Alaska DMVA briefs lawmakers on National Guard readiness, community missions and veteran cemetery timeline

Juneau — Colonel Craig Christensen, deputy commissioner of the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, told the Joint Armed Services Committee on May 15 that Alaska’s military forces are highly operational, supporting overseas deployments and statewide missions while running local community programs and preparing a state veterans cemetery application.

Christensen said the Alaska National Guard is ‘‘probably the most operational national guard in The United States’’ and reported that, at the time of his briefing, about 124 Army Guard members and roughly 83 Air Guard members were deployed overseas to places including Poland, Kuwait, Mongolia and Iraq.

The department’s mission and organization, Christensen said, include the Alaska Army and Air National Guard, the Alaska Naval Militia and the Alaska State Defense Force. He described key capabilities at Joint Base Elmendorf‑Richardson (JBER) and Eielson Air Force Base, naming aircraft types in use and planned increases: ‘‘The airframes that the Alaska Air National Guard has, the C‑17, the C‑130, the KC‑135 fuel refuelers, and we are in the process of increasing our number of refuelers by 4, and then the Pave Hawk helicopters,’’ Christensen said.

Why it matters: Christensen framed much of the department’s work as ‘‘preparation for war,’’ saying Major General Torrance Sachs has focused on readiness in light of heightened global tensions. The Guard’s routine missions also provide direct benefits to Alaskans — Christensen reported 148 search‑and‑rescue missions, 750 scrambles by refuelers that moved about 10,000,000 pounds of fuel, and more than 20,000,000 pounds of airlifted cargo and 6,000 passengers over the past year.

Community programs and partner organizations were a major portion of the briefing. Christensen said the department provides administrative support to the Alaska Aerospace Corporation, described the Alaska Military Youth Academy as a tuition‑free quasi‑military program for 15‑ to 18‑year‑olds that graduated 244 cadets in the past year, and said the Civil Air Patrol receives some grant funds and participates in joint exercises. He also highlighted the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program, which he encouraged communities to apply for: ‘‘Trail renovations, cleanup of toxic waste sites…build[ing] a hazardous fuel response facility,’’ he said, were examples of IRT work.

On veterans services, Christensen said the department processed more than 4,000 new disability claims in the past year and estimated that veterans in Alaska now receive over $100,000,000 in disability payments annually. He said the state purchased land near Salcha for a state veterans cemetery and has ‘‘65% of design right now, which is enough for the VA to move forward with being able to provide us a grant.’’ Christensen added that required design, environmental and archaeological studies are largely complete and that the department is assembling the final grant application, expecting a Veterans Administration decision in October if the remaining deliverables are finished.

Christensen also described lesser‑known force elements: the Alaska Naval Militia — about 52 members, primarily Navy or Marine reservists — and the Alaska State Defense Force, ‘‘statutorily authorized’’ and about 225 members serving across roughly 25 communities to augment Guard forces during disasters for tasks such as debris removal, sandbagging and sheltering support.

On law enforcement support, Christensen outlined the Alaska National Guard counter‑drug program, which he said assigns 18 soldiers and airmen to work alongside agencies including the FBI, DEA and the Department of Public Safety. He gave examples of recent investigations and interdictions the program assisted, including an investigation that ‘‘was bringing in 60 to 80,000 user doses into Alaska monthly’’ and multi‑agency seizures he said included hundreds of pounds of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine and a large fentanyl seizure. Christensen also described a takedown he said led to ‘‘41 pounds of crystal meth, which is 19,000 user doses and about 22,000 fentanyl‑laced doses’’ seized along with weapons and money.

Committee members asked follow‑ups on deployments, the Juneau‑stationed Black Hawk helicopter and recruitment trends. Representative John Nelson asked about the Guard’s mission at the U.S. southern border; Christensen said that mission ‘‘has been ongoing for many years’’ and that Alaska had two Lakota helicopters and about 20 personnel on rotation, primarily providing aerial surveillance and support to federal partners. On recruitment and retention, Christensen said the Alaska National Guard’s position had improved from being among the lower state totals to ‘‘the number 4’’ in recruiting nationally and described morale under current leadership as a contributing factor, though he did not provide exact recruitment percentages and offered to supply numbers to the committee.

Deputy Commissioner Christensen closed the presentation by reiterating the department’s emphasis on readiness, training and partnerships: ‘‘Everything that I've just talked about is … Major General Sachs' preparation for war…building up our refuelers…working on our military war plans,’’ he said.

The committee did not take formal votes on the presentation; members moved to the next agenda item after questions and public‑member remarks.

Ending note: Christensen asked communities interested in IRT projects to contact the department’s main number for application assistance. The presentation and committee Q&A consumed the bulk of the meeting’s first agenda item before staff briefings and interim planning began.