Federal department responsible for the U.S. armed forces — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force. Alaska-relevant content includes Eielson AFB, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Fort Greely, Arctic strategy, Red Flag-Alaska training exercises, military construction at Alaska bases, and defense procurement at Alaska contractors.
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Mitch McConnell
“If fielding the F-35 remains an operational necessity, both for the United States and for our allies, there's really no excuse for not placing it squarely in full-year appropriations.”Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Defense (Murkowski): Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Air Force. · Jun 9, 2026
Mitch McConnell
“Also glad to see the fiscal year '27 request begin to address the issue of operational readiness rates by investing more in F-35 spares. But the department will continue to step on its own tail if it insists in housing procurement with new airframes, primarily in one-off reconciliation spending.”Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Defense (Murkowski): Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Air Force. · Jun 9, 2026
Chris Coons
“This year, more than most, this subcommittee understands and must understand your goals in building this budget, whether or not it's realistic to grow this fast, and the smartest ways to reprioritize your budgets in the case that reconciliation does not occur.”Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Defense (Murkowski): Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Air Force. · Jun 9, 2026
Susan Collins
“I would just suggests that it is taking a terrible risk and creates instability when you're counting on a third reconciliation bill for the bulk of the money rather than doing base funding through the defense appropriations bill.”Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Defense (Murkowski): Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Air Force. · Jun 9, 2026
Troy Meink
“The fiscal year 2027 President's Budget breaks that pattern with the $338 $1.8 billion request for the DAF, a 34% increase from last year.”Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Defense (Murkowski): Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Air Force. · Jun 9, 2026
Mitch McConnell
“It's also a recipe for major disruptions in the very possible event that party-line reconciliation fails. The administration's choice to structure an ambitious $1.5 trillion request in this way is yet another missed opportunity to put key aspects of our common defense on a stronger and more enduring fiscal footing.”Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Defense (Murkowski): Hearings to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Air Force. · Jun 9, 2026
Washington bought into Ambler. The payoff depends on the road being built
Trilogy Metals signed agreements giving the federal government about 10 percent of the company, with warrants it cannot exercise until the Ambler road is built.
by Walter AlaskaNews5h ago4 min readAI
Anchorage trails plan keeps Muldoon trail but drops JBER from its name
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson asked planners to delete the Muldoon Perimeter Trail from Anchorage's 2026 Recreational Trails Plan, citing mission incompatibility. The project team kept the concept, citing public support. The AMATS Technical Advisory Committee takes up the plan Thursday.
by Walter AlaskaNews1d ago2 min readAI
Air Force names 2nd Lt. Leah Borsich as airman killed in Cape Newenham crash
The Eleventh Air Force identified 2nd Lt. Leah R. Borsich, 23, of the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron at JBER as the airman killed in the Aug. 20 Cape Newenham crash. Alaska State Troopers will name the victims not affiliated with the Department of War.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago1 min readAI
Army moves to end state review of ground work at two Alaska posts
The Army has proposed terminating the Programmatic Agreement governing Section 106 review at Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely, shifting to a new Army-wide framework that makes the Alaska SHPO advisory only and leaves determinations to installation staff.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago1 min readAI
Charter plane crash at Cape Newenham radar site kills eight
A Security Aviation Cessna 441 that left Anchorage crashed Thursday afternoon on approach to the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site airstrip in western Alaska, killing two pilots and six passengers. The NTSB is investigating.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAI
Alaska students will spend the year researching the veterans buried at Fort Richardson
The VA's National Cemetery Administration awarded the University of Alaska Anchorage $325,000 for a one-year Veterans Legacy Program project sending dual-enrolled high school students and undergraduates into the burial records of Fort Richardson National Cemetery, with a campus memorial and a cemetery walking tour among the deliverables.
by Melinda Communities.News1w ago2 min readAI
An airman's idea for a cargo cart is out to bid at JBER
A new Air Force solicitation seeks engineering and fabrication of a Version 2.0 Logistics Operational Device cart, a manual alternative to K-loaders, with final fit-checks and operational testing at JBER alongside the 176th Logistics Readiness Squadron.
