No Result
View All Result
Military Families
SUBSCRIBE FREE
No Result
View All Result
 Military Families
SUBSCRIBE FREE
Military Families

The Army invests in Alaska, Arctic strategy with reactivation of the 11th Airborne Division

Lucretia Cunningham
by Lucretia Cunningham
July 1, 2022
The Army invests in Alaska, Arctic strategy with reactivation of the 11th Airborne Division
Tweet

Close to 12,000 soldiers from Fort Wainwright and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska united under one flag as the 11th Airborne Division was reactivated; it’s the first time the Army has activated an airborne division in over 70 years. Division Command Sgt. Maj. ​​Vern Daley said becoming a division allows those assigned to specialize in operating in an environment unique to Alaska’s terrain in support of the Army’s 2021 Arctic Strategy. 

“We were ready to go wherever we needed to go, and most of the time that was to Iraq or Afghanistan – we were training for other mission sets, but in the cold,” Daley explained. “Now, we’re not only in the environment, but we must train to be dominant in that environment.”

READ: Coast Guard leads Cold Water Ice Diving training in Minnesota

The division will be headquartered at JBER, a joint installation shared with the Air Force, and is geographically separated from its split-based counterparts at Ft. Wainwright, located more than 350 miles north. The Army’s Arctic Strategy has five lines of effort: 1. To improve the Arctic capability. 2. To compete in the Arctic and globally. 3. Defend the Far North in crisis and conflict. 4. Build Arctic multi-domain operations. 5. Project power across the Arctic. 

The 11th Airborne has a long legacy beginning in North Carolina during WWII. The division has been reactivated and deactivated several times as its stations moved from North Carolina to Japan and then to Fort Campbell, Kentucky. In 1963, the U.S. Army Alaska said the division became the “11th Air Assault Division (Test), to develop and refine air assault tactics and equipment for a new helicopter-borne Army.” It was deactivated again in 1965 until its recent reactivation when Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, 11th Airborne Division commander, said is “long overdue.”

“We’ve been expected to act and do things like a division, but have never been resourced to be one,” Eifler said. “The Arctic wasn’t seen as an essential task, so we didn’t have a lot of design for going into cold weather, or extreme cold weather equipment. [Now], the Chief of Staff of the Army has charged us to be the innovators on all things extreme cold weather and mountainous terrain.”

Wayne Porter, a U.S. Army veteran who was assigned to the 11th Airborne Division before its deactivation in 1958, places an 11th Airborne Div. shoulder sleeve insignia on Spc. Jihad Yarber, assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 11th Airborne Division, during the reflagging ceremony of the 11th Airborne Division. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Patrick Sullivan)

A restructure brings the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team and the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team – formerly of the 25th Infantry Division headquartered in Hawaii – into the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Teams of the 11th Airborne, respectively. The redesignation does not change the units’ mobility and readiness ability to respond to their areas of responsibility in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command region in a matter of hours; it enables their ability. The unit is phasing out equipment like the Stryker ADAPT Platform, which isn’t ideal for operations in extreme cold weather, and acquiring other equipment like Cold Weather, All-Terrain Vehicles (CATVs) to better enable mobilization throughout the terrain. 

Eifler added that restructuring Alaskan forces requires returning to an “Arctic ethos,” dating back to the time of Alaska’s admittance into the Union in 1959. The National Park Service notes Alaska that was called the “Guardian of the North” and “Top Cover for America” during the Cold War because of its strategic location.  

“The U.S. military realized Alaska’s strategic value during the era’s early years,” they said in an article for their Teaching with Historic Places program. “The shortest and most likely route of attack from the Soviet Union was through Alaska.”

In addition to the strategic benefits, Col. Jody Shouse, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) commander, said Alaska soldiers who wore different patches on their uniforms can now show their shared mission identity under one umbrella as a larger team. 11th Airborne soldiers wear a distinguishable blue patch with a red and white emblem and angel wings to symbolize their call sign, “Angels.” Shouse said this is a great time to be in Alaska. 

“I firmly believe the Army is investing heavily in the future of Alaska – and it’s not something that changes and happens overnight,” he explained. “I think the quality of life is really good here, but the Army is doing what it needs to to make it better for our families. Because Alaska is a priority because of its location and where we are in relation to the lower 48, the Army is investing quite a bit into the state and the organizations here.” 

