Legislature(2011 - 2012)HOUSE FINANCE 519
02/14/2012 11:00 AM House ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Briefings: Alaskan Command and Alaska Army National Guard | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
JOINT ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
February 14, 2012
11:03 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Bill Wielechowski, Co-Chair
Representative Dan Saddler, Co-Chair (via teleconference)
Senator Bettye Davis
Senator Joe Thomas
Senator Charlie Huggins
Representative Eric Feige
Representative Carl Gatto
Representative Bob Lynn
Representative Pete Petersen
PUBLIC MEMBERS
Charles Wallace (via teleconference)
Colonel Bill Brophy - retired (via teleconference)
Lieutenant General Tom Case - retired (via teleconference)
Lieutenant General Joel Casto (via teleconference)
Brigadier General Jake Lestenkof - retired (via teleconference)
Brigadier General George Cannelos - retired (via teleconference)
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Joe Paskvan
Representative Craig Johnson
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative Steve Thompson
Senator John Coghill
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
BRIEFINGS: ALASKA COMMAND AND ALASKA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
LIEUTENANT GENERAL STEPHEN HOOG, Commander
Alaska Command
U.S. Pacific Command
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a presentation regarding the
military in Alaska.
MAJOR GENERAL THOMAS KATKUS, Adjutant General/Commissioner
Alaska National Guard
Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs
Fort Richardson, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a presentation regarding the
Alaska National Guard.
ACTION NARRATIVE
11:03:47 AM
CO-CHAIR BILL WIELECHOWSKI called the Joint Armed Services
Committee meeting to order at 11:03 a.m. Representatives
Petersen and Gatto and Senators Huggins and Wielechowski were
present at the call to order. Representatives Saddler (via
teleconference), Feige and Lynn and Senator Davis arrived as the
meeting was in progress. Also in attendance were Representative
Thompson and Senator Davis. Public members in attendance were
Charles Wallace (via teleconference), Civilian Aide, Secretary
of the Army; Colonel Bill Brophy - retired (via teleconference);
Lieutenant General Tom Case - retired (via teleconference);
Lieutenant General Joel Casto (via teleconference); Brigadier
General Jake Lestenkof - retired (via teleconference); and
Brigadier General George Cannelos - retired (via
teleconference).
^Briefings: Alaskan Command and Alaska Army National Guard
Briefings: Alaskan Command and Alaska Army National Guard
11:05:07 AM
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI announced that the only order of business
would be briefings from Alaskan Command and the Alaska Army
National Guard. He then thanked those in the armed forces and
the National Guard and Reserve for their service.
11:05:26 AM
LIEUTENANT GENERAL STEPHEN HOOG, Commander, Alaskan Command,
began by informing the committee that he has been in Alaska
serving as commander since November 2011 and has experienced a
fantastic welcome and support during this time. He then turned
the committee's attention to his slide presentation and the
first slide entitled "We Honor Our Fallen," which recognizes
those Alaska-based military members who died in combat this last
year. He then informed the committee that 9,000 soldiers and
airmen are still deployed. Referring to the slide entitled
"Proposed Structure Changes," Lieutenant General Hoog clarified
that it relates the changes proposed for the U.S. Air Force part
of the military in Alaska. The most significant change is the
proposed relocation of the F-16 Aggressor Squadron from Eielson
Air Force Base to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in
fiscal year 2013. There are approximately 900 military/civilian
personnel assigned to F-16 operations at Eielson Air Force Base.
He noted, however, that the tanker mission, 168th Wing, will
still be maintained. "So, for us to draw a one-to-one link
between this number and anything that may be happening, I think
would be premature," Lieutenant General Hoog cautioned. When
the F-16 operation is brought to JBER, efficiencies will be
gained by allowing savings in manpower. Therefore, it would
likely not be a one-for-one reduction shifting from one location
to another as units are combined. Overall the Aggressors will
continue to support the Red Flag Alaska training. He then
highlighted that another significant impact to the Alaska Air
Force is the retirement/transfer of four C-130Hs stationed at
JBER. He reminded the committee that several years ago the Air
Force established an active associate, the 537th Airlift
Squadron to build onto the HC-130Hs the National Guard operates.
Therefore, the four C-130Hs will be retired and the active
association with the National Guard unit would cease, although
the National Guard unit would remain at JBER.