by Alaska News2w ago1 min readAI
College student airlifted off Resurrection Pass after allergic reaction 14 miles in
An 18-year-old college student visiting Alaska was airlifted off the Resurrection Pass Trail after an allergic reaction left him struggling to breathe 14 miles from the trailhead.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min readAI
The Blue Angels headlined JBER's Arctic Thunder, their first Anchorage show since 2016
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels headlined JBER's Arctic Thunder Open House on Aug. 8-9, their first appearance at the Anchorage base since 2016, in one of Alaska's largest public events.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAI
Heavy military flying returns over Anchorage as Red Flag-Alaska war games resume
Red Flag-Alaska 26-3 brings fighter jet training over Anchorage into late August, though the base and Pacific Air Forces give different start dates. JBER lists Aug. 14, not the Friday before the exercise, as its heavy flying day.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min readAI
Anchorage Assembly weights resolution would back JBER buildout as base housing nears full
An Anchorage Assembly resolution would commit the city to planning for a projected JBER buildup, on a base whose family housing is already about 98% occupied.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAI
Anchorage seeks 50 acres of JBER land for a waste-to-energy plant
Anchorage officials told the Assembly Legislative Committee on Thursday that both House and Senate defense bills would convey about 50 acres of JBER land next to the Anchorage Regional Landfill for a waste-to-energy plant. The House version orders the transfer. The Senate version only directs study.
by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago2 min readAI
Eielson Air Force Base hiring fair set for Thursday
The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development is promoting a hiring fair at Eielson Air Force Base on Thursday, Aug. 6, the same day a federal laborer posting at the base with 12 vacancies closes.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
The military is adding a thousand people to a base that's already full
JBER family housing is nearly full as the military plans to add about 1,050 personnel in Alaska. An Anchorage Assembly resolution weighs the added housing pressure.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Kodiak's spaceport is expanding as the FAA moves to waive its reviews
As Rocket Lab expands Kodiak's spaceport for Space Force missile-defense launches, the FAA has proposed waiving NEPA, Endangered Species Act and historic-preservation reviews.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska stands up a new office to coordinate military affairs
Gov. Dunleavy created the Alaska Military Affairs Office to coordinate defense matters and pursue federal funding, backed by a Pentagon OLDCC grant of undisclosed size.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Eielson airshow returns this weekend, with brief highway stops for the flyovers
The free Arctic Lightning Airshow returns to Eielson Air Force Base Aug. 2 weekend. Drivers on the Richardson Highway face brief traffic stops during aerial performances.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
The Army's last airborne cavalry squadron made its final jump at JBER
The Army reflagged the 1-40th Cavalry at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson as the 1st Battalion, 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, ending its last airborne cavalry squadron.
by Alaska News1mo ago1 min readAI
Rocket Lab wins $266 million DoD contract for suborbital launches from Kodiak spaceport
The U.S. Department of Defense awarded Rocket Lab a $266 million firm-fixed-price contract Tuesday for 12 suborbital HASTE launches from the state-owned Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska on Kodiak Island, with an option for six additional missions by Dec. 31, 2028.
by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago2 min readAI
Air Force seeks contractor to install communications gear at remote Shemya outpost
The 766th Enterprise Sourcing Squadron issued an RFQ Friday to install a communications container and optional tower at Eareckson Air Station on Shemya Island, with quotes due July 24 and a five-week construction window ending August 31.
by Alaska News1mo ago1 min readAI
Parks Highway closed at MP 274 near Clear Space Force Station
A disabled semi-truck is blocking the Parks Highway at Milepost 274, south of Clear Space Force Station, closing the road as of early Thursday. The Alaska 511 alert lists the closure as active through 1:33 AM UTC Friday, July 18.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Fairbanks rally targets data centers as Air Force pursues Eielson lease
Alaskans for Data Center Accountability holds a Fairbanks rally Saturday evening against 15 proposed statewide data centers, the same week the Air Force's Eielson lease interest appeared as one item in Mayor Hopkins' chair report at the borough's April 28 Economic Development Commission meeting.
by Melinda Communities.Newsadded 1mo ago2 min readAI
A Washington pharmacy fight could hit Alaska's military families hardest
A Senate fight over TRICARE's pharmacy contract could hit Alaska's military families hardest, where cuts that pushed out local pharmacies leave a plane ride or unreliable mail-order as the alternative.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
U.S. Senate stalls defense bill, freezing $2.6B for Alaska
The Senate blocked the FY2027 defense bill 50-46 over the Iran war and budget, stalling $2.6 billion in Alaska military construction. Sullivan and Murkowski voted yes.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Air Force opens bidding to lease 4,400 acres at Eielson for private development
The Department of the Air Force issued a formal solicitation Saturday to lease roughly 4,400 acres across four Eielson AFB parcels to a private developer for up to 50 years, with proposals due August 10 and no government utilities, financing, or emergency services included.
