00                CS FOR SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 30(STA)                                                              
01 Expressing gratitude for the United States military and supporting increased defense                                    
02 readiness through infrastructure development and public-military partnerships.                                          
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04       WHEREAS support for and to the United States Armed Forces is essential to Alaska's                            
05 safety, economy, and identity; and                                                                                      
06       WHEREAS increased military presence is critical to the state's economic and                                     
07 demographic growth; and                                                                                                 
08       WHEREAS the state is honored to be home to over 59,000 veterans, the highest                                    
09 percentage of any other state, reflecting the state's connection to the armed forces; and                               
10       WHEREAS the unique geography and strategic access to the Arctic and Indo-Pacific                                
11 make the state critical to defense readiness, Arctic security, and allied and partner operations;                       
12 and                                                                                                                     
13 WHEREAS the caliber of military installations in the state is unmatched, including                                    
14 Eielson Air Force Base, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Clear Space Force Station, Fort                                
15 Wainwright, Fort Greely, Coast Guard Base Kodiak, Coast Guard Base Ketchikan, Coast                                     
16 Guard Sector Southeast Alaska, and Coast Guard Sector Western Alaska and numerous                                       

01 additional installations, training areas, and stations critical to national defense; and                                
02 WHEREAS, in the past decade, military installations in the state have seen substantial                                
03 mission and personnel growth, including Eielson Air Force Base expanding by more than                                   
04 1,000 airmen, a more than a 50 percent increase in personnel, and Coast Guard Base Kodiak                               
05 adding more than 1,200 Coast Guardsmen, reflecting a more than 100 percent increase in                                  
06 personnel; and                                                                                                          
07 WHEREAS the planned military expansion includes an additional KC-135 tanker                                           
08 squadrons, Arctic security icebreakers, fast response cutters, missile defense systems, and                             
09 unmanned aerial systems, representing long-term strategic investment in the state and the                               
10 need for additional civilian support infrastructure; and                                                                
11 WHEREAS the state has a responsibility to support its military members and families                                   
12 with sufficient, quality housing, schools, utilities, and services that allow them to focus on                          
13 their missions and encourage long-term residence in the state; and                                                      
14 WHEREAS communities near military installations often face housing shortages that                                     
15 negatively affect both service members and local residents; and                                                         
16 WHEREAS housing shortages, such as those at Eielson Air Force Base, are likely to                                     
17 compound as military expansion accelerates; and                                                                         
18 WHEREAS the state has a direct interest in providing sufficient support for military                                  
19 installations to ensure the installations remain viable accompanied assignments rather than                             
20 being designated hardship posts; and                                                                                    
21 WHEREAS enhanced-use leases enable private development of housing on                                                  
22 underutilized military land, reducing housing costs for residents of the state while providing                          
23 housing for service members and families; and                                                                           
24 WHEREAS dual-use infrastructure, such as warm-storage facilities, utilities, power,                                   
25 communications, air and seaport development, lodging, aircraft hangars, roads, and railways,                            
26 increases defense readiness while concurrently enhancing infrastructure resilience in the event                         
27 of hazardous weather or otherwise and saving state dollars;                                                             
28 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes and expresses                                             
29 gratitude for the service and sacrifice of the men and women who protect the state; and be it                           
30 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports the expansion of                                          
31 Alaskan military bases, dual-use facilities, and public-military partnerships, including                                

01 enhanced-use leases, to ensure adequate housing, infrastructure, and resources for service                              
02 members and families.                                                                                                   
03 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President                                   
04 of the United States; the Honorable JD Vance, Vice President of the United States and                                   
05 President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Pete Hegseth, United States Secretary of Defense;                           
06 the Honorable Markwayne Mullin, United States Secretary of Homeland Security; the                                       
07 Honorable Daniel Driscoll, United States Secretary of the Army; the Honorable John Phelan,                              
08 Secretary of the Navy; the Honorable Dr. Troy E. Meink, Secretary of the Air Force; and the                             
09 Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the                                         
10 Honorable Nicholas Begich, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in                                     
11 Congress.