11:09:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO asked if the tankers will remain at Eielson
Air Force Base.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG answered at present the tanker mission
remains at Eielson Air Force Base where it will continue to do
the alert mission to support the North American Aerospace
Defense Command (NORAD) mission in order to get tankers airborne
to refuel fighters.
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO then posed a scenario in which the Base
Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) closed Eielson Air
Force Base, and asked if the tankers would relocate in Alaska.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG reminded the committee that there is an
effort to do another BRAC in 2015, which is separate from this
initial action taken by the Air Force for 2013. He opined that
it's fair to say that tankers are needed in Alaska because the
long-range intercept missions can't be conducted without tanker
support. The 25 million gallons of fuel at Eielson Air Force
Base and the ability to rapidly stand-up a large air refueling
hub in case of a contingency was one of the reasons why tankers
were placed there in the first place, he remarked.
11:11:34 AM
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI observed that the relocation of the F-16
Aggressor Squadron is a proposed structure change, and therefore
he asked if the change is final or is there the possibility that
it might not happen.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG related his understanding that [the
relocation of the F-16 Aggressor Squadron is what the Air Force
would like to do in order to meet the $8.5 billion cost that it
faces in fiscal year 2013. The Air Force views this as a smart
decision to use the resources available in a manner that is most
effective for the taxpayers. In further response to Co-Chair
Wielechowski, Lieutenant General Hoog said the relocation would
take place the end of September 2013 and he imagined it would be
a phased-in approach. There would be a stand-down period for
the squadron during which the transfer of airplanes and
relocation of maintenance equipment would occur.
11:12:52 AM
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG, continuing his presentation, directed
the committee's attention to the slide entitled "Joint Base
Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER)." He informed the committee that
the 673d Air Base Wing completed its full operational capability
October 1, 2010. The real property was transferred from the
Army to the Air Force, which was accomplished by bringing in
additional civilians that transferred to the Air Force. All in
all, he characterized the transition as an overwhelming success.
In fact, JBER was categorized as "a model joint base." Upon
review, one would find that Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force
Bases were joint long before it was popular to do so, and thus
this just takes it to the next level. During this transition to
a joint base, a new incident response command center was
constructed and the housing and privatization effort was
consolidated. The aforementioned really fosters a joint
community even though the Air Force and the Army have different
cultures.
11:16:19 AM
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI inquired as to the concerns, in terms of
privacy of information, surrounding the new (indisc.) system.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG offered to obtain and provide the
committee with information regarding the privacy concerns. He
informed the committee that in the past when someone was banned
from the base or was discharged and not allowed to enter the
base, lost identification cards from the past would materialize.
The aforementioned would result in individuals entering the base
that shouldn't be on the base. However, the (indisc.) system
works well when someone is banned from entering the base.
11:17:47 AM
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG, continuing his presentation, directed
attention to the slide entitled "JBER Total Force Integration."
He explained that total force integration is when the active and
guard or reserve squadrons work together side-by-side, sharing
the same facilities and airplanes. This force integration has
been done effectively for years in the airlift side and more
recently has been practiced on the fighter side. He informed
the committee that the F-22 mission is a completely integrated
operation at all levels with the 3rd Wing and the 477th Fighter
Group. With the C-17s, there is an active duty unit with an
associate unit on the National Guard side that augments the air
crews. In 2011, 40 percent of the C-17 missions flown out of
Alaska were flown with blended crews. Furthermore, over 50
percent of the missions flown by C-130s were flown by blended
crews. These blended crews can afford teaching/training
opportunities and expand the knowledge base, which he opined is
why the Air Force is investing in total force integration units
across the board over the next three to five years. Turning to
his duties as the Alaskan NORAD Region Commander, he noted that
although the mission doesn't intercept as many airplanes as in
years past, they are on call every day all day to intercept
whoever comes across the northern slope as well as do the
airborne sovereignty alert in case of a terrorist attack. He
noted that the F-22s [at JBER] are almost fully operational and
within the next two to three months he anticipated transitioning
the alert missions to them. He also noted that General Jacoby,
Northern Command Commander, recently signed a new security
relationship agreement with Canada that goes outside the
constructs of NORAD. The aforementioned allows for greater
cooperation in the Arctic region for things like search and
rescue operations, exercises, and training. This by-lateral
agreement provides more flexibility to perform exercises
directly with Canada and obtain more Arctic expertise.
