KOTZEBUE, Alaska — The New Hampshire Army National Guard Medical Readiness Detachment took the lead this spring on a groundbreaking joint-service humanitarian mission, Operation Arctic Care 2025, delivering critical health services to some of the most remote and isolated communities in Arctic Alaska.
From April 5-19, the Medical Readiness Detachment coordinated 137 Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Sailors and U.S. Public Health Service officers from five military branches and three components to provide medical, dental and veterinary care to more than 1,100 residents across 12 villages spanning an area roughly the size of Indiana, just above the Arctic Circle.
“This was a huge lift for us as a small detachment from New Hampshire,” said Capt. Brent Hallenbeck, operations officer and acting officer in charge of the mission. “Planning and executing something nearly 3,500 miles away, across different time zones and with multiple branches involved, really stretched our capabilities, but seeing it all come together was an incredible experience.”
The New Hampshire Army National Guard Medical Readiness Detachment stepped into leading the mission in late 2024, serving as the lead element for the first Office of the Secretary of Defense-funded Innovative Readiness Training event for New Hampshire. During the following six months, New Hampshire Soldiers managed all personnel, logistics, transportation and medical planning, working closely with the Maniilaq Association, a regional tribal health provider.
Staff Sgt. Arielle Tango, a Florida Army National Guard combat medic who lives and works as a Maniilaq healthcare provider in Alaska, reflected on the critical needs of the villages.
“The medical care in these communities is extremely limited, often relying on rotating providers with basic resources,” Tango said. “Being able to bring sustained care, even for a short time, made a real difference in these underserved communities.”
Because of their isolation, limited infrastructure and harsh conditions, remote Alaskan villages face serious barriers to consistent healthcare. Providers are often scarce, and residents may wait months or travel long distances for care.
“I believe missions like Arctic Care are incredibly important for unit readiness and building trust with the public,” said Sgt. Zackari Lepicier of the New Hampshire Army National Guard who served as a non-commissioned officer in charge of the team during the exercise. “This mission brought medical, dental and veterinary services to communities that are otherwise difficult to reach.”
He added, “We met a real need while gaining invaluable real-world training that can’t be replicated in a lab.”
The teams also faced challenging weather, rugged terrain and the logistical complexity of reaching remote sites inaccessible by road. Black Hawk helicopters, chartered planes and snow machines were essential to transport teams and supplies. One team traveled 40 miles by snow machine between Deering and Buckland after helicopter flights were grounded due to weather.
“The villagers immediately volunteered to transport us, and they drove back and forth multiple times through the night and into the next day while dealing with poor visibility and very cold conditions,” Lepicier said. “We arrived just in time to treat a patient actively suffering a stroke, and started coordinating a medevac.”
He added, “The entire team was extremely grateful to these volunteers, and I think the entire experience helped create a positive relationship between us and the local residents.”
Arctic Care helped close critical gaps in care while underscoring the need for continued outreach because demand in these communities often far exceeds local capacity. The services provided were comprehensive, ranging from primary care and dental exams to gastrointestinal procedures and veterinary support essential to residents’ subsistence lifestyles.
A specialized GI team addressed a backlog of colorectal cancer screenings, which is a priority in a region with one of the highest colon cancer rates in the country. More than 1,900 procedures were performed throughout the mission, including 67 polyp removals and 1,386 prescriptions dispensed.
“Operation Arctic Care 2025 was more than a training exercise,” Hallenbeck said. “It was real, impactful work that provided essential care in some of America’s most isolated communities.”
The joint mission also provided invaluable real-world training for military medical and logistics personnel, sharpening their skills in austere conditions and enhancing inter-service cooperation. Additional units involved included New Hampshire’s 157th Air Refueling Wing, the 4th Dental Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 4, the 6th Communications Battalion, Alaska’s 1-207th Aviation Regiment, the 1-11th Airborne Division and the U.S. Public Health Service.
“I feel we were able to provide quality services the community truly needed and help improve overall wellness in the region,” Lepicier said. “I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity and proud that our team was successful in fulfilling the mission.”