravo-2 status.
2. Kotzebue:
square4 Stands up from July 1 to October 31.
square4 Two H-60 helicopters.
square4 Stands in Bravo-2 status.
3. Cold Bay and St. Paul:
square4 Stands up a readiness status in support during
the crab season:
• King crab: October through November.
• Opilio crab: January through March.
square4 Single H-60 helicopter.
square4 Stands at Bravo-2 status.
12:27:04 PM
COMMANDER BELL addressed "New Coast Guard Assets for Alaska" as
follows:
• C-130 J's.
• Fast response cutters.
• Offshore patrol cutters.
• Buoy tenders.
• Polar Security Cutters.
• Unmanned aerial systems.
He noted that the commandant of the USCG is committed to
ensuring that USCG maintains its operational excellence and that
the branch is prepared to operate in an opening Arctic. The USCG
is excited about the changes in capabilities that have already
arrived in Alaska and looking forward to those that will arrive
in the next few years; for instance, USCG Cutter Kukui replaced
the USCG Cutter Maple in Sitka in 2018, the USCG Cutter Sycamore
is in the yards in Baltimore, which will be replaced by the USCG
Cutter Fir in Cordova in the fall of 2019.
He detailed that the USCG's fast response cutters (FCR), two
have already been deployed in Ketchikan with four more expected
over the next four to six years with deployments in Sitka,
Seward, and Kodiak. Two additional FCRs will be positioned in
Juneau and Petersburg by 2022.
He noted that the USCG's C-130-J transition in Kodiak continues
to progress, the USCG has three of the fixed-wing aircraft in
Kodiak with two additional aircraft expected by fall of 2019.
He said the next class of cutters, the offshore patrol cutters
(OPC), will be home-ported in Kodiak by 2023-2024, replacing the
Douglas Monroe and the Alex Haley. The first two OPCs will be
deployed in Long Beach, California.
COMMANDER BELL remarked that the Polar Security Cutter (PSC)
program has been making the news of late. The USCG commandant
has gone out with a strategy of "6-3-1", he wants six PSCs:
three heavy, three medium and "he wants one now!" USCG has just
awarded the PSC contract for the first PSC to VT Halter Marine
(VTHM) in Pascagoula, Mississippi. VTHM should start PSC
construction by the later part of 2020 with the first PSC
delivered in FY2024. The first PSC will likely replace the Polar
Star which does the resupply mission in Antarctica. Alaska will
likely see the first PSC in 2024-2025.
He said unmanned aerial systems continues to be a technological
advancement that the USCG is taking advantage of. The USCG's
national security cutter (NSC) Stratton will test and deploy the
ScanEagle unmanned aerial system in the Arctic.
12:30:02 PM
He addressed "Pelagic Strike/Alaska Shield" as follows:
• USCG participated in state-wide Alaska Shield Full Scale
Exercise.
• USCG Marine Security Response Team West (MSRT-W) deployable
specialized force conducted hook and climb and simulated
counter-terrorism operations. Participants included:
o City of Cordova,
o Alaska State Troopers,
o Civil Air Patrol,
o U.S. Forest Service,
o FBI,
o Cordova Volunteer Fire Department,
o Cordova Amateur Radio Club,
o Alaska Department of Public Health,
o NOAA- NWS,
o NORTHCOM, TRANSCOM, ALCOM.
He said the cooperation and partnerships the USCG has with its
DOD components is phenomenal. USCG has a robust training and
exercise schedule that keeps the branch engaged and connected.
The best example is the recently completed Alaska Shield, a tri-
annual, state sponsored exercise. USCG conducted a "pelagic
strike counter-terrorism" exercise in conjunction with Alaska
Shield 19 to meet its shared preparedness objectives. Alaska
Shield 19 tested the USCG's ability to mobilize specialized
forces to Alaska in response to a terrorism or homeland security
threat on a vessel. Approximately 70 maritime security response
team personnel deployed their small boats and other equipment
from home base in San Diego via strategic airlift to Alaska that
was provided by NORTHCOM and ALCOM. The City of Cordova, the
State of Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency
Management, State DOT, and the Alaska Marine Highway System, and
other state and federal agencies, were integral to Alaska Shield
19's planning.
