In the first "Unconventional" episode of 2024, host Naveed Jamali spent 36 hours on the terrain to see how the Alaska National Guard operates near the closest front line the United States has to an adversary nation. The Russian mainland is only around 55 miles from mainland Alaska across the Bering Strait. The two countries' nearest islands are just over two miles apart.
"There's been a lot of people who have said we're the most strategic spot on the globe. I agree. It is partly our natural resources, but it's our proximity to the places we need to go. We are the top cover for America. And I believe that to my core," Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe told Newsweek.
The Alaska National Guard serves a critical role within the U.S. military, supporting state and federal missions ranging from natural disaster relief to civilian rescues as well as national security monitoring.
The unit faces unique challenges due to the state's massive size, extreme weather, isolation from the continental U.S. and its strategic importance.
"We're very close to a known adversary. It's on Alaska, it's on us to defend our homeland," said Colonel Michele Edwards, State Army Aviation Officer.
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is nestled between the city of Anchorage and the breathtaking—yet unforgiving—Chugach mountains.
Newsweek flew with a Chinook helicopter executing a complex sling load training mission carrying a Small Unit Support Vehicle (SUSV), a tracked all-terrain vehicle. The Chinook crew flew with the SUSV to drop it off in a more remote location. Jamali and crew then drove back in the SUSV, to understand why the vehicle is an essential mode of transportation for guardians in "The Last Frontier."
"The SUSV is a great vehicle for getting across Alaska. The tundra, the mountains, the unique environment. A lot of times we have situations where, you know, there might be a state disaster or we're trying to build an expeditionary base and we need to be able to agilely move those pieces of equipment, both in a combat environment and in a civil environment," said Captain Cody McKinney.
The Alaska National Guard's different helicopters are also critical to navigating the rugged terrain.
"Chinooks tend to do heavy lift missions. Apaches obviously do attack missions. Something that's very unique to Alaska is those missions overlap quite a bit. We might have a situation where we need to move a lot of people out of a remote area, but we also need to move equipment. So now you have a Chinook and a Black Hawk flying together."
The training exercise Newsweek witnessed included two Chinooks and a Black Hawk, practicing advanced skills such as tree-top flying while slinging a SUSV and formation flying with dissimilar aircraft. Maintaining such proficiencies is vital for the Alaska Army National Guard.
Separated from the rest of the United States by over a thousand miles, Alaska is so isolated that many locals compare living and working in the largest U.S. state to being on an island.
"When you're on an island, you're on your own. You have to be self-sufficient. It forces us to be better aviators," said Edwards.
"I think the reason why people join the Guard in any state, but especially in Alaska, is because you want to serve your state. You want to be able to be in a position to help your neighbor, to help your parents, to help your friends, just to help your fellow citizens."
After spending 36 hours with the Alaska National Guard, Jamali said he kept coming back to the phrase "rugged beauty."
"What makes Alaska dangerous is also what makes it so intoxicating," he said. "To live here is to embrace self-sufficiency."
Watch Newsweek's full episode with the Alaska National Guard here, and subscribe to "Unconventional" on YouTube to follow along with Naveed Jamali as he embeds with various military units for an inside look at the new generation serving in a changing world.
