Alaska Guard improves readiness with new equipment

  • Published
  • By Air Guard Staff Sgt. Karima Turner
  • AANG PAO
CAMP DENALI, Alaska --   From state-of-the-art Army combat helmets to brand new up-armored vehicles, the Alaska National Guard boasts the newest individual and unit level equipment worth millions of dollars.

For the past two years, the Alaska Army National Guard reorganized our legacy forces of units such as the 207th Infantry Group into to the current and more viable 297th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade and 38th Troop Command, as well as new smaller units.

With the reorganization, the entire Alaska Army National Guard logistics team, with key support from the G3 force integration office, have prepared for the equipment tidal wave for the 21st Century Army Guard.

"The time has come, and the Alaska Army National Guard is riding that tidal wave," said Col. Mike Bridges, the logistics officer in charge for the Alaska Guard. "The new weapons systems, communications systems, night vision devices, logistics tracking systems, including satellite tracking devices, hundreds of new trucks, trailers, generators and everything our modern Army Guard needs to fight in combat, and to support the homeland in domestic emergencies will ensure a safer, better equipped and better trained unit."

"Ensuring that our Soldiers have the best equipment has always been a priority," said Brig. Gen. J. Randy Banez, commander of the Alaska Army Guard. "Whether supporting our state or our country, it is crucial to the mission that our Soldiers are equipped and trained on the very latest equipment and technology."

Bridges said that this process is on a scale never before seen with the Alaska Army National Guard.

This calendar year, the Army Guard has acquired nearly 200 new trucks of all configurations, over 100 of the newest tactical quiet generators, aviation unique generators and field heaters, and more than 200 trailers.

In addition to that, well over a million dollars of new Soldier organization clothing and individual equipment now stocks the Clothing and Issue Facility.

Due to the unique state missions that Guardsmen are often called on to support, a dozen new Zodiak boats for water rescue missions have also been fielded and more are enroute, Guard officials said.

"Between now and February we are also expecting another 150-plus trucks, including 80 Family of Medium Tactical Trucks (FMTVs)," said Bridges. "They will replace the outdated 2 1/2 ton trucks and older 5 ton trucks that are older than most of our Soldiers."

The process has been extremely detail-oriented, and has required many parts of the organization to accomplish the mission, Bridges said.

"A lot of work has gone into this process and will continue to go into it, but it's necessary in order to properly take on Army property that will likely be with us for 20-30 years into the future and ensure its readiness for any mission," he said. "This equipment provides an exceptional opportunity for our young Soldiers to work on the newest and best equipment and will keep the Alaska Army National Guard ready and reliable to respond to emergencies when Alaskans need us most."