As the United States approaches the 16th anniversary of military operations in Afghanistan, thousands more troops are readying to deploy. One of the units heading there is the airborne infantry brigade based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.
Military
North Korea fires another missile over Japan
South Korean and Japanese officials say the latest missile flew over Hokkaido and fell into the ocean, and the South Korean military conducted a live-fire ballistic missile drill in response.
North Korea claims successful hydrogen bomb test
In its sixth nuclear test, North Korea said it was “successful” in loading a hydrogen bomb onto an intercontinental ballistic missile. Trump met with his national security advisers at the White House on Sunday to discuss the test.
Alaska soldiers to deploy for Afghanistan within week
Military officers in Anchorage said Wednesday that Alaska-based soldiers will start deploying to Afghanistan within the week. Over the course of the coming month, the Army is sending about 1,200 members of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division from Anchorage’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
With F-35 squads set for Eielson, thousands of people may come up with them
More than 5,000 people may come to the Fairbanks area over the next four years as part of the move to base two squadrons of F-35 fighters at Eielson Air Force Base. The latest estimate announced Monday is well above the previous estimate of 3,500. The bigger population increase is expected to place a greater burden on local services.
North Korea says it won’t fire missiles at Guam after all
Instead of launching missiles into the water near Guam, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will “watch a little more the foolish and stupid conduct of the Yankees,” state media report.
Trump says U.S. military is ‘locked and loaded’ to deal with North Korea
North Korea has threatened to send missiles toward Guam. In his latest tweet about the isolated regime, President Trump says, “Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded.”
Sen. Sullivan wants 28 more interceptors at Fort Greely
Each missile costs roughly $80 million, so this is a multi-billion dollar proposal. “Buying that kind of insurance for everybody, not just Alaska but for every city in America, to me is a price that almost any American would want to pay,” Sullivan said.
Search and rescue underway for U.S. marines in ‘mishap’ off Australian coast
Most service members were rescued, but three remain unaccounted for after their aircraft “entered the water.”
Test missile launches from Kodiak
The Alaska Aerospace Corporation just completed its second missile test of the summer as part of its partnership with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. People in the area at the time report having seen the launch overnight between Saturday and Sunday.