JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Ak. –
Thirty-six Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard conducted Operation Arctic Haven here Aug. 30 to Sept. 6, airlifting 39 tons of residential building supplies to the North Slope of Alaska to support local communities in need.
The mission, which enables the construction of affordable housing in the Arctic Circle, was made possible through two Defense Department programs, Innovative Readiness Training and Mission Readiness Airlift. Both efforts give service members real-world deployment experience while offering lasting benefits to civilian populations, explained Maj. Nick Dobson, a pilot in the Kentucky Air Guard’s 165th Airlift Squadron and Arctic Haven’s mission commander.
“For the duration of this mission, we’re facilitating training for ground personnel and aircrews, while still meeting community needs in rural Alaska,” Dobson said.
The operation helps address a housing shortage on the North Slope, where transportation expenses often account for 60 percent of the cost of a new home, Dobson said. The Tagiugmiullu Nunamiullu Housing Authority currently has a backlog of more than 400 single-family homes that can’t be built affordably.
Mission planning started in November 2023. Now, in this final step, aircrews from the 165th flew the cargo aboard a Kentucky Air Guard C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from Elmendorf-Richardson to Wainwright and Nuiqsut, Alaska, where Kentucky aerial porters offloaded the supplies.
Throughout the week-long mission, the Kentucky team was augmented by six Airmen from the Rhode Island Air National Guard, who assisted with personnel and cargo transport.
“Rhode Island is here doing the same thing the Kentucky Air National Guard is doing from the airlift perspective,” said Dobson. “We’re both here under the MRA program umbrella. They’re also flying the exact same sorties we are. They’re bringing the residential housing supplies from Elmendorf to our planned destination of Wainwright.”
Dobson, who also serves as assistant director of operations for the 165th Airlift Squadron, explained that Alaska’s unpredictable climate necessitated regular interaction with National Weather Service meteorologists to formulate a plan that allowed them to transport cargo under harsh conditions.
One unique scheme used during cargo offload at both locations is called Combat Offload Method B. It’s typically employed only in austere locations where forklifts or specialized cargo-handling equipment are unavailable.
Using this method, Kentucky Airmen carefully rolled palletized cargo off the aircraft and onto steel barrels staged on the flight line. The technique requires precision, patience and communication between crew members, giving aerial porters enhanced expeditionary skills.
Azara Mohammadi, tribal liaison for the Alaska National Guard, highlighted the benefits of the IRT and MRA programs, not only for Alaskan communities, but also for the networking and training opportunities they provide to Guard members.
“The Innovative Readiness Training program is a win-win,” Mohammadi said. “The community gets what they need, and usually that’s infrastructure in rural Alaska. Housing is a major need here, and a lot of that has to do with transportation logistics in Alaska.
“When you don’t have roads in or out of your community, and you get a grant to build a home, nearly half of that money can be taken up with transportation costs alone. So, this mission is a win-win. We’re getting arctic operational training, we’re working with other states who are interested in the arctic, and the community is getting the housing materials that they desperately need.
“I feel like Alaska is a very unique place,” Mohammadi continued, “and the more people that can get arctic operational experience, the better. So, I’m very, very happy to have the Kentucky Air Guard and the Rhode Island Air Guard here. The more knowledge that you get about rural Alaska – how we operate up here, how our seasons work, how to deal with no roads, and barge schedules – the better. I hope you all go home and spread that knowledge across the country.”
The Kentucky Air Guard conducted a similar effort in April that airlifted 15 tons of building supplies to the North Slope.