Alaska National Guard strengthens cooperation with Alaskan Command

The Alaska National Guard strengthened operational cooperation with Alaskan Command through an Oct. 21 signing of a memorandum of agreement that establishes "a formal coordination relationship" between the two organizations.

As stated in the MOA, the purpose of the document is to detail the relationship between ALCOM and the Alaska National Guard "with the goal of increasing unity of effort."

ALCOM, commanded by a regular Air Force three-star general, "is the subordinate unified command of United States Northern Command responsible for planning and executing homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities operations within the Alaskan theater of operations." Air Force Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham, current ALCOM commander, is also the commander of Alaskan NORAD Region and the Eleventh Air Force.

The Alaska National Guard, led by an Army or Air National Guard two-star adjutant general, "is a component of the Alaska Organized Militia and a Reserve component of [the] United States Army [and the] United States Air Force, which supports state and federal mission sets. The AKNG under proper authority executes global, theater and state operations, including assistance with recovery from domestic disasters, emergencies and [homeland defense]." Air National Guard Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe, current Alaska adjutant general, also serves as the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

To increase operational coordination and collaboration, several Alaska National Guard members were recently assigned to ALCOM, including Alaska Air National Guard Brig. Gen. Kenneth Radford, Alaska National Guard director of the Joint Staff, who assumed duties as the ALCOM deputy commander and National Guard assistant to the ALCOM commander.

According to the May 8 delegation of authority memo, "the primary purpose of this new position is to act as the key integrator between the Alaska National Guard and Alaskan Command for operations, activities, investments and contingency planning. The intent … is to empower [Radford] in the National Guard assistant to the commander position as an Alaskan Command deputy commander with all legal authorities legally delegable to such position not otherwise prohibited by law or regulation."

Radford said the agreement is a natural fit.

"If you look at ALCOM's mission statement on their website, there is a natural nexus between ALCOM and the Alaska National Guard," Radford said. "ALCOM's mission is homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities for the most part. Then you look at what [the Alaska National Guard] Joint Staff does, and our primary jobs are domestic operations and homeland defense. Those are the same jobs, and we have a Title 10 entity doing the same thing as a Title 32 [National Guard] entity. Why wouldn't we create more synergy between the two organizations?"

Alaska Army National Guard Col. Kurt Rorvik, ALCOM deputy chief of staff, said recent circumstances further underscore the importance of the cooperation.

"Following recent events in Alaska including the high-altitude balloon incident over Prudhoe Bay in February 2023, the increasing presence of Russian and Chinese air and maritime threats off the coast of Alaska, and natural disasters such as Typhoon Merbok in 2022, we recognized that ALCOM and the Alaska National Guard needed to work together to support ALCOM's two primary missions: homeland defense and defense support to civil activities," he said. "We recognized that integrating our two organizations will increase our operational readiness, information sharing, situational awareness, sharing resources, and will enhance our ability to respond to any future crisis events impacting Alaska."

Radford explained how the integration will benefit Alaska during times of crisis. As such, Radford said he would likely serve as the dual-status commander for the response and be assisted by National Guard and an active component DSCs who are colonels or Navy/Coast Guard captains.

"On Alaska's worst day, the National Guard is going to need Title 10 assistance," he said. "We're going to activate the dual-status commander, and the great thing is we have both staffs focused on the same problem set planning together. We don't have different sets of assumptions, different sets of planning criteria. In that scenario, I most likely become that dual-status commander."

Rorvik said Radford is a trailblazer in the National Guard Assistant Program that authorized the general's appointment

"Brigadier General Radford was the first National Guard general officer assigned under the NGAP program at ALCOM, and we're excited to continue the momentum, continuing to fill this position with Alaska National Guard GOs as we move forward," the colonel said.

Rorvik explained how Guard members other than general officers are assigned to active component commands on federal active status under United States Code Title 10.

"The National Guard has Title 10 senior Guard advisors at the colonel/lieutenant colonel level assigned worldwide at combatant commands - to include regional subordinate commands, i.e. ALCOM, Army service component commands and Army centers of excellence training commands," Rorvik said. "We are assigned as part of the staff at the headquarters, but our larger role is to serve as senior advisors to the commander for National Guard and Reserve forces including operational capabilities, force structure, mobilization, training and readiness."

Rorvik detailed the Alaska National Guard's commitment to ALCOM during the next year.

"In Fiscal Year 25, the Alaska National Guard will have seven members serving in some capacity at ALCOM: Brig. Gen. Ken Radford, Maj. Levi Vail, J3 operations, Maj John 'Chad' Smyre, J5 strategy plans and policy, Maj. Kelly Buschelman, J2 intelligence, Capt. Jennifer Downs, J3 operations, and there are two more Army National Guard [active duty operational support] positions that we are in the process of filling," Rorvik said. "This makes up nearly 10 percent of the ALCOM staff spread out in key staff positions."

Rorvik said the Alaska National Guardsmen will be instrumental in working with ALCOM to face Alaska's unique challenges.

"The threats to Alaska by our adversaries continue to increase, and combined with the impact of natural disasters, ALCOM and the Alaska National Guard must stand ready to respond to a wide range of operational scenarios," Rorvik said. "Alaska is a tremendously large geographical state, with some of the harshest conditions in the world. It is imperative that ALCOM and the Guard work together, build our important partnership, and increase readiness at every opportunity."