Legislature(2023 - 2024)GRUENBERG 120
04/13/2023 01:00 PM House MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation(s): Overview of the Alaska Naval Militia | |
| Presentation(s): Overview of the Civil Air Patrol | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS
April 13, 2023
1:02 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Stanley Wright, Chair
Representative Laddie Shaw
Representative George Rauscher
Representative Cliff Groh
Representative Andrew Gray
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Ben Carpenter
Representative Dan Saddler
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION(S): OVERVIEW OF THE ALASKA NAVAL MILITIA
- HEARD
PRESENTATION(S): OVERVIEW OF THE CIVIL AIR PATROL
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
JASON WOODWARD, Captain, Commander
Alaska Naval Militia
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented an overview of the Alaska Naval
Militia.
STEPHEN SAMMONS, Lieutenant Colonel, Emergency Services Officer
Alaska Wing
Civil Air Patrol
Elmendorf Air Force Base
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented an overview of the Alaska Wing
Civil Air Patrol.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:02:00 PM
CHAIR STANLEY WRIGHT called the House Special Committee on
Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting to order at 1:02 p.m.
Representatives Shaw, Groh, Gray, and Wright were present at the
call to order. Representative Rauscher arrived as the meeting
was in progress.
^Presentation(s): Overview of the Alaska Naval Militia
Presentation(s): Overview of the Alaska Naval Militia
1:02:46 PM
CHAIR WRIGHT announced that the first order of business would be
the Overview of the Alaska Naval Militia presentation.
1:03:07 PM
JASON WOODWARD, Captain, Commander, Alaska Naval Militia, gave
the PowerPoint presentation, titled "Overview of the Alaska
Naval Militia" [hardcopy included in committee packet]. He
moved to slide 2, which read as follows [original punctuation
provided]:
The Alaska Naval Militia (AKNM), was established in
1974 with one full time employee who was stationed in
Juneau. The organization was inactive until re-
established in 1985.
Per AS 26.05.010, the Naval Militia is comprised of
USC Title 10 Navy and Marine Corps Reservists who
serve in the AKNM as prescribed by AS 26.05.030.
CAPTAIN WOODWARD advanced to slide 4 and reported that AKNM has
48 members. He said the militia now allows for a 5 percent
retired member status, which is done for leadership continuity.
He explained that all navy reservists in the unit who live in
Alaska are eligible and work on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
(JBER). He said the unit is in a Title 10 status of the U.S.
Code, which means "active duty." He stated that unless called
upon by the state, it would move to Title 32 status [full-time
National Guard duty]. He presented slide 5, which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
• Training available with Air Guard units at JBER and
Eielson Air Force Base
• DMVA has access to fully trained and integrated
personnel when needed
• Joint Staff Training (five members trained &
integrated in 2018)
• Member Benefits:
o Pension: Base Benefit of $100 for each month of guard
service (AS 26.05)
o Education: First-term personnel may apply for tuition
reimbursement of 12 university credits
• •Members may be placed on Title 10 orders for Title 10
funded missions
CAPTAIN WOODWARD moved to and read slide 6, which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
State Active Duty the Alaska Naval Militia has
participated in over the years:
• Search and Rescue Missions
• Y2K Watch
• Public Affairs Support
• Earthquake Exercises
• Annual Admin/Retirement Report
• Arctic Care Support
• Operation Santa Clause
• Alaska Shield Exercise 2014
• Millers Reach and Other Fires
• Yakutat Snow Storm
• Seward Landslide
• Typhoon Merbock (sic)
• COVID 19 Support
• Swan Lake Fire
• Alaska Homeport Study
• Montana Creek Flood
• Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Response
• Turnagain Pass Avalanche Body Recovery
1:07:17 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SHAW asked for a comparison between AKNM and the
Alaska Defense Force.
CAPTAIN WOODWARD answered that AKNM is aligned with the defense
force in the organizational structure under the adjutant general
(TAG) as an organized militia. He explained that the militia is
a working unit that is not directly assigned to the state.
1:08:31 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY asked for an explanation around pension
benefits and how this works.
CAPTAIN WOODWARD answered that retired members would receive "a
good year in the navy" once all standards are met. He stated
that this would add a "one" in a person's retirement. He
explained that an individual would also receive a concurrent
benefit with the state, but this would not be realized until
there is retirement from federal support after 20 years, as well
as 5 years in continued service for AKNM. He said that, once
this is completed, there is a benefit of $100 each month as a
lump sum. He stated that only a few individuals qualify, as
most members join for service or education. In response to a
question about AKNM offering additional pension money for
continued service, he explained that he submits an annual
retirement and benefits spreadsheet to the Department of
Veteran's Affairs. He offered to provide a more detailed answer
in a follow-up.
1:11:33 PM
CHAIR WRIGHT asked if AKNM holds monthly trainings.
CAPTAIN WOODWARD answered yes, and the training is with naval
units. He explained that there is only one unit in Alaska, so
most members are assigned to a unit outside of the state.
