JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - The Alaska Army National Guard’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 297th Regional Support Group, will deploy about 80 Guardsmen to Eastern Europe for nine months to support the U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s Operation European Assure, Deter and Reinforce.
“It’s amazing what our team has accomplished in a short amount of time to prepare for this mobilization and how well we’ve worked together,” said Lt. Col. Sean Pence, the RSG deputy commander. “I commend all the highly motivated Soldiers, many of whom volunteered for this mission. This will be a great opportunity for them to see the world, do their job and perform exceptionally well at the mission they’ve trained for.”
AKARNG Soldiers will be stationed at 10 bases across Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. They will manage base facility contracts and provide administrative and logistical support for billeting, food service, maintenance, laundry and other base infrastructure.
U.S. Forces and their allies rely on contractors to maintain military bases and provide service members with essential life support like housing, food, laundry facilities, road maintenance and other services that support the health and welfare of the troops. Military contracting officers ensure the standards outlined in those contracts are met.
“We’re essentially there to support our deployed, rotational U.S. forces and NATO allies who are regularly executing combat training in the region,” Pence said. “We ensure that those life support requirements are maintained to keep our Soldiers in the fight.”
According to European and African Command, the objective of operation EADR is to enhance deterrence against potential threats, primarily in Eastern Europe, by regularly rotating U.S. military units to the region to participate in joint training exercises with NATO allies.
“Today’s operational environment is more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous than ever before and the threats the U.S. faces are constantly evolving,” Col. Michele Edwards, RSG commander, said during the Jan. 24 deployment ceremony. “As Soldiers, I remind you that you are not just stepping into a mission; you are stepping into an environment where our adaptability, resilience and teamwork are essential to our success.”
For the past two years, the RSG has participated in the mobilization exercise at Fort Riley, Kansas, which was designated a primary inactive mobilization force
generation installation in 2021. The purpose of an MFGI is to facilitate large-scale mobilization operations to provide training support, sustainment and facilities that efficiently field units into theaters of operation.
While at Fort Riley, AKARNG Soldiers received relevant training on supporting base infrastructure and life support requirements.
“We were able to develop policies and procedures during our time in Fort Riley that will translate into the skills we will need in Eastern Europe,” Pence said.
From October through December, the RSG brought their entire team together to conduct the academic, administrative and medical training requirements to be successful while deployed. The RSG conducted hands-on deployment training, such as the Contract Officer’s Representative Training course provided by U.S. Army representatives from Fort Cavazos, Texas. This training represented the bulk of the Soldiers’ responsibilities in Europe.
Deploying to allied nations enables Soldiers to immerse themselves in diverse cultures, providing a more varied experience than combat-focused Middle Eastern campaigns. These deployments allow service members to strengthen personal and international relationships while gaining new perspectives on global issues.
“For a mission like this, we’re really focused on hospitality, networking and relationship building,” said Spc. Kyle Johnson, a military police Soldier assigned to the RSG. “I’m really looking forward to working alongside our partners overseas and getting a fresh perspective on how to do the job effectively.”
Edwards addressed her Soldiers and their families at the end of the deployment ceremony at the Alaska National Guard Armory on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, emphasizing the need to remain resilient and unified.
“Soldiers, lean on one another, stay focused, and remain disciplined. Embrace these challenges with courage and confidence, knowing that you are prepared to overcome whatever lies ahead,” she said. “You are outstanding individual Soldiers, but together our strength is found through unity.”