11:22:06 AM
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG moved on to the slide entitled "2011
Exercises," and highlighted that last summer was exceptional for
Red Flag - Alaska. The exercise lasted from April through
October and was the busiest exercise season in five years with
over 7,000 deployed personnel, 73 units, and 8 foreign countries
participating. He then highlighted the Northern Edge exercise,
which is characterized as Alaska's premier [air and sea] joint
training exercise that occurs every other year. Last year
Northern Edge involved over 6,000 joint participants that
included U.S. Navy surface combatant ships that exercised off
the south coast of Alaska. The Talisman Sabre exercise was a
direct insert of a battalion that flew 18 hours nonstop to
Australia and tankers were used to refuel along the way.
Vigilant Shield is the Alaskan NORAD Region and JTF-AK exercise
that is performed in order to ensure that any threats or
terrorist attack from over the North Pole can be intercepted.
Lieutenant General Hoog then presented a slide entitled "Alaska-
Based Forces Currently Deployed," which highlights that Alaska
military members are deployed all over the world. Referring to
the slide entitled "U.S. Army Alaska Deployments," he related
that of the troops in Afghanistan, 11.9 percent are from Alaska.
In fact, the 1/25 Stryker Combat Team has been in Afghanistan
for over nine months and the 4/25 Airborne Brigade Combat Team
was just deployed this last fall. Additionally, the 16th Combat
Aviation Brigade (AK), military police, transportation,
explosive ordnance disposal, and maintenance are in Afghanistan.
Recently, in the USARAK the 3rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade was
transformed into the 2nd Engineer Brigade in order to provide
more flexibility in the Pacific area of operations. Moreover,
[USARAK] is working on continuing to expand cold weather and
mountain training, specifically focusing on Arctic conditions.
He then moved on to the slide entitled "11th Air Force
Deployments," and explained that airmen usually run bases in
areas where there aren't permanent facilities. The airmen
operate the towers, fuel trucks, and dining halls. Teams
ranging from 2 to 100 are deployed to help run these
installations. In 2011, 700-800 airmen have continuously been
deployed for various missions [in support of Operation Enduring
Freedom]. Outside of Alaska there have been big deployments for
RED FLAG at Nellis Air Force Base and the Air Mobility Command
Rodeo, which is a competition for the best air crews. The 18th
Aggressor Squadron has been particularly busy since during the
winter months they do a lot of deployments to Guam, Japan, and
Hawaii to perform dissimilar air combat training, whereas the
summer months are spent at Eielson Air Force Base to provide
support for RED FLAG Alaska and other [exercises]. He then
informed the committee that the 11th Air Force also had two
theater security package deployments for which airplanes are
deployed to Japan to help reinforce the role of the U.S. forces
in the Pacific Asian Theater, as that's becoming more of a high
priority. Therefore, there will be more theater security
packages in the future as the military continues to forward
deploy in the Pacific Asian Theater. Lieutenant General Hoog
then directed attention to slide 12 entitled "Operation
Tomodachi," which was heavily supported by the JBER C-17 crews,
Eielson [Air Force Base] personnel, and USARAK personnel. He
reminded the committee that for a while there was contemplation
of evacuating of U.S. families and civilian personnel from the
Island of Japan proper and staging them at JBER or Eielson Air
Force Base. Some airplanes actually landed at the old Eareckson
Air Station where they refueled and continued. Moving on to
slide 13 entitled "Overview," he informed the committee that the
Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC) is about one-third to
30 percent complete in the initiative to make two ranges truly
joint. Referring to slide 14 entitled "JPARC," he told the
committee that an environmental impact study on the
environmental impact of JPARC itself is being performed. At
this point, the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) is
being completed and will be available shortly. The goal is to
complete the EIS prior to the end of this legislative session,
after holding public briefings and hearings throughout the
state. Additionally, he offered to provide legislators a pre-
brief regarding key issues [for specific areas] prior to
briefings in the key public venues. The final draft of the EIS
is complete and must be reviewed by headquarters prior to
distribution.
11:31:12 AM
SENATOR COGHILL commented that what has been done in terms of
soliciting public comment has been very well done and most
believe they have had significant input that has been heard.
