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JBER commander warns summer exercises may disrupt services for military‑connected students
Summary
Colonel Dustin Hansen told the Anchorage School District board that Joint Base Elmendorf‑Richardson will increase exercises this summer, which may temporarily disrupt base services and affect military‑connected families and students. He thanked the district for liaison support and noted Ursa Major Elementary’s use as a training site.
Colonel Dustin Hansen, mission support group commander at Joint Base Elmendorf‑Richardson and the base’s military student advocate, briefed the Anchorage School District board on May 20 about upcoming summer exercises and their potential impacts on military families and students.
Hansen told the board that roughly 30% of military families experience household moves during the summer military move season and that planned exercises this summer are intended to condition forces and families for contingency operations. "We are expecting not just a ramp up of exercises, but there's gonna be disruption of services across the base," he said, and he described possible short‑term disruptions such as temporary gate closures or outages of normal services.
Hansen thanked school liaison officers named in his report — Miss Adele Daniels and Miss Holly Warners — for assisting families before they arrive on base. He described collaboration between security forces and the district on traffic enforcement around school buses and noted the base’s continued investment in Academy‑model supports for freshmen and career readiness.
Training site and facilities: Hansen told the board that Ursa Major Elementary has been used as a training site by Anchorage Police Department, the FBI, security forces and explosive ordnance disposal units. He said the facility is now closed and undergoing abatement but commended its value as a training area.
Why it matters: Military families’ mobility can affect enrollment and continuity of instruction; planned exercises that disrupt base services can affect students’ access to normal supports. The district and base liaison officers said early coordination has helped incoming families and reduced transition friction.
Ending: Hansen said he expects to remain in his post for at least another year and expressed his intent to continue strengthening the district–base relationship around student supports and career readiness programming.