1:12:01 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY asked about members assigned outside of
Alaska.
CAPTAIN WOODWARD explained that every state has a naval reserve
center, which is where naval reservists "hang their hat", and
Alaska's center is on JBER. He said that it has about 100
people from units not in Alaska.
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY asked how the militia and the reserves
differ.
CAPTAIN WOODWARD responded that militia members are navy
reservists first, which comes with Title 10 status and allows
them to volunteer to be assimilated into AKNM.
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY offered his understanding that the Alaska
State Defense Force has people who are no longer in the
military, while AKNM has current reservists who can be a part of
the naval militia. He continued that AKNM would be for people
who are still in the military; however, once a person is
finished with the reserves, the person would be no longer part
of the militia.
CAPTAIN WOODWARD responded in agreement. He explained that in
the last year, the statute was changed to allow for 5 percent of
the militia to be in retired status.
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY disclosed that he does not represent the
Department of Defense (DoD), U.S. Military, National Guard, or
the Office of Veteran's Affairs, and that nothing he says has
anything to do with the U.S. Military.
1:15:13 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GROH asked about trends in militia membership.
CAPTAIN WOODWARD answered that the previous TAG made a
requirement that the militia would do a certain number of drills
with the National Guard. He explained that because this was a
direct conflict with the primary mission, it caused numbers to
drop because the requirement could not be met, as it needed to
focus on Title 10. He said the current TAG removed the
requirement and added the 5 percent rule; therefore, numbers are
trending up. He added that AKNM is now more attractive to
senior officers who would fill joint staff roles in the event of
a disaster.
1:17:42 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked about the 5 percent retirement
rule and who decides this.
CAPTAIN WOODWARD answered that TAG would decide.
1:18:43 PM
CHAIR WRIGHT asked about which operations AKNM has helped with.
CAPTAIN WOODWARD returned to slide 6 of the presentation, and
said its biggest response was for Typhoon Merbok [in Western
Alaska].
1:19:58 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked what AKNM's duty had been during
the Swan Lake Fire.
CAPTAIN WOODWARD answered that it supplied road guards.
^Presentation(s): Overview of the Civil Air Patrol
Presentation(s): Overview of the Civil Air Patrol
1:20:15 PM
CHAIR WRIGHT announced that the final order of business would be
the Overview of the Civil Air Patrol presentation.
1:20:41 PM
STEPHEN SAMMONS, Lieutenant Colonel, Emergency Services Officer,
Alaska Wing Civil Air Patrol (CAP), returned to the PowerPoint
presentation, on slide 7, titled "Overview of the Alaska Wing
Civil." He paraphrased slide 8, which read as follows [original
punctuation provided]:
What is the Civil Air Patrol?
• Federally chartered
• Nonprofit, Humanitarian Organization
• Serves as the Civilian Auxiliary to the United States
Air Force
• Serving America for over 80 years
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS moved to and read slide 9 [original
punctuation provided]:
CAP Missions: Emergency Services
• Disaster Relief
o Point of Distribution (POD) Support
o Sandbag Brigade
o Damage Assessment
• Homeland Security
• Search & Rescue
(Air & Ground)
• Counterdrug
• Humanitarian Services
• Air Force ROTC Flights
1:22:21 PM
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS advanced to and read slide 10
[original punctuation provided]:
CAP Missions: Cadet Programs
• Leadership Skills
• Aerospace Education
• Physical Fitness
• Character Development
• Activities (including Flight Training & SAR)
1:22:52 PM
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS moved to slide 12 to explain the
Unique Service Organization, which has Title 36 status and
provides 501(c)(3) status. He explained that the organization
also holds Title 10 status.
1:23:28 PM
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS transitioned to and paraphrased slide
13 [original punctuation provided]:
CAP's Legal Status
• A group of citizen volunteers and paid corporate staff
who are a Federally supported, Congressionally
Chartered, Non-Profit, Public benefit Corporation
• CAP serves as the Auxiliary Of The Air Force (when
tasked)
o Defined in Title 10 U.S.C. 9441-9448
o Must be performing an AF-Assigned Non-Combat Program
or Mission
o Members serve as an "instrumentality of the United
States" and receive federal legal protection and
benefits in this status
• There is no permanent "Air Force Auxiliary" it is a
temporary legal status enjoyed by CAP members when
performing Federal missions
• The AF funds CAP through a Cooperative Agreement IAW 2
CFR 200
1:23:43 PM
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS presented an organizational chart of
CAP on slide 14. He moved to slide 15 to show where CAP
squadrons are located across the state. On slide 16, he
detailed CAP's Alaska resources, which include several Cessna
Gippsland aircraft, as well as a few gliders for training
purposes.
1:26:33 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SHAW asked whether CAP owns its own aircraft.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS answered that the aircraft are owned
under CAP's 501(c)(3) status. He noted that member-owned
aircraft have seen a decline in use due to federal restrictions.
