FORT GREELY, Alaska — Troopers of the forty ninth Missile Protection Battalion (Floor-based Midcourse Protection), Alaska Military 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 way 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 eventualities included medical emergencies, unmanned aerial system assaults, opposing forces breaching the fences to the missile protection advanced and numerous insider threats. These are all occasions that may happen with out prior warning.
Seventeen Troopers from a hundredth Missile Protection Brigade, Colorado Military Nationwide Guard, evaluated Troopers from forty ninth GMD on 16 completely different collective duties.
“Workout routines like these are so essential as a result of we’re not solely being evaluated on our mission important duties, however on how we’re responding,” mentioned Lt. Col. Christopher Stutz, forty ninth GMD commander. “They are going to be if we’re making well timed selections and considering by way of our selections.”
Like all navy models, these Troopers should prepare to take care of their proficiency of their METs. Nonetheless, the battalion faces a problem that makes it troublesome to put aside further time to coach.
“Due to our no-fail, Three hundred and sixty five days-a-year operation, we should not have the posh to give attention to coaching exterior of the missile protection advanced, so we’ve to coach there whereas we’re on mission,” mentioned Stutz. “However this offers our evaluators an opportunity to see us carry out in each areas.”
The Alaska Military Nationwide Guard’s forty ninth GMD has a novel 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 underneath thirty eighth Troop Command, Alaska Military 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 Military 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 path heart from Headquarters and Headquarters Battery and missile protection advanced safety by navy policemen from Firm A.
These navy police Troopers safe the missile protection advanced the place many of the nation’s ground-based interceptors are set underground. In the meantime, the hearth path heart 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 every week, the Troopers of forty ninth GMD work tirelessly to maintain this presidential-assigned mission going.
Carrying the obligations of such a vital mission can take its toll, however the Troopers of the battalion deal with the strain with delight and fortitude.
Stutz mentioned that workouts like this are essential for his Troopers to be taught to ‘embrace the suck,’ as the favored Military phrase goes.
“These Troopers eat it up. When issues get tougher, they step as much as the plate,” he mentioned. “A number of that I can attribute to their sense of function. Their resiliency ties into their sense of function.”
Employees 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 below are nice,” he mentioned. “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 12 months, 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 12 months” and “Non-Commissioned Officer of the 12 months” in the course of the 2022 Alaska Military Nationwide Guard Finest Warrior Competitors.
These achievements exhibit the resiliency and readiness of the forty ninth GMD Troopers in excessive, sub-arctic situations.
“Total, I’ve seen a number of enchancment all through the years,” mentioned former forty ninth GMD Soldier Sgt. Joseph LaCroix, an train evaluator from the a hundredth MDB. “They’ve a number of motivation and dedication. The way in which they’re heading now reveals that they’re going to turn into one of many biggest models within the Nationwide Guard.”