For those in the [JPARC] area, there is great interest in not
losing private air space. He related his belief that there is
consideration of the aforementioned. He then said he would
appreciate a pre-brief on the final draft because it covers the
entire area he represents. With regard to the F-16s, he
questioned what the legislature could do to convince [the Alaska
military] to go up the chain of command to make the case for
what has been done in the JPARC as well as the various exercises
at Eielson Air Force Base. The value of the aforementioned
seems very high, he opined. Therefore, he said he would hate
for the pull-out to create an economic burden to both the Air
Force and the area he represents. Senator Coghill related that
he intends to be as vocal as he can be to help with the Alaska
military's vision and the location in Alaska.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG stated that he intends to allow as much
time as is required, if not more, to ensure that there are more
final comments. He informed the committee that it will observe
some changes for the original lay downs and boundaries based on
comments received to date. For instance, there have been some
border changes for the air space to the south in order to
accommodate some (indisc. - coughing) conflict areas.
11:33:59 AM
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG, continuing his presentation, directed
the committee's attention to JPARC handouts that he had provided
members. He reminded the committee that there's a very set
process for the environmental hearings with specific timelines
and a trigger event for each part of the process. The next
trigger event is the release of the environmental impact
statements, which will reset the clock as the process moves
forward. Then he turned attention to slide 15 entitled "The
Arctic," which he characterized as a growing area. He related
that General Jacoby is seeking to expand the understanding and
awareness of his headquarters as well as Alaska's [military] in
the current topics of the Arctic. He reminded the committee of
the economic competition coming to the North as well as coming
oil exploration. For the first time, this last summer cargo
ships made transit around the north side of Russia. The Arctic
Council was also working to combine search and rescue operations
to ensure that [Alaska military] can offer support across
countries and bilateral for borders if necessary. Lieutenant
General Hoog pointed out that the United Nations Convention on
the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) hasn't been ratified by the U.S
Congress, although [the military] has signed it and abides by
it. He explained that the Arctic Council is a multi-national
forum for Arctic issues and by design the military is not part
of that council but rather provides support. The Arctic Council
meeting in Anchorage will occur in March 2012.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG, referring to the slide entitled
"Exercise Strategy," said he would like to share the basic
exercise philosophy that is used in Alaska. Funding in the
amount of $3-4 million per year is provided for a series of
exercises. The decision has been made to alternate between the
Pacific Command (PACOM) exercises and Northern Command (NORCOM)
exercises. In the PACOM years, the Northern Edge exercise
occurs, which is a very high level/intense exercise that
supports Joint Task Commander-519. The Joint Task Commander-519
is the naval commander who has been tasked to support the
defense of Taiwan or any other high-end threat in the Pacific.
Therefore, for a Northern Edge exercise it's critical to connect
JPARC with the airspace off the south coast of Alaska in order
to have an air and sea battle. The aforementioned is also the
reason this cutting edge exercise receives high levels of
funding and cutting edge technologies for both offensive and
defensive positions in order to have a realistic training
environment. During the NORCOM years, the Arctic Edge exercise
occurs. The JTF-Alaska partners with the State of Alaska to
provide training. The Arctic Edge exercise is comprised of the
Alaska Shield exercise, which is the State of Alaska's exercise
for homeland security and natural disaster consequence
management. The military attempts to synchronize its efforts
for disaster and consequence management with the state's efforts
because the consequence management efforts are led by the state
government. Therefore, every other year a very large scale
exercise is held. During this exercise active duty personnel as
well as Guard personnel partner with the state in order to
ensure all the various avenues of communication are exercised.
Referring to the slide entitled "Future Exercises," he specified
that this year is an Arctic Edge year, albeit it's a little
smaller exercise due to the larger exercise during which the
state and military partnered two years ago. The first element
of [Arctic Edge], the Alaska Shield, has already been held. The
goal of the exercise was to develop a support element that would
help reconstitute the state after a natural disaster.
Additionally, Arctic Care, an Alaska National Guard led effort
for medical readiness training in the Interior of Alaska, is
occurring. The upcoming Ardent Sentry is more direct support
for civil authorities. Later this summer Arctic Shield, an
Arctic oil spill response scenario, is scheduled. Northern Edge
13 has already been scheduled for next year, but the
participation of an aircraft carrier group is being pursued.