COMMANDER BELL added that superior teamwork and communications
were required within the past summer to support Operation Talon
Archer with the U.S. Air Force. Operation Talon Archer included
work between the U.S. Geological Survey, the FAA, the Fish and
Wildlife Service, and DOD personnel to help install a NORAD
NORTHCOM sponsored early warning system in Aleutian Island chain
which increased Alaska's Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and
tested the heavy lift helicopter capability over water.
12:31:39 PM
He addressed "Anchorage Earthquake" as follows:
• USCG priorities:
o 100-percent accountability of USCG members and
families:
square4 Achieved.
• Safety of life, search and rescue (SAR):
o Shifted airborne C-130 to SAR mission.
o Immediate launch six aircraft.
o Sector Juneau assumed Sector Anchorage's SAR
coordination.
• Port assessment and recovery:
o Sector coordinated with port partners.
o USCG LNOs deployed to SEOC and FEMA RRCC.
He said following a major incident, USCG 17th District's
immediate priorities include accountability of USCG members and
their families, search and rescue, safety of life, and assessing
and mitigating any impacts to the marine transportation system.
Interagency training and relationships established prior to the
earthquake incident were essential to effective coordination and
communications, including the State Emergency Operation Center
(SEOC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC) training and
exercises, the Alaska National "Earth Ex" from November 2018,
the recent NORTHCOM-FEMA transportation feasibility analysis,
USCG's regional interagency steering committee meetings and
working groups, periodic Alaska ESF and interagency partner
meetings which is lead by FEMA Region 10, and participation in
the ALCOM-DOD training and exercises including the annual
Vigilant Shield exercises, defense support of civil authorities
trainings, and the "joint logistics over the shoulder" (JLOT)
exercises.
12:33:01 PM
CO-CHAIR SHOWER asked Commander Bell to confirm that the USCG
said during the previous year's meeting that "1.5" Polar
Security Cutters would be considered.
COMMANDER BELL answered "technically, yes". He explained that
the Polar Star, the single heavy icebreaker, goes south every
year and the Cutter Healy, a medium class research vessel,
applies to the Arctic.
MR. ANGAPAK pointed out that Alaska has the longest coastline in
the U.S. and asked Commander Bell how the state can get more
icebreakers.
COMMANDER BELL answered that the USCG commandant just rolled out
the USCG's "Arctic Strategic Outlook" that provides insight as
to his thinking and the direction that the USCG is going to go
from homeland defense and security perspective. Increased Arctic
capability is a component that will be rolled out over the next
10 to 15 years. The USCG is addressing the interim for the
Arctic.
SENATOR HUGHES asked Commander Bell what the Alaska Legislature
can do to address with the federal government the USCG's
resources in the Arctic, especially due to Chinese and Russian
activity.
COMMANDER BELL emphasized that the Arctic is a "U.S. interest"
and not just an "Alaska interest". He reiterated that funding is
going towards the PSC program.
12:37:47 PM
CO-CHAIR TARR noted that the joint committee does not have
representation from coastal community legislators. She thanked
the USCG on behalf of Alaska's coastal communities for the
safety that they provide.
CO-CHAIR SHOWER concurred that the U.S. is behind in the Arctic
and other countries are taking advantage of it. He conceded that
there is not much the state can do. He noted that the USCG is
"incredibly stretched" for the resources they have been given
and he wants to make sure that the state is doing what it needs
to do.
SENATOR KAWASAKI addressed "graywater" and noted that in
September 2018 there was a graywater spill of 26,000 gallons in
Glacier Bay by the Westerdam that was not self-reported to the
USCG as per federal and international law. He noted that Holland
America was fined $250.
COMMANDER BELL answered that the $250 fine was from the U.S.
Forest Service. He said he was going to hold off additional
details for the graywater incident until the USCG has concluded
its investigation. He conceded that there has been a problem
across the cruise line industry, noting that Carnival has been
called out a couple of times for previous incidences.
