JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — A detachment of approximately 20 Alaska Army National Guardsmen assigned to the 207th Aviation Troop Command will deploy in October for approximately 12 months to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection as part of the federal Southwest Border Mission.

The unit will hold a departure ceremony for service members and families at the Alaska National Guard Headquarters on JBER Oct. 7 at 4 p.m.

Under the direction of U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force North, the Alaska detachment will deploy two UH-72A Lakota helicopters, aircrews, a maintenance team, and additional support personnel to the Southwest border.  Guardsmen will support the SWB mission in a federally funded, Title 10 status.

Teaming with Guardsmen from other states, the Alaska Guardsmen will provide mission-enhancing aviation support to CBP’s border security operations. The AKARNG received initial notification to prepare for the SWB mission in January 2024. They have since activated a detachment and begun pre-deployment training and preparation.

The two JBER-based helicopters will be loaded onto an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and flown to their designated area of operation in mid-October. The UH-72A Lakota, introduced to the Army inventory in 2006, is capable of a range of missions including aerial transport, surveillance and command and control. Depending on its configuration, the helicopter can accommodate up to eight passengers. 

The Department of Defense has supported the Department of Homeland Security’s border security mission in 19 of the last 23 years. The mission enables CBP to address security challenges and conduct its mission more efficiently along the Southwest border.  The AKARNG most recently supported the federally funded SWB mission in 2019 with 10 Soldiers and one UH-60L Black Hawk. 

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