Operation Clean Eagles: Eagle Keepers clean Yukla 27 Memorial eagle pen, furniture

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Blake Mize
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  The unique Alaska environment provides countless opportunities few ever get to enjoy.
A group of volunteers at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is taking full advantage of one such privilege.

The JBER Eagle Keepers maintain a cage located near the 3rd Wing Headquarters and care for the bald eagles housed within.

The eagles, whose breed is more abundant in Alaska than anywhere else in the United States according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, have been injured and are not able to survive in the wild.

"Our eagle cage is run strictly by volunteers and takes a lot of commitment on everyone's part," said Michelle Carpenter, 673d Force Support Squadron programs manager and coordinator for the Eagle Keepers. "They all volunteer an average of 100 hours per year."
Some of the volunteers were on hand May 11 to be recognized by Air Force Col. David Nahom, 3rd Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Jose Barraza, 3rd Wing command chief, for their participation in the program and the sacrifice it requires.

"We work you guys tough in your nine-to-five jobs, if you can even call them that," Nahom told the group. "To take time out of your day on a Saturday, I can't say enough about the people we have in our Air Force."

Nahom also gave some background on why having eagles on this particular installation carries additional symbolic significance. The cage is part of the Yukla 27 Memorial, which is a symbol of remembrance for the E-3 Sentry aircraft, assigned to what was then Elmendorf Air Force Base, that crashed in 1995. Also, until recently, JBER was home to a fleet of F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft.

"Having eagles here to represent the Eagles that came off this ramp takes me back to when they named the F-15," Nahom said, who flew the F-15 for more than 15 years. "The bald eagle can capture and kill its prey even in bad weather, much like the F-15."
The Eagle Keepers are hoping to add to the population of the cage, which now includes two birds, Notch Wing and One-Eyed Jack.

"The new one they're trying to get is supposed to able to be handled [unlike the birds presently in the cage]," said Tech. Sgt. Timothy Ayers, 3rd Munitions Squadron and member of the Eagle Keepers. "If that happens, I'll be over the moon."

Carpenter emphasized the Eagle Keepers are always looking for additional volunteers. Donations of meat and fish to feed the eagles are also accepted. Those interested in volunteering, donating or both can contact Carpenter at 552-8528 or michelle.carpenter.7@us.af.mil.

Eagles a big part of American history

Although bald eagles live throughout the continental United States, Alaska has the most, with about 50,000 eagles.

The phrase "eagle eye" describes their highly developed visual ability, which can spot a moving rabbit almost a mile away. An eagle, flying at 1,000 feet above the ground, can spot prey across almost three square miles.

Before Europeans arrived, there may have been 500,000 bald eagles on the continent. Their population fell to endangered levels of fewer than 420 pairs in the Lower 48 by the early 1960s. Today, there are more than 6,400 nesting pairs. It was removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in 2007.

Adult eagles generally weigh between seven and 14 pounds - with females somewhat larger than males. With wingspans of six to eight feet, they can lift as much as four pounds. The oldest known eagle in the wild lived 23 years, according to researchers. They can live twice as long in captivity.

Bald eagles feed primarily on fish, waterfowl and seagulls and carrion and occasional other animals. Eagles' talons close instantly on their prey and can't be opened again until the eagle pushes down on a solid surface.

Bald eagles can fly about 65 miles per hour. They can soar to altitudes of 10,000 feet, staying aloft for hours using natural wind currents and thermal updrafts.
Bald eagles make their new nests an average of two feet deep and five feet across. Eventually, some nests can reach 10 feet wide and weigh as much as 4,000 pounds.
Although bald eagles may range over great distances, they usually return to nest within 100 miles of where they were raised.

A bald eagle mates for life, and will only choose another mate if its companion dies. Courting often involves spectacular aerial displays of diving and holding talons, cartwheeling almost until they reach the ground.

Eaglet chicks generally are flying in about three months. Eagles do not develop their distinctive white head and tail until their fourth or fifth year.

There was once a bounty on bald eagles in Alaska because it was believed that they competed directly with anglers. Bald eagles were never endangered in Alaska.The bounty was eventually removed. Today, bald eagles and all other raptors, like most passerine birds, are protected by state and federal laws.