Alaska Army National Guard

Alaska Army National Guard
Seal of the Army National Guard
Active	1940–present
Country	United States
Allegiance	United States  Alaska
Branch	United States Army Army National Guard
Type	ARNG Headquarters Command
Part of	National Guard Bureau Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Garrison/HQ	Fort Richardson, Alaska

The Alaska Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Along with the Alaska Air National Guard, it makes up the Alaska National Guard. Alaska Army National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the United States Army. The same ranks and insignia are used and National Guardsmen are eligible to receive all United States military awards. The Alaska Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the state of Alaska.

As of 2006, the Alaska Army National Guard was composed of approximately 1850 soldiers and maintains 77 armories and other facilities, including Fort Greely.

The Alaska Army National Guard was originally formed in 1940-41. However, since the Second World War, the Alaska Army National Guard had not seen significant overseas deployments. It appears that the 207th Infantry Battalion was active in the state after the Second World War, with its distinctive unit insignia and coat of arms originally approved on 4 June 1952. However it was rescinded (cancelled) on 10 May 1960.

This changed in 2004 when a company of infantry was mobilized to serve in Iraq, serving with the Hawaii Army National Guard's 29th brigade in 2005. In 2005 through 2008 smaller detachments were deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. An infantry battalion was deployed to the middle east in 2006, and another infantry company was deployed to Iraq in 2007. The Alaska Army National Guard's aviation units have seen a series of company sized rotations to Iraq, unfortunately including the loss of a helicopter and crew in January 2006.

These deployments seem small in comparison to the units that other states have deployed. However given the small size of Alaska's population and National Guard they represent a very large percentage of the Alaska Army National Guard. When young men are deployed there is a particular impact on smaller "Alaska Bush" villages that have a subsistence lifestyle.