Alaska troops deploy to remote Shemya Island, less than 300 miles from Russia

Soldiers supply information connected a ridgeline connected Shemya Island, connected Sept. 13, 2024. (Brandon Vasquez/U.S. Army)

The U.S. Army has deployed soldiers from Alaska, Hawaii and Washington authorities to an aerial position connected Shemya Island successful nan Aleutians, astir 280 miles from Russia.

That’s arsenic Russian craft and naval vessels person traveled adjacent Alaska connected aggregate occasions successful nan past week.

The Alaska Beacon reports nan deployment, which includes nan 11th Airborne Division, is nan first to Shemya for nan Fort Wainwright-based soldiers since 2018.

And Alaska Beacon newsman James Brooks says it coincides pinch Russia and China conducting associated subject exercises successful nan Sea of Japan.

Listen:

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This question and reply has been lightly edited for magnitude and clarity.

James Brooks: It is retired of nan ordinary. This is, aliases appears to be, nan biggest workout connected Shemya since nan Russian penetration of Ukraine. Now, nan Army has deployed rocket units successful Shemya before, temporarily, truthful that’s not new. The airborne has gone retired location before, truthful that’s not new. This clip around, there’s 3 main Army units. One is elements of nan 11th Airborne Infantry, which is based present successful Alaska. There’s besides soldiers from Washington State and Hawaii. The soldiers successful those places are what’s called “Multi-Domain Task Forces.” And what that boils down to is simply a batch of different instrumentality headed to Shemya.

Casey Grove: And past you wrote successful your story that a HIMARS portion had antecedently deployed to Shemya, this is simply a fewer years ago. And past much recently, Navy SEALs had conducted an workout location conscionable successful 2023. And I guess, you know, focusing connected HIMARS, what is that?

JB: So HIMARS is fundamentally rocket artillery. It’s been utilized successful Ukraine. The United States sent immoderate units complete there. It’s sewage longer scope than normal artillery, which makes it useful successful Ukraine, but it’s not ace agelong scope missiles. We’re not talking astir Cuban Missile Crisis portion two, Alaska version.

CG:So, you know, I mean, location person been various things said astir this. I had seen a connection from Gov. (Mike) Dunleavy. I deliberation location was a connection from Sen. Dan Sullivan. Different group person characterized this differently. But is it really conscionable posturing, aliases is location thing much superior going connected there?

JB: I’d opportunity it’s, based connected what we know, it’s a small of Column A, a small of Column B. Alaska’s elected officials person been pushing for a agelong clip to person a greater subject beingness successful Alaska, successful ample portion because that brings a batch of economical benefits to nan state. More soldiers intends much group buying things, intends much construction, and that’s mostly bully for nan state’s economy, and truthful they want it.

At nan aforesaid time, Russia and China person been doing associated patrols successful nan waters and airspace disconnected occidental Alaska, and that has immoderate group concerned. During this exercise, while nan U.S. Army has been retired there, Russia and China person been moving associated naval drills adjacent Japan. At nan aforesaid time, location person besides been craft flying done world airspace adjacent Alaska, and truthful group are a small much connected defender than they would otherwise, but this is thing for illustration what it was during nan Cold War.

CG: So James, I mean, do you person immoderate indication, I guess, astatine this point, that location mightiness beryllium much troops sent retired to Shemya, aliases really agelong nan ones that are location mightiness beryllium there?

JB: It’s worthy noting that Shemya doesn’t usually person a large, imperishable subject presence. There’s usually only astir 150, possibly a fewer hundred, chiefly contractors, operating a ample radar position retired location that detects satellites, incoming missiles, if location ever were to beryllium specified a thing. And truthful there’s not usually ample numbers of soldiers retired there. It’s September. The upwind tends to get bad, aliases moreover worse, successful nan Aleutians than it usually is successful winter. And truthful whenever there’s a autumn deployment, those soldiers typically time off by nan clip wintertime sets successful in earnest.