Arctic Edge 14 is intended to be a major rehearsal integrated
across the state to ensure all contingencies are covered. He
reminded the committee during all of these exercises RED FLAG
will be ongoing. The Eielson Air Force Base F-16s will provide
the aggressor support for that. Although he didn't know what
RED FLAG will look like when the Eielson Air Force Base F-16s
are at JBER, he expected that the Eielson Air Force Base F-16s
will likely send the majority of its aircraft to operate out of
Eielson Air Force Base during these exercises.
11:41:12 AM
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG, referring to the slide entitled "F12
Military Construction," directed the committee's attention to
the spreadsheet specifying the base, project, and funding amount
for each project name. He pointed out that there are two
projects on the Eielson Air Force Base, including an upgraded
rail line that would increase the ability to refuel such that it
could support a tanker task force. However, the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers has placed a temporary hold on the Eielson Air
Force Base 168-person dormitory pending further analysis as to
whether it will be required based on the pending force structure
moves. The remainder of the military construction listed on the
spreadsheet is going to be executed, he noted.
11:42:04 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE, regarding the move of the F-16s to JBER,
surmised that Eielson Air Force Base will have to be used as a
staging area. He then asked whether there will be any cuts to
the civilian workforce at Eielson Air Force Base.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG said that he didn't know the details of
the plan, but told the committee that in March there will be a
team that will review the second order of consequences of
pulling out 300-500 military folks who fly and maintain the
airplanes. He related that on average 2.1-3.1 family members
accompany every active duty serviceman stationed at Eielson Air
Force Base. Therefore, there would be a ripple effect of
personnel on the base when pulling out parts. All the analysis
will have to be thoroughly reviewed and discussed as the process
continues.
11:43:29 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO inquired as to the reasoning for upgrading
the dormitories of existing personnel.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG explained that the Air Force established
a standard for a basic single-person room at a military
installation. The Air Force is trying to meet the standard in
which there is a centralized room with rooms and a private
shower for each personnel. The Air Force was on course to
achieve the aforementioned standard, but the project has been
placed on hold until the personnel analysis [under
restructuring] is complete. The project is a byproduct of last
year's planning efforts and remains pending until the vetting
process is complete.
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO then inquired as to whether all the
projects listed on the slide are fluid.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG answered that they are all fluid to a
degree, but pointed out that once the military is given funding
to execute the project rarely is the project stopped.
Therefore, the dormitory project is a rare case in which the
project is stopped for more review.
11:45:50 AM
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG, returning to his presentation, directed
attention to slide 20 entitled "Missile Defense Agency (MDA),"
and stated that all aspects of MDA's mission are proceeding at
100 percent. The power plant is scheduled to go on line,
missile field 2 will be completed, and the upgrade of the
ground-based interceptor fleet continued. Furthermore, the
Clear Air Station early warning radar site is receiving upgrades
to the security fence, back-up power plant, and radar protection
(USAF) as well as to radar (MDA). Those projects are fully
funded in the amount of $346.4 million to MDA. Moving on to
the slide entitled "2012 Deployment Forecast," Lieutenant
General Hoog highlighted that most of the soldiers from the 1/25
Stryker Combat Team and the 539th Transportation Company will
return to Fort Wainwright. Later in the year, the 4/25 Airborne
Brigade will return to the state. Departing from JBER this year
is the 23rd Engineer Company, the 98th Maintenance Company, and
the 793rd Military Police. With regard to the 11th Air Force,
it will continue to support the air expeditionary force
deployments. Current projections are 600 and 500, respectively.
Additionally, the Aggressor Squadron will continue to support a
fairly robust exercise schedule. The Cope North training will
deploy the 18th Aggressor Squadron to Guam Air Base as well as
an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) airplane
performing air-to-air control and dissimilar air combat with
assets. Cope Tiger is a C-17 airplane that will fly into
Thailand and continue on to a mission in Australia. The Valiant
Shield exercise will be later this year. He pointed out that
thankfully, there will be fewer deployments to Afghanistan,
although the forward presence and exercises will remain fairly
robust.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG then moved on to the slide entitled "DOD
Personnel Reductions," in order to address the 13,500 reduction
in U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) civilian Air Force positions
announced for JBER. The Alaska-wide net reduction was 270 out
of almost 3,000 positions, which amounted to about a 9 percent
reduction. The aforementioned resulted in the net reduction of
222 positions at JBER and 48 civilian positions at Eielson Air
Force Base. He informed the committee that early retirement has
been offered as has reassignment to vacant positions.
