DMVA details search-and-rescue missions and large evacuations after Typhoon Halong; 11 declared disasters this year

Department of Military and Veterans Affairs officials told the finance subcommittee on March 24 that the State Emergency Operations Center had been unusually active this year, with 11 declared disasters and 123 incidents.

Deputy Commissioner Craig Christensen said the Alaska Air National Guard conducted continuous missions—combat search and rescue, air refueling, air defense and airlift—and that refueling assets recorded 102 alert scrambles. He said the National Guard recorded roughly 270 search‑and‑rescue missions and about 360 saves.

Christensen described large‑scale evacuations after Typhoon Halong: DMVA supported 18 communities, evacuated 501 people to Bethel using rotary wing assets, and then moved 659 people from Bethel to Anchorage by fixed wing. He said the evacuation was one of the largest the Alaska National Guard has undertaken and emphasized that other agencies also participated in the response.

The committee did not take votes on new operational missions; members thanked DMVA for its disaster response work. The presentation underscored the department's operational tempo and the staffing and funding requests the agency is making to sustain readiness.