12:40:29 PM
BRIGADIER GENERAL TORRENCE SAXE, Adjutant General, Alaska
National Guard; Commissioner, Military & Veterans Affairs, Joint
Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Alaska, delivered a
presentation on the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
He addressed an earlier question on the Ballistic Missile
Defense System (BMDS) and noted the system's locale importance
due to Alaska's broader surface area versus other places.
He said as part of DOD with a state and federal emphasis, he
would address three points regarding his new role as adjutant
general as follows:
1. Focus on state operations:
• Ongoing study on every airfield in the state:
o Make sure that the Alaska National Guard knows
how to get to airfields and determine the means
to standup to whatever is needed.
2. People are the most important asset:
• Rural engagement:
o Alaska National Guard is too concentrated in
Anchorage and Fairbanks.
o Alaska National Guard should reflect Alaska in
places that the Alaska National Guard should be
in.
o Recruiting should occur in Alaska's native areas.
• No room for toxic leadership:
o Define what that really means.
o Have responsibility and authority at the
appropriate level by "pushing down the authority
to the appropriate level".
3. Future missions and assets:
• "Guard owned iron":
o Partnership at JBER with the 11th Air Force.
o New models for HC-130J aircraft.
o No longer have the HC-130H aircraft.
• Association with "active duty":
o Should KC-46 aircraft refueling go to Eielson.
o Small role at Eielson when F-35 aircraft are
delivered.
o Involvement with Clear Air Force Station when a
Long Range Discrimination Radar is installed.
12:46:03 PM
BRIGADIER GENERAL SAXE addressed "National Guard End State, Team
Alaska" as follows:
• Team Alaska: Empowered professionals, dual mission, and
future focused.
He explained that as a dual-status commander for the Alaska
Guard includes a huge contingency role for events like the
recent earthquake where traffic was directed both on a state and
federal level; training is required to properly do that. He
emphasized that, "To defend Alaska you have got to know Alaska."
He noted that the Alaska National Guard has gone completely from
a strategic reserve to an operational component. The Alaska
National Guard has a connection with active duty and acting as
an independent entity is long gone.
He addressed the Alaska Air National Guard as follows:
• C-17 association and HC-130 upgrade:
o Alaska Guard "owns the iron".
o Alaska Guard has a high retention rate as opposed to
active duty counterparts.
• Six deployments to 14 countries.
• Search and rescue.
• Poised for Space National Guard:
o Alaska is one of eight states to have a space mission.
o Air traffic control for space.
12:49:26 PM
BRIGADIER GENERAL SAXE addressed the Alaska Army National Guard
as follows:
• Recruiting and retention:
o Recruiting and retention is up.
o Intent is to "go outside of the road system" to
recruit and communicate.
• Increased deployments:
o U.S. Army is more operational within the Guard.
• Aviation upgrade:
o Adding to helicopter inventory with Dakota and Chinook
helicopters.
o Help with federal and state deployments, including
fighting fires.
He addressed the Alaska National Guard Joint Staff as follows:
• Domestic operations focus, natural disasters:
o Recent earthquake got everyone's attention.
o Dramatic shift to domestic response and natural
disaster.
• Mongolia State Partnership Program:
o Strategic locale partnership.
• Exercise Arctic Eagle/Alaska Shield.
He addressed the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency
Management as part of the DMVA and detailed as follows:
• Cook Inlet earthquake response.
• Yukon-Tanana-Koyukuk rural resilience workshop.
• Cyber emphasis.
12:52:51 PM
He addressed the Division of Administrative Services regarding
"state versus federal dollar amounts". He said DMVA receives
some state funding and detailed as follows:
• FY2016 Operating Budget Impact:
o State General Fund Dollars Spent:
square4 $16.3 million.
o Federal dollars Received:
square4 $618.6 million.
• FY2017 Operating Budget Impact:
o State General Fund Dollars Spent:
square4 $15.9 million.
o Federal dollars Received:
square4 $744.0 million.
• FY2018 Operating Budget Impact:
o State General Fund Dollars Spent:
square4 $15.3 million.
o Federal dollars Received:
square4 $792.1 million.
BRIGADIER GENERAL SAXE addressed the Office of Veterans Affairs
as follows:
• Outreach to all veterans of any era.
• Assisted record 68,828 Alaskans.
