Alaska Air National Guard unit coming to base

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Bernie Kale
  • AANG PAO
CAMP DENALI, Alaska --  Guard members from the 176th Wing of the Alaska Air National Guard will say their final goodbyes to the base that has been their home since 1952, Feb. 12.

Throughout the years, Kulis Air National Guard Base has served multiple roles with the state of Alaska and abroad.

It acted as a major center for the coordination of disaster relief in response to the 1964 Good Friday earthquake.

Recently, the base has deployed thousands of members since 1990 in support of multiple missions, including Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure commission recommended that Kulis be closed and the wing be relocated to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

The move was considered a good fit, given the growing mission of the wing, and the state of Alaska supported the recommendation.

It's a move that, while positive, will be bittersweet, according to the wing commander.

"Although we love this area and will always be connected to it, JBER offers the wing growth as a team and a partnership that works," said Brig. Gen. Charles E. "Chuck" Foster, 176th Wing commander, Alaska Air National Guard. "The benefits far outweigh the downsides in this move."

There are more than 1,400 members in the wing and some units have already transitioned.

"We have 100-percent cooperation with the active duty Air Force, Army, and Army National Guard regarding our transition onto the base," Foster said.

"It will streamline our support services, capture efficiencies of scale and add more value to the taxpayer's dollar."

While challenging, the relocation is the culminating point of years of planning and preparation, and with such a complex operation already underway, Foster stressed safety to Guardsmen during a Kulis Town Hall meeting recently.

"We have been preparing for this event for years, and our Airmen are more than capable to perform this maneuver safely and effectively," Foster said.

"I expect anyone involved to call a 'knock-it-off' whenever they uncover an unexpected risk or an unexamined hazard. We will manage this move in complete safety."

As a part of the move to relocate the wing's aircraft, the 176th will have a flyaway ceremony on Feb. 12, to include all aircraft flying in formation over Kulis for the final time.