Legislature(2023 - 2024)SENATE FINANCE 532
04/25/2023 03:30 PM Senate JOINT ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation(s): Alaska Military Command Update | |
| 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
April 25, 2023
3:35 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Laddie Shaw, Co-Chair
Senator Scott Kawasaki, Co-Chair
Representative Stanley Wright
Representative Jamie Allard
Representative Cliff Groh
Senator Bill Wielechowski
Senator Mike Shower
Senator Kelly Merrick
Senator Forrest Dunbar
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Mike Prax
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION(S): ALASKA MILITARY COMMAND UPDATE
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
DAVID NAHOM, Lieutenant General, U.S. Air Force;
Commander, Eleventh U.S. Air Force, Pacific Air Forces;
Commander, Alaskan Command, U.S. Northern Command;
Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richarson, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave a PowerPoint presentation during the
Alaska Military Command Update presentation.
BRIAN EIFLER, Major General, U.S. Army;
Commanding General, Eleventh Airborne Division;
Deputy Commander, Alaska Command
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richarson, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave a PowerPoint presentation, titled "11
Airborne Division America's Arctic Angels," during the Alaska
Military Command Update presentation.
NATHAN MOORE, Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard;
Deputy Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area;
Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave a PowerPoint presentation, titled
"2023 Coast Guard Update for the AK Joint Armed Services
Committee," during the Alaska Military Command Update
presentation.
TORRENCE SAXE, Lieutenant General, Adjutant General
Alaska National Guard;
Commissioner, Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richarson, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave a PowerPoint presentation, titled
"State of Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs,"
during the Alaska Military Command Update presentation.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:35:34 PM
CO-CHAIR LADDIE SHAW called the Joint Armed Services Committee
meeting to order at 3:35 p.m. Representatives Wright, Groh, and
Shaw and Senators Shower, Merrick, Dunbar, Wielechowski, and
Kawasaki were present at the call to order. Representative
Allard arrived as the meeting was in progress. Also present at
the table were Retired Colonel Bob Doel, Senior Fellow at the
Rasmuson Foundation, recommended by the Municipality of
Anchorage; Retired Brigadier General Julio ("Randy") Banez,
Deputy Director Defense Logistics Agency Energy Alaska,
recommended by the adjutant general of the Department of
Military & Veterans' Affairs.
The committee took a brief at-ease.
^PRESENTATION(S): ALASKA MILITARY COMMAND UPDATE
PRESENTATION(S): ALASKA MILITARY COMMAND UPDATE
3:37:32 PM
CO-CHAIR SHAW announced that the only order of business would be
Alaska Military Command Update presentation.
DAVID NAHOM, Lieutenant General, U.S. Air Force; Commander,
Eleventh U.S. Air Force, Pacific Air Forces; Commander, Alaskan
Command, U.S. Northern Command; Commander, Alaskan North
American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD); gave a PowerPoint
presentation on the Alaska Military Command [hard copy included
in the committee packet]. He began with a short video which
explained the origin of the Alaska Military Command and the
Alaska North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Region.
He moved to slide 2, which showed Alaska on a global map, and he
emphasized its strategic location, as it is close to many
"hotspots" around the world. He noted on slide 3 that he is a
"three-hat commander," and he described his commands.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL NAHOM moved to slide 4, titled "NORAD
Regions," and explained how the U.S. Air Force is divided
regionally, as seen in the diagram. He stated that the purpose
of NORAD is to protect the homeland with air power. He moved to
slide 5, titled "ANR Functions," stating the functions are
mainly aerospace warnings and aerospace control. He pointed out
the picture of a Russian jet being escorted from Alaska
airspace. He moved to slide 6, titled "ALCOM Functions" and
highlighted the two primary missions: Homeland Defense (HD) and
Defense and Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA).
