National Guard hits 1-year pause on staffing change that leaders warn could upend Alaska Air Guard

ByAirmen and Soldiers from the Alaska National Guard prepare to depart from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, to assist with Wednesday’s inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden in Washington, D.C. Approximately 80 Alaska Guardsmen volunteered and most of them will be transported by a KC-135 Stratotanker from the Alaska Air National Guard’s 168th Wing at Eielson Air Force Base on a direct seven-hour flight to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

At issue are about 80 positions within the Alaska Air National Guard that are categorized as “Active Guard and Reserve,” or AGR, essentially full-time positions engaged in everything from pararescue to flying to radar monitoring. Currently, 835 of the 1,361 full-time employees in the Alaska National Guard are AGR’s.

Brown said advocacy by the governor’s administration and other elected leaders had been instrumental in slowing down the policy change, “which will allow everyone involved the time to conduct more thorough research and analysis,” he said in a brief statement. “This entire exercise was unacceptable,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski. “The strain this uncertainty put on Alaska Air National Guard members – who Alaskans depend on in the most dire of emergencies – for them to worry about their jobs, their benefits, their ability to provide for their families, is unacceptable. Delaying the implementation of the misguided directives is a win – but it should never have come to this.

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Air National Guard changes in Alaska could affect national security, civilian rescues, staffers sayCritical rescue missions could be drastically curtailed as personnel changes take an outsize toll in a state more than twice the size of Texas, Guard leaders and members say.
Source: AKNewsNow - 🏆 460. / 53 Read more »

Air National Guard changes in Alaska could affect national security, civilian rescuesThe Alaska Air National Guard flew 159 civilian SAR missions last year, often during vicious storms that kept air ambulances grounded.
Source: AKpublicnews - 🏆 387. / 55 Read more »

Air National Guard changes in Alaska could affect national security, civilian rescues, staffers sayThe Alaska Air National Guard's rescues could be curtailed due to personnel changes; this comes as part of a nationwide move to balance the number of the Air National Guard's top-earning positions.
Source: FoxNews - 🏆 9. / 87 Read more »

Air National Guard changes in Alaska could affect national security, civilian rescues, staffers sayThe Alaska Air National Guard flew 159 civilian search-and-rescue missions last year in the nation's largest state, often during vicious storms that prevented air ambulances from taking off.
Source: KPRC2 - 🏆 80. / 68 Read more »

Air National Guard changes in Alaska could affect national security, civilian rescues, staffers sayThe Alaska Air National Guard flew 159 civilian search-and-rescue missions last year in the nation's largest state, often during vicious storms that prevented air ambulances from taking off
Source: sdut - 🏆 5. / 95 Read more »

Air National Guard changes in Alaska could affect national security, civilian rescues, staffers sayThe Alaska Air National Guard flew 159 civilian search-and-rescue missions last year in the nation's largest state, often during vicious storms that prevented air ambulances from taking off.
Source: ksatnews - 🏆 442. / 53 Read more »