Ultimately, he surmised that there will be 40-60 people who
won't be able to be placed, given the number of vacancies. He
noted they are going through the normal process with the unions
and the civilian personnel system in order to ensure everything
is done as fair as possible. Recently, the Alaska Army faced a
reduction of 62 positions. As a result of these cuts, Alaska
officials had discussions with PACAF and the Army Installation
Command and brought in 40 experts from the Army and the Air
Force to review the impacts the proposed cuts would have on the
support, particularly in terms of support to the families. The
results of the study will provide the basis for changes and
adjustments as the process moves forward. Continuing on to the
slide entitled "Taking Care of Those at Home," Lieutenant
General Hoog informed the committee of the Air Force's family
support initiative Heartlink that helps new spouses transition
into the Air Force. Both the Air Force and the Army have the
Key Spouse initiative in which there are key spouses located in
each unit to coordinate activities for spouses when units are
deployed. The Hearts Apart-deployed family program is available
to keep people in touch. The Family Readiness Group has lots of
programs available for marriage counseling as well as keeping
kids prepared for deployments and returns. Another great
initiative is the Master Resiliency Training, which provides
skills to people to deal with stress in advance to avoid impacts
to one's performance and personal life. All of the
aforementioned illustrate the benefits of joint basing and the
ability to share initiatives. He then highlighted the Soldier
and Family Assistance Center (SFAC), which helps with the
transition of returning wounded soldiers. In the last year,
there has been more emphasis on employment and transition,
resulting in the Military Spouse Employment Program, which has,
across DoD, helped place 5,000 spouses in jobs.
11:53:51 AM
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG then directed the committee's attention
to the slide entitled "Fisher House of Alaska." The Fisher
House is a unique public-private partnership that supports
America's military in its time of need. The program recognizes
the sacrifices and hardships of military service by meeting a
humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the
Department of Defense and Veterans' Affairs. Since members of
the military and their families are stationed worldwide and
often must travel great distances for specialized military care,
the Fisher House Foundation donates "comfort homes" that are
constructed on the grounds of major military and medical
centers. These homes allow a family member to be near a loved
one during the most stressful time, such as during the
hospitalization of an unexpected illness, disease, or
battlefield injury. He told the committee that annually the
Fisher House program serves more than 12,000 families and has
made available 3 million days of lodging to family members since
the program originated in 1990. Members of the Fisher family
will be present at the dedication of the 12-unit facility built
next to JBER hospital. The facility was opened in December and
folks are already living in it. The facility is open to all
branches of military personnel as well as veterans on a space
available basis and a priority ranking. He then moved on to the
slide entitled "Arctic Thunder 2012," and informed the committee
that all the single ship demonstration teams in the Air Force
were cut due to funding constraints. The only teams remaining
are the F-22s and the Thunderbirds. There will be a couple of
shows from the Thunderbirds at JBER, which will be successful
due to the support by the Alaska Air Show Association. The
funding from the Alaska Air Show Association will provide the
ability to have some of the key acts on the civilian side.
Moreover, it will be a great open house. In closing, Lieutenant
General Hoog thanked the committee/the state for its support.
11:57:12 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS, on behalf of the Joint Veterans' Caucus, gave
Lieutenant General Hoog an Air Force coffee cup.
11:57:47 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO opined that it isn't chance that Alaska is
very hospitable to the military.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOOG related that the committee would be
surprised at the number of military personnel who do what it
takes to have another tour in Alaska.
11:59:36 AM
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI thanked Lieutenant General Hoog for his
presentation and encouraged him to relate any suggestions in
terms of ways in which the state can improve.
12:00:09 PM
MAJOR GENERAL THOMAS KATKUS, Adjutant General/Commissioner,
Alaska National Guard, Department of Military & Veterans'
Affairs, prefaced his comments by clarifying that today he is
speaking as the adjutant general not the commissioner of DMVA.