3:44:44 PM
LIEUTENANT GENERAL NAHOM showed a map on slide 7 and stated that
the U.S. Air Force is mostly based at Eielson Air Force Base
near Fairbanks and at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richarson (JBER) in
the Anchorage area. Combined there are almost 100 advanced air
force fighters in the state, he said, and this is for
international protection, especially in the South China Sea. He
discussed the different transport aircraft that are also in the
state. He stated that each symbol on the map represents the
presence of the U.S. Air Force in the state.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL NAHOM moved to slide 8, titled "Operations
and Exercises." He stated that the operations pictured are
ongoing. He discussed the training opportunities in the state,
expressing that it is the best place in the world to train. He
moved to the next slide and emphasized that partners and allies
are critical to mission success, stating that no one entity is
in charge, and this is "what makes us powerful." He moved to
slide 10, titled "Challenges and Opportunities." He pointed out
the challenges in Alaska, citing the unpredictability of Russia,
North Korea, and China. He suggested that domain awareness of
outside threats needs to be upgraded. He added that the
changing environment in the Arctic is also a challenge to the
operations in Alaska. He reiterated the importance of command
relationships.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL NAHOM moved to slide 11, titled "High
Altitude Balloon (HAB)- Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP)."
He stated that this incident was interesting in that those in
the Lower 48 did not realize that this started in Alaska in the
Aleutian Islands. He stated that the high-altitude balloon
[from China] traveled through Canada and Montana and to the East
Coast of the United States. He said the incident emphasized
that homeland defense begins in Alaska, as voiced by U.S.
Senator Dan Sullivan.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL NAHOM moved to slide 12, titled "Arctic
Skills Training," to highlight the improvements in training, as
every airman must take Alaska-specific classes while in the
state. He moved to slide 13 and pointed out that housing is an
issue on Eielson Air Force Base. He said one concern is
dormitory housing for long-term airmen, as space is limited. He
said airmen from out of town must stay in expensive hotels in
downtown Fairbanks during training. He stressed that more
dormitories need to be built, specifically for junior-enlisted
personnel.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL NAHOM concluded the presentation on slide 14,
titled "Military Spouse Licensure." He expressed the importance
of ensuring that work is being done to provide opportunities for
military spouses that are licensed as registered nurses,
teachers, or in other vocations, as they are educated people who
can contribute to local communities, such as Fairbanks.
3:53:32 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GROH questioned whether senior commanders are
concerned about the quality of public education in Alaska for
their children. He asked what the legislature could do to
provide more housing and better public education.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL NAHOM confirmed the need for more affordable
housing around Eielson Air Force Base. He expressed concern for
personnel, such as staff sergeants and tech sergeants with
families, as they earn only about $2000 per month. He repeated
the need for more base housing as well. He asked for support
from the state and communities to build more housing. He
acknowledged the schools on Eielson Air Force Base lack the same
facilities as schools in Fairbanks and North Pole.
3:56:48 PM
The committee took a brief at-ease at 3:57 p.m.
3:57:17 PM
BRIAN EIFLER, Major General, U.S. Army; Commanding General,
Eleventh Airborne Division, Deputy Commander, Alaska Command,
th
gave a PowerPoint presentation, titled "11 Airborne Division
America's Arctic Angels," [hard copy included in the committee
packet]. He moved to slide 2, titled "Mission & Organization."
He pointed out the map of the army installations at Fort
Wainwright, JBER, and Black Rapids Training Site. He drew
attention to the mission statement, which read as follows
[original punctuation provided]:
Mission: 11th Airborne Division executes expeditionary
operations within the Indo-Pacific theater, conducts
multidomain operations in the Arctic, defends critical
infrastructure in homeland defense and on order
decisively defeats any adversary in extreme cold
weather, mountainous, high latitude, and high-altitude
environments through large-scale combat operations.
MAJOR GENERAL EIFLER furthermore emphasized the goal is to not
go to war but to have an insurance policy in case the country
needs to be ready. He echoed the previous presenter, stating
that Alaska is a great place to train for Arctic conditions. He
moved to slide 3, titled "Arctic Training" and reviewed the four
training exercises portrayed. He moved to slide 4 and pointed
out the entities that the U.S. Army must maintain partnerships
with, including other military branches, numerous nations,
communities, Alaska Natives, and academia.
