DAN SULLIVAN: Ten years ago, I was in this position. I was a brand-new U.S. senator. I’d been here for a month, and the Obama administration announced as part of its gutting of our U.S. military that they were going to cut 40,000 active duty Army troops, including the 4-25 at JBER in Alaska, the only airborne brigade combat team in the entire Indo-Pacific. Strategic national security suicide, in my view. I was a brand new senator. I fought that with everything I had. I put a hold on the chief of staff for the Army’s confirmation. I put a hold on the secretary of the Army’s confirmation for several weeks, until we got the Army to see the light. Okay. Obama ended up cutting 35,000 troops, and he kept the 4-25 in Alaska, 5,000 Airborne Army troopers, which became the cornerstone of the 11^th Airborne Division as we built up the Army in Alaska. Are you aware that the Army now has two active duty airborne divisions?

DAN DRISCOLL: I am, Senator.

DS: The 82^nd, which we all love, but the 11^th Airborne Division, which is in Alaska, the Arctic Angels. You aware of that?

DD: I am, Senator.

DS: Great. Imagine my surprise. There’s been some articles, recent articles in the paper saying certain leaders in policy roles in the Trump Pentagon have had past ideas in the debate about shifting resources to the Indo-Pacific, which I support, but past ideas on how we can do that. One was a report, an idea from a report from 2021 that would deactivate four Stryker brigade combat teams, six infantry brigade combat teams, two National Guard aviation brigades. More than 10 percent of the Army’s active duty combat power. If this idea ever saw its head in the Pentagon from a non-Senate confirmed DAS, I need your commitment to me and this committee right now that you would kill it.

DD: Senator, I commit, if confirmed, to fight as hard as I can for the Army. As I said to your colleague, the Army is at its lowest staffing since World War II.

DS: Right. And do you think cutting 12 brigade combat teams worth of combat power is a good idea?

DD: Without knowing the specifics, senator…

DS: Well, come on. I need your answer to say no. Do you think cutting 12 brigade combat—this is Obama 2.0, right? Do you think cutting 12 brigade combat teams from the Army would implement President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s policies of peace through strength?

DD: No.

DS: No it wouldn’t. Do you think it would deter XI Jinping and Vladimir Putin if this idea—and maybe this idea has been discarded by this DAS who’s there right now—cutting 12 brigade combat teams would help with deterrence?

DD: No.

DS: I don’t think so either. Well, thank you on that because it was very disturbing when I read that. I’m glad you agree with me that we’re not doing Obama 2.0. We’re doing Reagan and Trump 1 2.0. Peace through strength, and ideas of gutting the Army’s active duty force—that’s what I fought when I came here. If there’s anyone who’s trying to do that, we’ll fight it. I’ll fight it. Okay. Let me go to another question. In addition to the 11^th  Airborne Division in Alaska, we have the 49^th Missile Defense Battalion at Fort Greely. A lot of people don’t know this, but the cornerstone of missile defense for America is in Alaska, and it’s led by the U.S. Army. The President put out his Iron Dome executive order recently for layered missile defense. I fully support that. Will you work with me and this committee, Senator Cramer. We’re going to be introducing legislation to bolster what the President’s trying to do. But a lot of it will involve the Army. A lot of people don’t know that. The 49^th Missile Defense Battalion at Fort Greely, they like to call themselves the “300 protecting the 300 million,” because they protect the whole country. Will you commit to working with this committee and me on bolstering our missile defenses, particularly as it relates to Fort Greely and our brave soldiers, who are doing a great job defending our nation, and come to Alaska with me to see them and the 11^th Airborne Division?

DD: It would be an honor, Senator. As we talked about in your office, I was stationed with 10^th Mountain Division in Fort Drum, New York.

DS: Where there’s no mountains.

DD: When you get there, you assume the 10^th Mountain Division would have mountains around. I think the highest elevation on the entire base is 50 feet. So I would be honored, Senator.

DS: Great. Thank you.

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