U.S. Air National Guard reverses staff changes at Alaska National Guard after warnings

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Anthony Downs and Staff Sgt. Derek Bolton, unit upwind officers assigned to Detachment 3, 1st Combat Weather Squadron, return to an Alaska National Guard UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter during a study of Geronimo Drop Zone successful beforehand of upcoming airborne operations astatine Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Aug. 25, 2022. The 1st CWS provides guardant atmospheric study and tailored exploitation capabilities to crushed unit commanders and aviation assets. (U.S. Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Patrick Sullivan)

The national authorities is reversing people connected pending changes to nan Alaska Air National Guard aft unit and nan state’s legislature delegation warned that nan modifications could decimate nan force.

On Tuesday, Maj. Gen. Duke Pirak, acting head of nan Air National Guard, sent a letter to Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, stating that nan “Fulltime Leveling” programme will not beryllium applied successful Alaska. 

The programme was intended to standardize salary and benefits crossed nan country, but members of nan Alaska Air National Guard said it would consequence successful cuts to their paycheck, and galore said they were apt to discontinue if nan changes took place.

Pirak said nan programme “did not afloat consider” nan requirements of Alaska Air National Guard duties and that nan envisioned changes were “incompatible” pinch nan Guard’s work.

The changes had been group to return effect Oct. 1.

This week’s missive comes 3 weeks aft Sullivan placed a clasp connected Pirak’s promotion to lieutenant general, saying that nan clasp would beryllium lifted only erstwhile Alaska was exempted from nan Fulltime Leveling program. 

“The exceptional men and women of nan Alaska Air National Guard — and nan families who support them — tin remainder a spot easier coming now that we’ve successfully removed nan threat of cuts from D.C. that would’ve negatively impacted their unsocial ngo and their expertise to take sides our nation,” he said successful a written statement. 

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, besides praised nan National Guard’s decision.

“This will afloat reconstruct nan 80 Active Guard Reserve positions to Eielson AFB, Clear SFS, and JBER. The caller encroachment of Chinese and Russian bombers disconnected nan seashore of Alaska made clear nan United States cannot spend to trim corners erstwhile it comes to our homeland defense mission,” Murkowski said. “Our expertise to respond that time was made imaginable by nan professionalism exhibited by nan galore Airmen involved, and nan seamless integration of our progressive duty, guard, and reserve forces. The ANG’s caller determination is simply a triumph not only for Alaska, but for nan United States of America.”