4:07:16 PM
MAJOR GENERAL EIFLER concluded on slide 5, titled "CSA's
Expectations for America's Arctic Angels," which read as follows
[original punctuation provided]:
Whether you maneuver by helicopter or cold weather
all-terrain vehicle,
Whether you wear a parachute or skis,
You are the 11th Airborne Division and wherever you
go, you will be the most highly trained, disciplined,
and fit Arctic warfighting unit in the world, ready to
fight and win.
That is what you will do.
That is who you are.
4:07:46 PM
MAJOR GENERAL EIFLER, in response to a committee question,
stated that the transition to the Eleventh Airborne was a matter
of restructuring into an operational division, so it would
deploy in a way that it was not able to before. He explained
about the change in the headquarters, in combination with the
different capabilities of staff, as this creates a more
inclusive force. He continued that this was a restructuring
into a division artillery brigade to make it more of a fighting
unit.
MAJOR GENERAL EIFLER, in response to a question concerning the
ability to move troops by a new rail to Port Mackenzie,
recognized the insecurity in the state concerning the ports and
the one railroad. He opined that if something happens, where
would be the backup. He said troops are currently deployed from
both bases, but there is room for improvement. He suggested
that a [year-round], all-weather capable air field is needed for
deployment. He said there is a need to increase space on the
bases, but funding has been allocated to other bases across the
country. In response to a follow-up question, he stated that
the number of deployments would not change, but this has more to
do with the command and control from the new headquarters, as
this has expanded the capability to do more deployments.
4:13:18 PM
The committee took a brief at-ease.
4:13:55 PM
NATHAN MOORE, Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard; Deputy Commander,
U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area; Commander, U.S. Coast Guard
Seventeenth District, began the PowerPoint presentation, titled
"2023 Coast Guard Update for the AK Joint Armed Services
Committee," [hard copy included in the committee packet].
REAR ADMIRAL MOORE advanced to slide 2, titled "Operations in a
Strategically Competitive Space," which addressed the maritime
geostrategic competition the U.S. Coast Guard deals with. He
said competition has ramped up in recent years, and he
highlighted five examples in the Bering and Chukchi Seas.
REAR ADMIRAL MOORE described the U.S. Coast Guard campaign to
connect with local communities, on slide 3. He identified the
problem of suicide in the U.S. Coast Guard, and as a measure to
prevent this, he said that the program creates an initiative to
connect U.S. Coast Guard members to their communities,
particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic.
REAR ADMIRAL MOORE advanced to slide 4 and discussed maritime
safety, emphasizing the aging fuel tanks in villages. He stated
that the U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for the prevention of
oil spills from these tanks. He emphasized that search and
rescue is still the "bread and butter" of the U.S. Coast Guard
and will continue to be.
REAR ADMIRAL MOORE moved to slide 5, titled, "Communications
Infrastructure." He mentioned Rescue 21, which is a modified
system for communication relay in South Central and Southeast
Alaska. He said that this is basically diesel-powered
generators on mountain tops with microwave links. He noted that
because of storms these sites are often shut down. He stated
that the U.S. Coast Guard has invested millions of dollars into
these sites, and the sites are operating at a higher level. He
concluded with discussing shore infrastructure. He pointed out
the new vessels that the U.S. Coast Guard is acquiring, along
with new housing for the crews on these ships. He illustrated
the growth and development of coastline facilities in Kodiak,
Sitka, Seward, and Ketchikan.
4:24:26 PM
REAR ADMIRAL MOORE, in response to a committee question
concerning how Alaska can help, stated that the Sitka land
transfer and sale from the state was a major accomplishment. He
continued that a deep-water port that would give better access
to the Arctic is essential. He suggested that when the Port of
Nome is built, the U.S. Coast Guard will use it, especially for
a fueling station, as this would not require a trip to Dutch
Harbor. He reiterated that as the U.S. Coast Guard expands, it
would need the development of housing for staff.
