BETHEL, Alaska- More than 80 Alaska Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, conducted cold weather training operations and community engagement events in rural western Alaska, Jan. 18-20. For B Co., headquartered in Wasilla, this was a large and significant consolidation at their detachment in Bethel. The weekend was also a momentous occasion for one of B Co.'s own Soldiers racing in the Kuskokwim 300 dogsled race here.
The Soldiers of B Co. arrived at the Bethel Armory, greeted by blistering winds and below zero temperatures. They began cold weather training by setting up three arctic ten-man tents, which they would sleep in later that evening. Soldiers practiced digging stakes into hard, frozen ground and utilized cold weather gear to stay warm throughout the training.
“I don't know of any environment to better train small unit tactics and accountability than in an arctic environment, as it really forces team and squad leaders to pay attention to their Soldiers to make sure they're doing the right thing," said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Roberts, battalion commander of the 297th Inf.
Roberts emphasized that the training also ensures small unit leaders focus on their tasks, Soldier safety and tactical safety; skills which are very translatable to any other environment whether it's hot or cold weather.”
After successfully staging the arctic tents, Soldiers trained on snow machines and tactical skis as means of transportation across the frozen tundra.
The National Guard's participation in the Kuskokwim 300 this year was highlighted by Staff Sgt. Thomas Carl, an infantryman with the 1-297th Inf., who represented the Alaska Army National Guard in the race for the first time. “There's no feeling that's close to running the dogs. I love it,” said Carl. “The most important thing for me, it to start and finish with all the dogs I came with, and to avoid any injuries.”
“It's an awesome way to get visibility for the Guard in the local community,” said Capt. Vance Johnson, commander of B Co., 297th Inf. “It's great to see one of our guys compete.”
About a dozen Soldiers loaded their gear into two small unit support vehicles and converged on the Kuskokwim River Friday morning for the four-hour drive to the Tuluksak checkpoint. During the winter months in western Alaska, the rivers are used as a road system with thick ice easily supporting the 3-ton tracked military vehicle.
At the Bethel checkpoint, Soldiers picked smooth ice into a more jagged terrain to make it easier to walk on for the mushers. They also layered straw over the ice and brought hot water to revitalize the dogs and give them a place to rest.
“It's always great to have some able bodies willing to help us out,” said Jen Peeks, a Bethel resident and checkpoint volunteer. “We're so happy to have these guys here.”
Late Friday night with the checkpoints manned and the teams readied, 18 dog-sled teams crossed the Kuskokwim 300 starting line in groups of two, at two-minute intervals. The Guard member, Carl, started in the number 17 position, ready for the biggest dog race of his life thus far.
“We are a very visible presence to the community so the community gets to see Soldiers training in and around the town and that raises public awareness of what the Guard does,” said Roberts. “These positive interactions and growing relationships with the local community also serve as an indirect support to our recruiting efforts in rural Alaska.”
| Date Taken: | 01.20.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 01.21.2018 02:58 |
| Story ID: | 262691 |
| Location: | BETHEL, ALASKA, US |
| Hometown: | AKIAK, ALASKA, US |
| Hometown: | ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, US |
| Hometown: | BETHEL, ALASKA, US |
| Hometown: | WASILLA, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 217 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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