Guardian Strike 24 puts Alaska’s missile defenders to the test

Photo By Brooke Nevins | The 100th Missile Defense Brigade and 49th Missile Defense Battalion conduct Guardian Strike 24 at Fort Greely, Alaska, May 6-10, 2024. The 84-hour exercise tested the battalion’s fire direction center and military police on a range of scenarios and performance measures within their two respective missions: defending the United States and designated areas from intercontinental ballistic missile attack and critical site security of the Missile Defense Complex at Fort Greely. (U.S. Army photo by Brooke Nevins)  

FORT GREELY, ALASKA, UNITED STATES

06.25.2024

Story by Brooke Nevins 

U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command

FORT GREELY, Alaska – Soldiers with the 49th Missile Defense Battalion and Texas National Guard recently proved their readiness to uphold the no-fail mission of protecting Americans from long-range missile attacks during exercise Guardian Strike 24, May 6-10, 2024, at Fort Greely.

Over the course of the roughly 84-hour exercise, the battalion’s fire direction center, which performs ground-based midcourse defense, and military police from Alpha Company were tested on a range of scenarios and performance measures within their two respective missions: defending the United States and designated areas from intercontinental ballistic missile attack and critical site security of the Missile Defense Complex at Fort Greely.

Soldiers with the 236th Military Police Company, Texas National Guard, also participated in the exercise during their rotation on post.

The battalion, manned exclusively by the Alaska National Guard, resides at Fort Greely and takes mission directives from the 100th Missile Defense Brigade out of Colorado Springs, Colorado, as the brigade’s major subordinate element. Administratively, the battalion falls under 38th Troop Command, Alaska National Guard.

The 100th Missile Defense Brigade is the only unit in the Army with this 365 days-a-year mission, and a substantial part of that is executed by the 49th Missile Defense Battalion.

“This exercise is a matter of accountability, because we are a 24/7 mission,” said Lt. Col. Jorge Lorenzana, commander, 49th Missile Defense Battalion. “I had the utmost confidence in the battalion’s ability to perform its mission before the exercise, because the Soldiers have trained hard and they’re out here doing their mission every single day. Through the evaluation, we have to show higher headquarters and Americans that we are ready to and regularly perform that mission."

Because of Alaska’s global location and the post’s remoteness, Lorenzana said, the MPs must prepare for unique threats.

Those roleplaying as the opposing force took the shape of a variety of actors, such as lost hunters stumbling upon restricted areas, visitors attempting to bring weapons and other contraband onto the Missile Defense Complex and other innocuous or adversarial threats.

Evaluators from the 100th Missile Defense Brigade gauged the MPs’ response to such incursions, which occurred at all hours of the day and night, sometimes simultaneously, and without forewarning to participating Soldiers.
The unpredictable nature of the exercise served to validate military police readiness, medical response and casualty management, and personnel and supply coordination.

“In preparing for the exercise, we were constantly training, pushing us to the limit,” said Sgt. Josue Rivera-Lacomba, 49th Missile Defense Battalion. “It helps us develop our leadership skills and our Soldiers, who learn the tactical standard operating procedure in the process. Being alert is part of our duty here and, like in real life, we never knew what to expect.”

• Date Taken: 06.25.2024
• Date Posted: 06.25.2024 08:04
• Story ID: 474664
• Location: FORT GREELY, ALASKA, US