Lawmakers press DMVA on veteran service officers and the Alaska State Defense Force
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Summary
Committee members questioned DMVA about statewide availability of veteran service officers (VSOs), the State Defense Force's role in disasters, and whether more operating resources are needed; DMVA described grant‑funded VSO placements and said the State Defense Force is volunteer‑based and funded during activation by the disaster relief fund.
Juneau — Members of the House Finance Committee sought details March 2 about veteran service coverage in rural Alaska and whether the Alaska State Defense Force (ASDF) could improve disaster response where National Guard resources are stretched.
Deputy Commissioner Craig Christensen said DMVA funds four organizations via grants that hire VSOs; he described current VSO positions by location and offered to coordinate with lawmakers to identify unmet needs. "We fund 4 different organizations which then will hire veteran service officers," Christensen said, and gave a breakdown of positions across Anchorage, Fairbanks, Wainwright, Kenai, Wasilla, Juneau, Kodiak and Ketchikan.
Representative Bynum pressed whether a more robust, funded State Defense Force would have improved the Halong response. Christensen said the ASDF is volunteer and can be activated and funded out of the disaster relief fund when placed on state active duty; he added that while increased funding would expand capabilities, in a budget‑constrained year DMVA did not ask for additional operating dollars for the organized militia in FY27.
Committee members asked DMVA to work with offices representing rural districts to map gaps in VSO service and to return with recommendations about whether additional sustained VSO funding or expanded ASDF support should be sought in future budgets.