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, stand at Pershing Parade Field during the reflagging ceremony.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Patrick Sullivan)

Earlier this year, Secretary of the Army Christine E. Wormuth visited soldiers and leaders in Alaska and called for an increase in behavioral health services accessible to service members and their families. 

“As a first step, the U.S. Army is providing a surge of behavioral health professionals this summer to shorten mental health appointment wait times for our soldiers,” Wormuth said. “We’re also expanding indoor and outdoor recreation opportunities for our soldiers and their families throughout the year. We’ve heard the concerns of our soldiers, and we will do everything we can to create an environment in which our soldiers and families in Alaska can thrive.”

Leaders also sought to increase families’ ease of transition to Alaska by providing loaner furniture until their household goods arrive. Morale, Welfare, and Recreation services have also expanded access to fitness centers for teens and their parents, with increased access to Alaskan ski facilities in the coldest weather. 

Since 2021, the Army has also allowed new soldiers to choose Alaska as a first duty station. According to the May 2022 article, “844 soldiers have volunteered to serve there, with 84 already on the ground. Human Resources Command has also approved over 390 soldier requests to extend their stay in Alaska rather than transition to other assignments.”

Read comments
Tags: 11th Airborne DivisionAlaskaArcticArctic strategyArctic warfareArmy
Tweet30
Lucretia Cunningham

Lucretia Cunningham

Lucretia Cunningham is a freelance multimedia journalist and Air Force Reserve public affairs specialist. After serving over 10 years as a medic in the active duty Air Force, Lucretia cross-trained to public affairs in the reserve component and attended the Defense Information School at Ft. Meade, Maryland. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and has reported in Virginia’s Historic Triangle and Hampton Roads region.

Related Posts

United Through Reading achieves major milestone for military family support
Military Deployment

United Through Reading achieves major milestone for military family support

2 weeks ago
Air Force will likely miss recruiting goals, service secretary says
Military News

Air Force will likely miss recruiting goals, service secretary says

2 weeks ago
3 takeaways from NMSN’s annual white paper on military spouse employment
Military Spouses

3 takeaways from NMSN’s annual white paper on military spouse employment

3 weeks ago
Soldier’s bone marrow donation saves 1-year-old
Military News

Soldier’s bone marrow donation saves 1-year-old

3 weeks ago
Marine vet Chad Robichaux details efforts to save thousands from Taliban
Military Veterans

Marine vet Chad Robichaux details efforts to save thousands from Taliban

1 month ago
Black Special Forces officer to receive Medal of Honor after decades of delays
Military News

Black Special Forces officer to receive Medal of Honor after decades of delays

1 month ago

Ads

Military News, delivered to your inbox

Get a free copy of MILITARY FAMILIES delivered to your inbox each month

Let's connect!

ABOUT US

  • OUR STORY
  • OUR TEAM
  • OUR WRITERS

MAGAZINE

  • GET PRINT
  • GET DIGITAL
  • GET THE NEWSLETTER

GET RESOURCES

  • VETERANS TOOLKIT

ADVERTISE

  • GET OUR MEDIA KIT
  • CFC/NONPROFITS
  • PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT

SUBMISSIONS

  • PITCH US
  • SUBMIT YOUR STORY

Never miss out on the latest stories.

© 2022 Military Families by AmeriForce. Privacy Policy | Terms | Site by Swiss Commerce

Thank you for your interest in Military Families Magazine!

Thank you for your interest in Military Families Magazine!

Thank you for your interest in Military Families Magazine!

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Military Life
    • Deployment
    • Relocation
    • Military Spouses
    • Military Kids
  • Education
  • Career
    • Transition
    • Entrepreneur
  • Veterans
  • Health
  • Money
    • Military Deals & Discounts
  • OFF DUTY
    • Travel
    • Beyond the Base
    • Food & Recipes
    • Book Reviews & Roundups
    • Entertainment
    • Sports
  • OPINION
  • About us
    • Submissions
    • Pitch us
    • Submit your story
    • Our story
    • Our team
    • Our writers
  • Magazine
    • Get Resources
    • Veterans toolkit
    • Get print
    • Get digital
    • Get the newsletter
  • Advertise
    • Get our media kit
    • CFC/Nonprofits
    • Publisher’s statement

© 2022 Military Families by AmeriForce. Site by SCBW.

Skip to toolbar
  • About WordPress
    • WordPress.org
    • Documentation
    • Support
    • Feedback