1:27:20 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked what a typical flight crew
consists of.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS answered that, for primary missions,
there is a mission pilot, a mission observer, and a mission
scanner. In response to a follow-up question, he explained that
a typical mission consists of a search and rescue mission crew,
and it would plan a route search, monitor for emergency beacons,
and determine the best approach to a search area. He said other
missions include damage assessments, which involves an aerial
photographer, focusing on photos of infrastructure that are in
disrepair.
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER inquired whether CAP works with state
troopers during search and rescue missions.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS responded that the Department of
Public Safety has statutory authority over ground-based rescues.
He stated that many of CAP's missions are aeronautical search
and rescue, which falls under the Alaska Rescue Coordination
Center. He expressed appreciation for local, state, and federal
agencies working together in search and rescues.
1:31:46 PM
CHAIR WRIGHT asked if CAP has ever been activated for Title 32.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS answered no, as it is not state
owned. He said its approving authority would be the Eleventh
Air Force.
1:33:05 PM
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS returned to the presentation and
slide 17, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
CAP's Mission Roles
Flies 90% of all inland Search and Rescue
Actively supports civilian authorities
o National level exercises
o Relied upon by FEMA, USGS, State and local authorities
Supports Green Flag East and West exercises
International award winning cadet and aerospace
programs
o Received multiple grants for STEM initiatives
1:34:38 PM
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS moved to and read slide 17 [original
punctuation provided]:
The Alaska Wing (AKWG) Funding
Flying is either AF-funded ($30K) or Member-funded
($20K) per year
Vehicles/equipment are provided by CAP National HQ
Utilities and facility maintenance are paid for
locally with assistance from the grant provided by the
State of Alaska
o Vital to keeping the lights on (literally), especially
in Interior Alaska
FY23 Plan:
o ~$60K Roof for Leaking Kodiak Hangar
o ~$30K Broken Merrill Hangar Door
o ~$130K State-Wide Unit Facility Utilities (per Annum)
o ~$30K Ops/IG/Aerospace Education/Cadet Programs
(STEM/outreach)
$15K "Fenced" for State Missions as requested (e.g.
Nov 2018)
Unpaid Volunteer manpower hours annually (~2.6M in
FY18)
1:36:06 PM
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS advanced to and read slide 18
[original punctuation provided]:
Search and Recovery (SAR) Mission Impact
• Actively involved in 40% of all Alaska Rescue
Coordination Center (RCC) missions
• CY 2019 Alaska RCC SAR missions
o 60 Missions
o 84.7 Ground Hours
o 44 Air Sorties
o 94.9 Air Hours
o 28 Finds
o 1 Save
1:36:49 PM
CHAIR WRIGHT asked if mission numbers are similar in different
calendar years.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS answered that that are "pretty
similar." He explained that there was a decrease in flights due
to rainy weather. He said the mission numbers for 2021 are
about the same as 2019.
1:37:21 PM
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS moved to slide 19 to present Alaska
Wing disaster response imagery. He moved to slide 20, which
read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Intelligence Collection
• CAP is not an intelligence organization
• Conducts civil support missions for Non-Intelligence
purposes
• Legal review required
• Does not collect, disseminate, or retain information
about US citizens
1:38:54 PM
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS moved to slide 21 and spoke about
requests for CAP forces. He explained that the Air Force has
priority, followed by DoD, federal agencies, and state/local
agencies.
1:39:59 PM
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS moved to slide 22 and explained how
to request Alaska Wing CAP support. The slide shows contact
information for mission requests, as well as search and rescue
requests.
1:41:01 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY referred to slide 21 and asked why the slide
is named "Intelligence Collection."
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS answered that the slides presented
were re-worded in some areas and slide 21 discusses photography
missions. He said that the photos taken are not used for
intelligence purposes.
1:42:21 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GROH asked whether there are fewer than 1,000
members.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS answered yes. In response to a
follow-up question, explained that its 2.6 million volunteer
hours was calculated across the national average.
REPRESENTATIVE GROH offered his understanding that the average
volunteer hours per member is about 2,500 a year.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS responded that the national
membership in CAP is 52,000 and are still actively involved in
COVID-19 response and blood bank missions.
REPRESENTATIVE GROH sought confirmation that the 2.6 million
hours is nationwide.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS answered that is correct.
1:44:07 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER questioned the need for slide 21.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS answered that it does missions for
the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard during
exercises under Title 5 and 14 [in the U.S. Code].
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked for the definitions of Title 5 and
14.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMMONS explained that Title 5 and 14
missions include law enforcement, further. He added that Title
14 addresses environmental response, like pollution from
companies.
1:46:34 PM
CHAIR WRIGHT thanked the presenters.
1:46:40 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was
adjourned at 1:46 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| DMVA Presentation for MVA 13 APR.pdf |
HMLV 4/13/2023 1:00:00 PM |
|
| HMVA 041323 Committee Questions Response 041723.pdf |
HMLV 4/13/2023 1:00:00 PM |