• $600 million in federal benefits dispersed.
He addressed the Alaska Military Youth Academy as follow:
• Recent class graduated 156 cadets.
• 70 cadets awarded GEDs.
• 11 cadets awarded high school diplomas.
He noted that his wife sponsored two cadets. The academy is
"life changing", classes continue to grow, and his intent is to
keep the program going.
He addressed the Alaska State Defense Force as follows:
• Alaska National Guard "force enabler".
• Constabulary effort.
• End strength up 76 to 130-plus.
He said his intent is to get up to "Arctic Strategy" level by
increasing the force to 500 people.
12:56:17 PM
MR. ANGAPAK asked Brigadier General Saxe to address assistance
for personnel transitioning from overseas deployment to civilian
life, especially those living in rural Alaska.
BRIGADIER GENERAL SAXE concurred with the previous testimony
regarding suicide statistics. He opined that suicide is the most
unfortunate death because it is an act of desperation. He said
he tells people to say something if somebody is not acting the
same. He emphasized that the Alaska Guard has access to official
programs to provide assistance.
CO-CHAIR SHOWER noted that his son served two tours in Iraq as a
Marine and that half of the men in his platoons have committed
suicide since their return.
1:00:03 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SHAW said he has worked with Representative Tarr
on "recognizing someone of value", Kirk Alkire, a constituent of
Senator Reinbold. He continued as follows:
Today I would like to ask my fellow committee members
to join me in signing a letter of appreciation and
recognition of Kirk Alkire.
Kirk is a retired first sergeant who served his final
tour of duty with 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne),
25th Infantry Division, also known as the "4-2-5". His
last deployment in Iraq in 2007 became a change point
in his 20-year Army career. During that 15-month
deployment of the "4-2-5", 53 soldiers were killed in
action, including 4 from his artillery regime. Kirk
carries those 53 dog tags, one for each of those 53
soldiers as a reminder of the sacrifice for our
freedom.
Kirk felt the best way to honor his soldiers was to
honor their families, so he set out to get a peak in
the Chugiak Mountain Range named on behalf of the Gold
Star families. Gold Star families are family members
of fallen service members who died while serving in
time of conflict. Kirk succeeded in his efforts on
behalf of Gold Star families by getting formally
recognized "Gold Star Peak" through the U.S. Board of
Geographic names; for those efforts initially,
immediately following he was recognized by U.S.
Senator Sullivan on the floor of Congress.
Kirk and I will be leading a group of Gold Star Peak
and Mount POW/MIA up the mountain Memorial Day
weekend. Joining us along with fellow veterans will be
Gold Star family members. Admiral Bell and General
Saxe have accepted our invitation to climb as well, we
hope that they will be able to join us Memorial Day
weekend. We on the Joint Armed Services Committee
would like to thank Kirk for his efforts on behalf of
fellow veterans and the community.
1:02:06 PM
CO-CHAIR SHOWER announced that Senators Reinbold and Kawasaki
have invited those interested to attend the Senate Labor and
Commerce Committee regarding a bill moving out of committee that
will give military dependents and spouses license preference to
help them when they move, noting how hard that is to get jobs
and keep their careers up during the transition.
He thanked testifiers for spending time with the committee to
tell members what is going on and how the legislature and
governor might be able to help. He thanked attendees for their
service and for taking time to talk to the committee.
CO-CHAIR TARR echoed Co-chair Shower's comments and noted that
she looks forward to continuing conversations. She announced
that the committee is considering a possible meeting in October
in Fairbanks that will tie into a site visit to view all the
military construction in Fairbanks.
1:04:28 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Co-Chair Tarr adjourned the Joint Armed Services Committee
meeting at 1:04 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| JASC Presentation Army 5.9.19.pdf |
JASC 5/9/2019 11:15:00 AM |
|
| JASC Presentation Air Force 5.9.19.pdf |
JASC 5/9/2019 11:15:00 AM |
|
| JASC Presentation Alaska National Guard 5.9.19.pdf |
JASC 5/9/2019 11:15:00 AM |
|
| JASC Presentation Coast Guard 5.9.19.pdf |
JASC 5/9/2019 11:15:00 AM |