Photo Gallery Summer 2001.html

Engagements

The foundation of a peaceful, secure, prosperous Asia is the focus of USCINCPAC’s engagement strategy. ALCOM fully supports these objectives by demonstrating the capabilities and challenges facing military operations in the Pacific during international visits. Adm. Dennis C. Blair, USCINCPAC, in recent testimony before the U.S. Congress, said, “the objectives of enhancing regional cooperation have been to improve regional readiness for combined operations and to expand the set of states in the region that share dependable expectations of peaceful change.”

An Alaska National Guard officer briefs a Republic of Korea Navy captain who was an observer during a NORTHERN EDGE exercise.

Photo by Lt. Timothy J. Boehlke, USNR

Members of the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment (wearing MILES gear), prepare to evacuate a simulated wounded soldier during a NORTHERN EDGE exercise in Alaska.

Photo by Cpl. Dustin W. Senger, USMC

Commander, Alaskan Command, Lt. Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, USAF, presents Alaskan Command coins to visiting members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.

Official U.S. Air Force Photo

ALCOM has provided a showcase to help the international military audience gain insight to American forces and values. In October 2000, the U.S. Secretary of Defense sponsored a visit to Alaska military installations by the Defense Attaché Corps from Washington, D.C. The goals were to introduce the attachés to American service members and citizens in the state of Alaska, the missions assigned to Alaska’s forces, our military operations and capabilities, and the industrial, historical and cultural aspects of the 49th state. The 40 attachés were shown the military power projection capabilities of ALCOM’s forces and how the vast training ranges in Alaska are used to provide superior training to the American military and our allies.

Highlights for the attachés included a tour of the Regional Air Operations Control Center where the combined American and Canadian team of Alaskan NORAD Region maintains 24-hour airspace vigilance. Another highpoint was viewing ALCOM’s joint approach to mobility in Alaska. With forces in the state positioned strategically to quickly respond anywhere on the globe, the attachés visited the Joint Mobility Center at Elmendorf Air Force Base, designed specifically to support rapid deployment of the Air Force’s Aerospace Expeditionary Force Number Three and United States Army Alaska’s airborne forces. Another interest in Alaska for the attachés was the proposed U.S. National Missile Defense system and its possible integration into existing air defense command and control functions.

Our joint ranges in Alaska provide exceptional training opportunities for training with our coalition partners. The attachés learned how our integrated approach to ground and air range improvements provide the instrumentation critical to obtaining feedback on training within the Pacific Air Forces’ COPE THUNDER exercise program. If participating in air training exercises such as COPE THUNDER or joint training in NORTHERN EDGE is not feasible, friendly international forces can consider taking advantage of mountainous and cold weather training, outside the exercises, or using other resources available in Alaska through unique military-to-military programs.

ALCOM’s military-to-military program encompasses all the service components.

In maritime operations, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Thomas Barrett is a prime example of a successful military ambassador. As the Commander of Naval Forces in Alaska and Commander, 17th U.S. Coast Guard District, he has established a close relationship with the Russian Federation’s Far East District Border Guards in his maritime enforcement and fisheries protection roles. A generation ago, few people would have envisioned the close working relationship seen today with Russia’s Border Guards.

During the last Border Guard visit to Alaska, the Far East District’s commander asked to see equipment used by U.S. Army Alaska for Arctic operations, after viewing a short video of the joint training conducted during NORTHERN EDGE. The Army team delivered the equipment and even allowed the senior officer to test-drive USARAK’s unique cross-country vehicle, the SUSV (Small Unit Support Vehicle.)

Conclusions

Alaskan Command is a vital element in bolstering collective security within the Pacific. While our ready forces are key to current operational plans, Alaska’s unique strategic position and unrivaled training facilities enable us to conduct world-class joint and combined training that cannot be duplicated elsewhere. While we are doing a great deal now . . . much more is possible. There remains vast potential to expand our horizons in cooperative, joint and combined training events. We are investing now to maximize this potential and look forward to sharing our unique training experiences as we work together to face the security challenges of the future.