Alaska's strategic military location and importance has been long recognized. In 1935, Air Force General Billy Mitchell testified before Congress and famously pronounced, “Alaska is the most strategic place in the world.” Today Alaska continues to serve as the premier location for promoting stability in the Pacific.

Alaska is home to approximately 60,000 members of the Armed Forces and their families. They are stationed at six major military installations including Elmendorf Air Force Base, Eielson Air Force Base and Clear Air Force Base along with the Army's Fort Richardson, Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely.

Many of the military members stationed in Alaska have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan multiple times to serve our country. In addition to deployments overseas, members of the Armed Forces in Alaska perform vital missions daily in defense of the nation with the newest and most sophisticated weapons systems like the F-22 Raptor and the Ground-based Midcourse ballistic missile defense system. National Guardsmen and members of the Coast Guard in Alaska conduct more search and rescue missions than those in other states in the most challenging climate and geography there is.

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Begich is working every day to make the state and country more secure by providing our military and its members with the resources needed to address the challenges we face across the world.

Keeping Alaska’s Military Strong

Alaska is so integral to our nation’s national defense the Department of Defense spends more than $3 billion annually in the state. Almost 8 percent of Alaska’s state employment opportunities are tied to the military. Senator Begich’s work on the Armed Services Committee has led to the inclusion of several key elements and resources to further bolster Alaska’s military in the annual National Defense Authorization Act and Defense Appropriations Act. Initiatives include securing $20 million for sustainment and modernization of the Ground-based interceptors deployed in Alaska to protect against a missile threat from a rogue nation; supporting almost $700 million in Fiscal Year 2010 and 2011 for military construction in Alaska, securing $9.5 million in Fiscal Year 2010 for Alaska’s defense industry and a legislative provision to promote renewable energy projects and military mission compatibility.

Supporting Members of the Armed Forces and Their Families

Recently Senator Begich had the opportunity to see first-hand the training our Soldiers conduct prior to their deployment during a visit to Fort Wainwright’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team and the National Training Center in California. Senator Begich believes we must take care of our military members and families and has worked hard on their behalf to secure extension of benefit programs, extension of compensation programs, annual pay raises and increased resources for family support programs. In his capacity as a member of the Armed Services Committee, Senator Begich was recently able to extend Tricare coverage for dependents until age 26 from age 23.

Working Hand-in-Hand

Alaska has a long history with the military and Senator Begich's priority is to ensure the relationship remains as strong as it has been since General Billy Mitchell’s statement in 1935. In 2009, Senator Begich helped restore pensions for members of Alaska’s Territorial Guard who protected the State of Alaska during World War II. He supports many projects that promote a strong military and civilian partnership. One of these is the Innovative Readiness Training Program. Through this program Reservists are relocating the village of Newtok to a new site across the Bay called Metarvik. Senator Begich personally visited this project in 2010 and was able to see the progress made by the military to support our Alaskan Natives. He also believes environmental remediation of former defense sites, like St. Lawrence Island, is imperative and must occur in a timely manner. This is all part of Senator Begich’s tireless work with the Department of Defense to clean up Alaska.