He said he will talk about the Alaska National Guard relative to
the active component, which equates to roughly 4,000 members,
with Air and Army [National Guard] being almost equally
represented. The difference is that many of the Alaska National
Guard members are constituents who have family members and
employers in the state. Alaska National Guardsmen are an
important piece of Alaska whether in uniform or not. Major
General Katkus reminded the committee of the Alaska National
Guards' transformation from a Cold War entity that was closely
positioned to a threat nation and designed around the fact that
it was forward deployed in a very austere environment to today
when the Alaska National Guard membership is able to mobilize,
fall in on an active duty unit with comparable equipment and
training to perform federal and state missions. Referring to
the slide entitled "Army," he related that although Alaska still
has many Alaska National Guard armories across the state, many
are now in a battlefield surveillance brigade. Major General
Katkus clarified that battlefield surveillance brigade is no
longer infantry centric, although it is still a combat
multiplier that provides intelligence, reconnaissance,
surveillance, and long-range communications through a vast array
of technology. Furthermore, a battlefield surveillance brigade
is a maneuver source that is lightly, but effectively armed in
terms of gathering intelligence and relaying that intelligence
to those who can be effectively engaged and employed against the
threat. The battlefield surveillance brigade has an incredible
array of communication capability, which is one of the state's
largest weaknesses. The state is situated low on the horizon
and has very limited access to satellite coverage some days. In
a state emergency, the battlefield brigade would bring wheeled
assets on the road systems, manpower, and the ability to
communicate, and bring modernized equipment into communities to
assist. With regard to aviation, he informed the committee that
there are 10 UH-60Ls in theatre as stay-behind equipment. The
plan is to get those back within the next six months. In the
meantime, the National Guard Bureau has been very effective with
all states in regard to ensuring that all equipment that states
have left behind have equipment from other states. The C-12 unit
continues to be a tremendous asset and is currently deployed in
Afghanistan. With regard to the C-23 Sherpa unit, he
anticipated being able to keep those planes in the state until
about 2015. As many may know, the Army has made a corporate
decision that fixed-wing aviation isn't a core competency of the
Army and transferred it to the U.S. Air Force. Therefore, the
Air Force is now performing many of the tactical missions
normally performed by the Sherpa aircraft. As is the case with
many of the states that have Sherpa aircraft, the states are
preparing to divest themselves of [the Sherpa] mission and
considering replacement [aircraft]. From a state perspective,
states can't just depend on their Air National Guard and its
fixed-wing assets. Alaska provides a wide range of requirements
for various platforms and the Army has deployed the Sherpas in
many different ways than it's deployed by the Air Force.
Referring to the 49th missile battalion in the Army, he
expressed pride in the over 200 full-time members of the Alaska
National Guard that are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
He highlighted the strategic mission of the Alaska National
Guard, which is critical to the entire nation. Additionally,
within the Alaska National Guard, it's growing its own. For
example, a former battalion commander of the Alaska National
Guard is now slated to take over the brigade in the Colorado
National Guard. There is also the military police, for which
the key center is in Juneau. The military police structure now
in Alaska allows the recruitment of males and females. He then
turned to the airborne infantry in Bethel, where the residents
watch them perform parachute training. He highlighted the pride
felt by the infantry members. This year a new armory was opened
in Bethel and the unit is in its final week of preparation for
deployment to Afghanistan.
12:10:20 PM
MAJOR GENERAL KATKUS moved on to the slide entitled "Operational
Relevance," and highlighted that [the Alaska Army National
Guard] has a force structure that is relevant. Furthermore, the
deployment requirements of Alaska rank similarly to other states
that have been requested to provide forces. Beyond the high-
tech command and control and the modern vehicles that the
battlefield surveillance brigade and the new force structure
provide, two other assets impact what [the Alaska Army National
Guard] does in the state. Those assets are a water purification
unit and power generation equipment. The new generators
operated by the National Guard synchronize with the state's
effort to provide a national stockpile of power generation
equipment. Although it would seem that Alaska would have plenty
of water, water is critical during a disaster, particularly in
terms of purification. Major General Katkus emphasized that the
Alaska Army National Guard has not missed a deployment and has
remained ready with support from all aspects. He then turned
attention to the slide entitled "Space," and referenced the $220
million [Clear systems upgrade will data link with GMD at
Greely]. He opined that the soldiers and airmen [at Greely and
Clear] are in a construct that is different from any other
National Guard. When the National Guard is "under color of
authority doing their job, they're working for the president;
when they are off-duty, they are working for the governor."
Although the aforementioned would seem to call into question
what rules, regulations, disciplines, and constraints one would
fall under at any given, it works easily and smoothly.
