The U.S. Army officially announced that cutting up to 2,600 personnel from Anchorage’s Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson has been put on hold due to strategic location.
The Army wrote in the announcement that losing the placement and specialized training of the 4-25 Infantry Brigade Combat Team could be detrimental to the United States military as a whole, which mirrored comments that Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, General Mark Milley made to Congress last month.
General Milley: “I think it would be contrary to strategic national security interests to go ahead and pull out the 4-25 at this time. So my thought is that we should extend them at least a year to see how the strategic situation develops and then move from there.
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, as well as Congressman Don Young have been opposed to the army personnel cuts since they were announced last year.
Today, Alaska’s Congressional delegates applauded the decision to officially put the cuts on hold.
Senator Murkowski wrote, “Whether measured by North Korea’s provocative actions this month, our discomfort with Russia’s military path, the need for troop strength to support the strategic balance to the Pacific, or emerging challenges in the Arctic, maintaining Army strength in Alaska right now is the right answer.”
Senator Sullivan says he will not stop working to keep the 4-25 in Alaska until they are guaranteed to stay in Alaska.