Dunleavy creates Alaska Military Affairs Office inside state veterans department

Alaska now has a single state office designated as its central coordinating entity for military affairs. Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe announced the creation of the Alaska Military Affairs Office on Thursday. The office sits within the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

A grant from the Department of War, Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation supports the office. OLDCC is a Defense Department field activity. It provides technical and financial assistance to state and local governments on defense infrastructure and community impacts.

"Alaska has never been more strategically important to our nation's security than it is today," Dunleavy said. "This office will strengthen coordination across state government and help position Alaska for continued military investment and economic growth."

The state points to Alaska's position at the crossroads of the Arctic, Indo-Pacific and North American homeland as the reason for keeping a dedicated capability to coordinate military policies and initiatives across agencies and with outside partners.

Duties of the New Office

The office will serve as the primary state liaison supporting the Alaska Military Affairs Commission. Its assigned duties include advising the governor on defense-related economic development, coordinating long-range planning for infrastructure that supports defense operations, and maintaining a statewide strategic plan for protecting existing military missions. It will also coordinate with Alaska's congressional delegation and work with local governments, Alaska Native organizations, Tribal organizations, industry and educational institutions. The office is also tasked with supporting collaborative initiatives that improve quality of life for service members and their families while strengthening community resilience and economic development.

"Strong military missions depend on strong communities," said Saxe, who serves as adjutant general and commissioner of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. "The Alaska Military Affairs Office will strengthen the relationships between our military installations and the communities that support them."

Related Arctic Security Agreement

Alaska News previously covered a separate agreement signed in June between Dunleavy and the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies, a Department of Defense regional center. That memorandum named Dunleavy the inaugural State of Alaska Arctic Chair for the remainder of his term.

The announcement did not name a director for the new office or state a staffing level.