Governor Bill Walker is in Washington, D.C. requesting the restoration of military personnel cuts in Alaska.
The governor said with Russia enhancing its military presence in the Arctic, he stressed the importance of Alaska’s strategic placement.
Military leaders expressed their strong opposition to troop reductions according to Walker, however the reductions are tied to automatic federal spending cuts known as sequestration.
On July 8 Army administration told the Alaska’s U.S. delegation there was a planned reduction of 2,631 paratrooper positions from the Joint Base Elmendor-Richardson in Anchorage along with 75 from Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks.
After that announcement, Representative Don Young responded…
Rep. Young(R-Alaska): “In these times of growing global threats, especially in the Asia-Pacific and Arctic regions, the Army should be increasing its presence in Alaska – not cutting it by more than 2,600 soldiers. While the Army masks its decision as a budgetary issue, they’ve failed to fully consider the strategic interests of the nation. Losing the only airborne brigade in the Pacific Theater – the only airborne brigade with cold-weather, mountainous, and Arctic training – will negatively affect the Army’s ability to operate in the Pacific region for years to come. As the Alaska delegation has done in the past, we will continue to fight this decision to ensure there is a strong Army presence in the most strategic location in the world: Alaska.”
The Army plans to reduce active-duty personnel by 40,000 over two years; the Anchorage base is one of six domestic bases that will lose 1,200 or more soldiers.