Moving to AK from TX

[NorthWord]

I moved from the 82d Airborne Division to Alaska's 1/6 Infantry Brigade in 1997.
I had spent nearly 10 years at Ft. Bragg, one of the few places that will let Army personnel "homestead". I was there for an unusually long time. My MOS would only allow me to go to three places and stay on jump status. Alaska's airborne unit needed my qualifications and voila, the orders appeared. I could've went to Italy instead...

I had no designs on Arctic/Mountain Warfare prior to the assignment. In fact, the majority of my training had been Jungle/Urban Low Intensity Conflict.
Arriving in Alaska relatively unprepared, the Army did a great job of training. The weather her will KILL YOU in short order, so it benefits every soldier assigned. We used to call it ALIT (Arctic Light Infantry Training). It was really just a lesson on how to use the cold weather gear issued to you. More of a confidence builder really.
Leaders generally had follow on training through the Air Force's Survival School at Eielson AFB just down the road. That training was far more survival oriented, as in "stay alive" rather than the Army's "kill the enemy" mantra.
I learned more in that Air Force school than you could imagine. This knowledge trickled down through the leaders to their subordinates back in the Army.

Like me, most Air Force members stay busy with operational requirements. Generally line units with little equipment to maintain have plenty of opportunity for training. Alaska used to have several mountain warfare courses (summer and winter) available for folks with the time to go.

A few times a year, Alaska's skys become host to various multi-national training events. The Army would often piggy-back along with these exercises. I was a Pathfinder, so I kept busy with Army aviation assets and paradrops. We also had the additional pleasure of babysitting any visiting ground units. There were a few occasions when my team members were called upon to extract "elite" units after they were beaten by the wilds of Alaska.

All in all, it was a great tour. The only thing that would have made it unbearable would be one of those people who just hunker down on base and watch the PCS clock. Get out there and enjoy yourself - you're getting an Alaska vacation for free!

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by browncoatflan

I don't think it has anything specifically to do with making sure that military members recieve a variety of training in different locales otherwise things such as Homebasing wouldn't be encouraged. The military assignment system is also automated, with a hole being filled by whomever fits the shape of the hole- not whether they've been in warm-weather training and now need cold-weather training.

This is evidenced by people who have never left Minot since being stationed there, or who have gone from Minot to Fairchild to Eielson.

Also, the different militaries do not share assignment systems, so the amount of people heading to AK over several different services has to be purely coincidental.

Only certain fields NEED that variety of training, and are usually sent temporarily (TDY) to recieve it.


But that's really beside the point of how damn excited/happy we all are to be so lucky, no?


Shan

The reason you perceive an inordinate number of military personnel being transferred to Alaska is because there are an inordinate number of military bases in Alaska, when compared to other States.

Air Force
Clear AFS (Anderson)
Eareckson AFS (Shemya Island)
Eielson AFB (Fairbanks)
Elmondorf AFB (Anchorage)

Army
Fort Greely (Delta Junction)
Fort Richardson (Anchorage)
Fort Wainwright (Fairbanks)

Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office (Anchorage, Juneau, Valdez)
Air Station (Kodiak, Sitka)
Auxilary Offices (Ketchikan, Seward, Valdez, Whittier, Kenai, Homer, Eagle-River, Mat-Su, Fairbanks)

Alaska Military Personnel
Army: 8,897
Navy & Marine Corps: 569
Air Force: 13,406
Coast Guard: 2,766

Active Duty Military: 15,684
Reserve and National Guard: 5,566
Total Personnel: 24,016

[cfly]

in 2-3 years almost all military medical training will be at Ft Sam. Almost every empty lot at Ft Sam has construction going up. It's a big initiative to get the Army, Navy, Airforce and what Marines might be medical to be instructed together.

Originally Posted by browncoatflan

That's Army though. Air Force Tech Schools (med & otherwise) are all over the place, though some are in Texas.


Shan