4:26:48 PM
The committee took a brief at-ease at 4:27 p.m.
4:27:11 PM
TORRENCE SAXE, Major General, Adjutant General, Alaska National
Guard; Commissioner, Department of Military and Veterans
Affairs, provided the final presentation of the afternoon,
titled "State of Alaska Department of Military and Veterans
Affairs," [hard copy included in the committee packet].
Addressing how the state can help, he said that having more
access to airfields is a priority, along with the use of the
Port of Nome.
MAJOR GENERAL SAXE moved to slide 2 to address some common
questions asked about the National Guard. He addressed the
national self-reliance issue, stating that this concerns the
defense of the homeland by defending the Arctic. Addressing
recruitment and retention, he noted that the numbers are going
up. Concerning rescues, he noted that there is usually one per
week. He stated that there is a zero-tolerance policy for
sexual assault and harassment. He moved to slide 3, which
showed a map of the 80 armories in the state, and he described
the ongoing process of returning these sites to the original
landowners. The process also entails recruitment from these
local communities into serving in the Alaska National Guard. He
noted the interest in Western Alaska. To tie in local
communities, he stated that some of the hubs are being named in
honor of local veterans.
MAJOR GENERAL SAXE continued to slide 4. He stated that
concerning rural operations and bigger hubs, Typhoon Merbok
[September 15, 2022], was the first full-scale operation to put
this into practice. He stated that this was the biggest off-
road response in around 40 years. He pointed out the Nome and
Bethel hubs, where people mobilized in the effort. On slide 5,
the boxes denoted the presents of the National Guard in this
effort. He noted that it was a big response, and this created
the ability to make connections with communities. He moved to
slide 6, which showed pictures of National Guard members
interacting with communities around the state. He publicly
thanked the communities that took care of the troops during this
event.
MAJOR GENERAL SAXE moved to slide 7, which showed a map of
National Guard installments around the world. On slide 8, he
pointed out that his focus is on the troops and leadership does
matter. He explained that service members are cared for after
retirement from the service, as seen on slide 9. He noted that
Alaska has over 10 times the number of retired veterans than any
other state. He provided examples in the Aleutian Islands and
in Hoonah of ways the National Guard has honored veterans.
4:36:49 PM
MAJOR GENERAL SAXE moved to slide 10 and illustrated how the
National Guard still honors the Alaska Territorial Guard (ATG)
and their families. He moved to slide 11 and highlighted the
first event held in Alaska connecting female Veterans. He
stated that there were over 150 participants. He continued to
slide 12, which described an event in Anchorage where the Alaska
VA Healthcare campus was renamed to the Colonel Mary Louise
Rasmuson Campus. He emphasized the youth academy and its
essential role for the National Guard, as seen on slide 13.
MAJOR GENERAL SAXE showed slides 14 to 17, titled "Honoring Our
Heroes." He described an event in 1955 in Kodiak when two
Russian aircrafts attacked a U.S. Naval plane, which crashed in
Gambell on impact. He said all 11 crew members were saved by
local community members of Gambell. On slide 17, he highlighted
the Alaska Heroism Medal that was presented to Corporal Bruce
Boolowon and the surviving families of those who saved these
crewmen in Gambell.
4:41:21 PM
CHAIR SHAW thanked the presenters.
4:42:19 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the Joint
Armed Services Committee meeting was adjourned at 4:42 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| JASC-Presentation 11 ABN DIV Command Brief.pdf |
JASC 4/25/2023 3:30:00 PM |
Joint Armed Services Commitee 2023 |
| JASC- Presentation ALCOM Update.pdf |
JASC 4/25/2023 3:30:00 PM |
Joint Armed Services Commitee 2023 |
| JASC-Presentation Coast Guard Update.pdf |
JASC 4/25/2023 3:30:00 PM |
Joint Armed Services Commitee 2023 |
| JASC-Presentation DMVA Update.pdf |
JASC 4/25/2023 3:30:00 PM |
|
| JASC-Air Force Presentation.mp4 |
JASC 4/25/2023 3:30:00 PM |