Continuing on to the slide entitled "Air," he related how
impressed he is with Alaska's Air National Guard. The access
the Alaska Air National Guard has to the world's best assets for
rescue in the state that needs it most can't be understated, he
said. For example, the pararescue staff is in Alaska due to the
requirement to support Lieutenant General Hoog and his missions
of interceptions and exercises. As an extension, the National
Guard is allowed to use that asset when available to provide
support to Alaskans. The pararescue staff had over 79 saves in
Alaska and over 25 saves in Afghanistan, where they were under
fire and at a great personal risk. He then highlighted the
support assets, including the fixed-wing C-130Hs. He then told
the committee that the 176th Wing Weapons Systems completed its
move from Kulis Air National Guard Base to JBER without any
disruption in rescue or deployment. Referring to the slide
entitled "Air," Major General Katkus pointed out that the 168th
Wing Weapons Systems is required to provide a tanker within an
hour of an active duty request; the 168th hasn't failed to meet
the aforementioned requirement in the 26 years it has been in
existence. Again, the Alaska National Guard is critical to
ensuring the entire system works. The 168th operates nine KC-
135s that are old, but have been kept in good shape and have
been deployed throughout the world.
12:18:04 PM
REPRESENTATIVE PETERSEN asked if there are plans to replace the
aging KC-135s with a newer model.
MAJOR GENERAL KATKUS said that although he can't answer that
specifically, he imagined they would be replaced over time. In
fact, Boeing has just received a contract. The distribution of
those aircraft and how they phase into operation will likely be
a deliberate process. He related that currently there is a
significant delta between what the 168th in Eielson Air Force
Base can produce and the requirements. There is no shortage of
fuel requests and [the 168th] provides to the capacity it can
for all missions. He opined that if there was a growth
industry, fueling in Alaska would be it. He clarified, however,
that he merely deploys the assets once they are authorized and
distributed to the Alaska National Guard.
12:19:23 PM
MAJOR GENERAL KATKUS, returning to his presentation, directed
attention to the slide entitled "In Summary." He then discussed
the Alaska National Guard's community relations in terms of how
it integrates and involves the communities. The aforementioned
is critical for mentorship and ensuring that the Alaska National
Guard fully represents the communities throughout the state,
whether it is the Iron Dog, Top Dog Charity Race, or funeral
honors that are equivalent to Arlington last honors. Major
General Katkus concluded by showing a slide with photos of a
helicopter from the Coast Guard, the Alaska Air National Guard,
and the Alaska Army National Guard and stated that one of those
will provide the rescue for those needing such support. More
importantly, in terms of the Arctic, the Coast Guard is the lead
agency. The partnership with the Coast Guard, the Air National
Guard, and the Army National Guard provide synergy by working
together. He noted that all of them are deployed through the
Rescue Coordination Center. The synergies are taken a step
further by co-locating Sector Anchorage U.S. Coast Guard to JBER
with the Alaska National Guard, which is also the location of
the state emergency operations center and the command and
control of the state. Major General Katkus emphasized that a
great job with partnerships is occurring as the [National Guard]
moves forward with Arctic requirements. The various military
sectors in Alaska have always worked together and the
partnerships will continue going forward.
12:23:41 PM
SENATOR COGHILL inquired as to what the state needs to do in
terms of the communication link in the Northern end.
MAJOR GENERAL KATKUS pointed out that more and more technology
is available for communication. Alaska Aerospace is now part of
the Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs and they launch
satellites, which have a lot of potential. He related that as
unmanned aerial systems and the ability to establish localized
communication requirements are reached, the Coast Guard will
require all of that as they support drilling operations this
summer. However, prior to addressing anything, the requirement
must be established and clearly identified. The forces are
being moved to the Arctic in order to demonstrate the delta
between the requirement and what is available.
12:25:32 PM
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI remarked that the state asks a lot of its
National Guard and Reserve, and thanked everyone for their
service. He encouraged Major General Katkus to let the
legislature know of any ways it could be of help.
12:25:56 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the Joint
Armed Services Committee meeting was adjourned at 12:25 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska State JASC 2012 Alaska National Guard.ppt |
HASC 2/14/2012 11:00:00 AM |
JASC Briefing |
| JASC Briefing 2012--Alaskan Command.pptx |
HASC 2/14/2012 11:00:00 AM |
JASC Briefing |