JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Alaska Army National Guard aviators assigned to G Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, hosted mission partners for a multi-agency hoist symposium at Bryant Army Airfield on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, July 20-22.
The event brought together search and rescue professionals from across Alaska including Alaska Army National Guard aviators; U.S. Coast Guard crews from Air Stations Kodiak and Sitka; Alaska Air National Guard Airmen from the 176th Wing’s rescue units; U.S. Army aviators from Fort Wainwright’s 1-52nd General Support Aviation Battalion; Alaska State Troopers; volunteers from the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group; and personnel from the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center.
The collaborative training leveraged the unique experience of each organization to improve hoist proficiency, strengthen interoperability and enhance readiness for life-saving missions across Alaska’s rugged and remote terrain.
“Search and rescue in Alaska is never a one-agency job; it takes all of us working together,” said Lt. Benjamin Endres, Alaska State Troopers statewide Search and Rescue coordinator. “Training like this strengthens those partnerships, so when the call comes, we’re ready to respond as a team.”
The three-day symposium featured classroom instruction, cold-load training and live hoist demonstrations with three different aircraft platforms: the Alaska Army National Guard’s HH-60M Black Hawk, the U.S. Coast Guard’s MH-60T Jayhawk, and the Alaska Air National Guard’s HH-60G Pave Hawk.
Attendees reviewed best practices for personnel recovery, patient packaging and rapid transfer techniques while refining aircrew and ground coordination.
A major milestone announced during the symposium was the National Guard Bureau’s authorization for the Alaska Army National Guard to conduct live hoist and emergency response training with nationally certified rescue teams throughout training year 2025.
The approval enables Army Guard aviators to train alongside Alaska’s leading technical rescue volunteers, integrating aviation and mountain rescue capabilities for high-angle terrain, avalanche zones and remote environments.
“Partnering with AMRG [Alaska Mountain Rescue Group] gives us the ability to combine technical backcountry expertise with military aviation resources,” said Capt. Cody McKinney, Alaska Army National Guard Black Hawk pilot and event coordinator. “This partnership will save lives in Alaska’s most challenging conditions.”
The symposium participants also advanced efforts to develop a statewide search and rescue radio interoperability plan. The plan will establish common frequencies and standardized protocols, enabling responders to communicate directly in real time during complex missions.
“Communication is the backbone of every successful mission,” said Master Sgt. Tanner Boyer, 212th Rescue Squadron. “This training builds the foundation we need for safer, more effective rescues across Alaska. By working through the details now—frequencies, equipment, integration—we ensure that when it matters most, we’re ready”.
Alaska averages hundreds of search and rescue incidents annually, often in severe weather and inaccessible terrain. The hoist symposium, the progress made on the military and civilian training authorization and the communications planning mark significant steps forward in strengthening partnerships and ensuring a coordinated response when every minute counts.
“The work accomplished during this symposium strengthens our ability to respond when it matters most,” said Lt. Col. Brendon Holbrook, 207th Aviation Troop Command commander. “Building trust and interoperability across our agencies ensures we’re prepared for Alaska’s toughest missions.”
Organizers said they intend to make the hoist symposium an annual training event, adding scenario-based exercises to validate joint procedures and new communication standards.