by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago2 min readAI
Doyon wants to raise Fort Richardson water rates by nearly half
Doyon Utilities has proposed a 50.90% increase in annual water revenue requirements for Fort Richardson, the largest rate change in a batch of military utility filings now before the Regulatory Commission of Alaska. Public comments are due July 21.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Allied forces rehearse the next war in the Alaska wilderness
Air Force Tactical Air Control Party Airmen from the 20th ASOS used Red Flag-Alaska 26-2 at Eielson AFB and JBER to demonstrate an expanded battlefield role that now includes small drones, electronic warfare, and real-time targeting in degraded environments, with allied senior leaders watching to assess future participation.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Starry Fire forced Anderson evacuations before rain held Alaska's June burn total low
A June 20 lightning strike near Anderson triggered Denali Borough evacuation notices before firefighters contained the Starry Fire at 575 acres, even as Alaska logged fewer than 29,000 acres burned statewide, the sixth-lowest June total since 1993, despite roughly 75,000 lightning strikes.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min readAI
The FAA wants to end the 50-year ban on supersonic flight — and Alaska has the sky for it
The FAA has proposed ending the 1973 ban on civil supersonic flight over the U.S., allowing boomless supersonic jets — a change with real relevance for vast, aviation-heavy Alaska.
by Alaska News2mo ago2 min readAI
Murkowski previously questioned the Qatari Air Force One; Trump has now flown it
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski was among the Republicans who questioned Qatar's gift of a Boeing 747 to serve as Air Force One, which President Trump flew for the first time this week.
by Alaska News2mo ago1 min readAI
The man who made the case for JBER's new water plant didn't live to see it open
Doyon Utilities opened a new water plant at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, serving 40,000 and replacing 1957-era infrastructure, honoring the late Mac Nason who championed it.
by Melinda Communities.Newsadded 2mo ago1 min readAI
A soldier died guarding Fort Wainwright's gate. The drunk driver who hit him will serve 17 years.
Brianna Lapp was sentenced to 17 years for a DUI crash that killed Pfc. Arturo Gomez, a soldier on duty at Fort Wainwright's main gate in July 2024. Her BAC was 0.299.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Starry Fire hits 50% containment as military crews join Alaska firefighters
The Starry Fire reached 50% containment Tuesday as about two dozen active-duty Airmen from Eielson Air Force Base, Clear Space Force Station, and JBER worked alongside state hotshot crews. Crews secured a 5-foot buffer inside the fire's edge and found no heat 150 feet outside the perimeter.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
A Record Alaska Defense Bill Clears Its First Hurdle
A Senate committee advanced a defense bill authorizing about $2.6 billion for Alaska military construction, led by a JBER overhaul — but it must still clear the full Senate and House.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
The Army Just Ran a Shark Tank in Alaska — and a Soldier's Enemy-Sniffing Drone Won
Alaska's 11th Airborne held Angel Ascent, a Shark Tank-style innovation contest; WO1 Brian Raab's "Wardrive" enemy-signal-detecting drone payload won top prize.
by Melinda Communities.News2mo ago2 min readAI
Six nations, 70-plus aircraft, an airspace bigger than Britain: the war over Alaska was a drill
RED FLAG-Alaska 26-2 wrapped June 12 at Eielson AFB and JBER, bringing together six nations, roughly 75 aircraft, and more than 300 paratroopers dropping at Donnelly Drop Zone near Delta Junction in one of the most internationally diverse iterations on record.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska's 1-40 Cav made its last cavalry jump June 10 — WWII lineage returns in July
Alaska's 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry made its last major jump as cavalry on June 10 — it becomes the 1-511th Parachute Infantry Regiment in July
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min readAI
The Air Force wants $7 billion for fighter recapitalization at Elmendorf — but Alaska's military investments are riding on a partisan bill senators don't think will pass
Air Force fiscal 2027 budget request splits critical programs between base appropriations and reconciliation bill. Senators from both parties say the structure creates risk for Alaska installations and missions.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
The Air Force wants a $338.8 billion budget — a 34% jump that includes a 130% Space Force boost that flows to Clear
The Department of the Air Force asked Congress for $338.8 billion in fiscal 2027, a 34 percent jump from last year, to address readiness shortfalls after 25 years of underfunding. Senators questioned splitting the request between base appropriations and a reconciliation package.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Air Force seeks contractor for Red Flag-Alaska exercise at JPARC
The Air Force is soliciting bids for a specialized contractor to run tactical control and threat simulation for the Red Flag-Alaska 26-3 exercise at JPARC, with proposals due June 9 and work scheduled for August 12-28. The contract is set aside exclusively for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min readAI