Army sets up new units at JBER and Fort Wainwright to receive soldiers moving to Alaska

The Army's 11th Airborne Division has set up new units at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Fort Wainwright to receive soldiers and families moving to Alaska, the division announced Tuesday.

The units, called Installation Reception Companies, will be the first point of contact for many soldiers arriving in the division. The division said they go beyond traditional in-processing by teaching soldiers and families how to live, train and operate in Alaska.

"We aren't just checking in processing boxes or handing out cold-weather gear," Lt. Col. Chris Gensler said. "We are teaching Soldiers and their families how to adapt, how to master the elements, and how to thrive in the harshest conditions on Earth."

"Out here, the environment does not negotiate," he said.

JBER's company held its activation ceremony Sept. 17. Capt. Sommer Stevens commands it, with Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Pagano as senior enlisted leader. Its cadre, called the Arctic Graylings, were selected from across the division.

At Fort Wainwright, Capt. Jeremiah Fulford took command alongside 1st Sgt. Gerardo Carrionpena. The cadre there, called the Wolverines, will receive soldiers and families headed to the division's Interior Alaska units.

The division said the companies will help incoming soldiers contribute quickly to their units as it grows. The Army reactivated the 11th Airborne in June 2022 at ceremonies at both posts, uniting about 12,000 soldiers in Alaska.