DVIDS – News – Train Guardian Watch: How Alaska Guardsmen keep arctic resilience and readiness

Troopers of the forty ninth Missile Protection Battalion (Floor-based Midcourse Protection), Alaska Army Nationwide Guard, showcased their resiliency and readiness of their most up-to-date iteration of train Guardian Watch at Fort Greely, Alaska, Oct. 31 by means of Nov. 3, 2022.

Throughout train Guardian Watch, Troopers responded to a sequence of mock threats to the missile protection advanced as a part of their mission important duties associated to sustaining set up safety in addition to preparation for execution of ground-based midcourse protection.

These situations included medical emergencies, unmanned aerial system assaults, opposing forces breaching the fences to the missile protection advanced and varied insider threats. These are all occasions that may happen with out prior warning.

Seventeen Troopers from a hundredth Missile Protection Brigade, Colorado Army Nationwide Guard, evaluated Troopers from forty ninth GMD on 16 totally different collective duties.

“Workout routines like these are so necessary as a result of we aren’t solely being evaluated on our mission important duties, however on how we’re responding,” stated Lt. Col. Christopher Stutz, forty ninth GMD commander. “They are going to be taking a look at if we’re making well timed choices and pondering by means of our choices.”

Like all army items, these Troopers should prepare to take care of their proficiency of their METs. Nevertheless, the battalion faces a problem that makes it troublesome to put aside additional time to coach.

“Due to our no-fail, Twelve months-a-year operation, we wouldn’t have the luxurious to give attention to coaching outdoors of the missile protection advanced, so we’ve got to coach there whereas we’re on mission,” stated Stutz. “However this offers our evaluators an opportunity to see us carry out in each areas.”

The Alaska Army Nationwide Guard’s forty ninth GMD has a singular mission and construction. The battalion resides at Fort Greely however takes mission directives from the a hundredth MDB out of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Administratively, they fall below thirty eighth Troop Command, Alaska Army Nationwide Guard.

The a hundredth MDB’s major mission is to defend the homeland towards long-range ballistic missile assaults. It’s the solely unit within the Army with this mission, and a considerable a part of that’s executed by the forty ninth GMD.

The forty ninth GMD conducts two missions: ground-based midcourse protection managed by a hearth course middle from Headquarters and Headquarters Battery and missile protection advanced safety by army policemen from Firm A.

These army police Troopers safe the missile protection advanced the place many of the nation’s ground-based interceptors are set underground. In the meantime, the fireplace course middle controls the tactical-level execution of ground-based midcourse protection with oversight from the a hundredth MDB.

For twenty-four hours a day, seven days per week, the Troopers of forty ninth GMD work tirelessly to maintain this presidential-assigned mission going.

Carrying the obligations of such an important mission can take its toll, however the Troopers of the battalion deal with the strain with delight and fortitude.

Stutz stated that workouts like this are necessary for his Troopers to study to ‘embrace the suck,’ as the favored Army phrase goes.

“These Troopers eat it up. When issues get more durable, they step as much as the plate,” he stated. “A whole lot of that I can attribute to their sense of function. Their resiliency ties into their sense of function.”

Workers Sgt. Kevin Santos, a squad chief with Firm A, forty ninth GMD, has been with the battalion since 2017. When his preliminary three-year tour was coming to an finish, he determined to increase his stick with the battalion.

“I stayed [with 49th GMD] as a result of the profession alternatives listed here are nice,” he stated. “I even have nice management that helped me progress as a Soldier and that’s what retains me right here.”

Their efficiency as a battalion doesn’t go unnoticed. 4 Troopers from the battalion not too long ago gained titles of 2022 Alaska Missile Defenders of the Yr, seven Troopers had been named High Missile Protection Crew for 2022, and one Soldier took house the Ted Stevens Memorial Award.

Two Troopers from the battalion additionally took house the titles of “Soldier of the Yr” and “Non-Commissioned Officer of the Yr” through the 2022 Alaska Army Nationwide Guard Finest Warrior Competitors.

These achievements show the resiliency and readiness of the forty ninth GMD Troopers in excessive, sub-arctic situations.

“Total, I’ve seen a whole lot of enchancment all through the years,” stated former forty ninth GMD Soldier Sgt. Joseph LaCroix, an train evaluator from the a hundredth MDB. “They’ve a whole lot of motivation and dedication. The way in which they’re heading now exhibits that they will turn out to be one of many biggest items within the Nationwide Guard.”