• 17th CSSB takes on Afghanistan mission

    Soldiers of the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson-based 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion took the mission of the Central Command Material Recovery Element CSSB from the 1103rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion of the Alabama National Guard during a transfer of authority ceremony, July

  • Arctic Thunder Open House looks to wow the crowd

    You've been thunder-struck! The words to a popular 1990 rock song might just be the impact on the crowd during Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson's Arctic Thunder Open House July 26 and 27, which is free and open to the public. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, "America's Ambassadors in Blue," will

  • Breaks, sprains and growing pains: orthopedics expands

    A buzzing, reminiscent of a barber's shop, fills the room. Air Force Col. Benjamin Kam, an orthopedic surgeon and the commander of the 673d Surgical Operations Squadron (MSGS), places the vibrating saw to his forearm as he explains it uses oscillation to pulsate through hard surfaces without cutting

  • Wrap It Up Alaska campaign hopes to reduce STD rates

    Layer into a shot glass:1/3 ounce youth1/3 ounce alcohol1/3 ounce lustTop with a liberal dash of unpreparedness. (Youth can be substituted with more alcohol, if desired.)The recipe: perhaps disaster.Since 2000, Alaska has the first- or second-highest incidence in the United States of chlamydia (and

  • Wounded warrior learns to live again

    Sgt. Mark McElroy wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father and his grandfather. His father was a bodybuilder prior to spending 21 years in the Army, and his grandfather served two tours in Vietnam. Both were airborne infantry, and McElroy said he felt it was the right thing for him to do as

  • Ready, set, Otter Fest!

    The sun shines down on Otter Lake, creating a shimmer on the water. Suddenly the vibrant sound of laughter fills the air and boats are cast out. Military members and their families participated in the second annual Otter Fest hosted by the 673d Force Support Squadron on Joint Base

  • Operation Colony Glacier 2014: weather key in mission success

    On Nov. 22, 1952, an Air Force C-124 Globemaster II - with 52 passengers and crewmembers aboard - took off from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., en route to Elmendorf Air Force Base, but the plane never made it to its destination.The C-124 crashed into Mount Gannett, less than 40 miles from what is

  • Alaska pilot reaches 1,000 F-22 flight hours

    Maj. Jonathan Gration, Reserve F-22 pilot assigned to the 302nd Fighter Squadron, is the fourth pilot to reach 1,000 flight hours in the F-22 during a sortie here July 3."This flight is not only a milestone for me, but for the Raptor community as well," said Gration. "It's a testament to how far

  • Japanese soldiers visit U.S. Army Alaska

    Leaders with the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force visited paratroopers at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson with the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, during a subject-matter expert exchange event June 24.Col. Akira Miyazaki, an education and training department

  • Exercise shows JBER readiness for open house

    Clouds in the sky were heavy with rain on a cold Alaska morning, when suddenly a loud bang echoed from a parking lot and the sound of helpless groans arose from thick smoke covering the ground.The loud bang was a simulated bomb explosion used to kick off this year's mission assurance exercise, which