Alaska Army National Guardsmen from the 207th Aviation Troop Command and Bison Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, offload boxes of frozen meat from a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter during an Innovative Readiness Training mission at Toksook Bay, Alaska, Nov. 18, 2024. Two years ago, the community of Toksook Bay, whose population is almost entirely members of the Alaska Native Nunakauyarmiut Tribe living a subsistence lifestyle, lost thousands of pounds of meat that spoiled due to extended power outages caused by Typhoon Merbok flooding. At the request of the Tribe and through the IRT program, the Alaska National Guard transported nearly 14,000 pounds of frozen beef, chicken and pork from JBER to Bethel and then onto the community of Toksook Bay.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Seth LaCount)
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TOKSOOK BAY, Alaska — Alaska National Guardsmen delivered nearly 14,000 pounds of frozen beef, chicken and pork this month to Toksook Bay, Alaska, helping residents still recovering from losses sustained when Typhoon Merbok flooded thousands of communities in September 2022.
The storm’s impact and ensuing power outages caused vital meat stores to spoil. After Typhoon Merbok, Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives and the rural Alaska community action program worked closely with the Nunakauyarmiut Tribe in Toksook Bay to secure funding to aid the recovery process.
That collaborative effort led to the delivery of thousands of pounds of meat.
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Alaska Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3 Colton Bell, left, and Lt. Col. Todd Miller, UH-60L Black Hawk pilots with the 207th Aviation Troop Command, prepare for takeoff for an Innovative Readiness Training mission at Bethel, Alaska, Nov. 18, 2024. Two years ago, the community of Toksook Bay, whose population is almost entirely members of the Alaska Native Nunakauyarmiut Tribe living a subsistence lifestyle, lost thousands of pounds of meat that spoiled due to extended power outages caused by Typhoon Merbok flooding. At the request of the Tribe and through the IRT program, the Alaska National Guard transported nearly 14,000 pounds of frozen beef, chicken and pork from JBER to Bethel and then onto the community of Toksook Bay.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Seth LaCount)
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Alaska Army National Guardsmen from the 207th Aviation Troop Command and Bison Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, offload boxes of frozen meat from a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter during an Innovative Readiness Training mission at Toksook Bay, Alaska, Nov. 18, 2024. Two years ago, the community of Toksook Bay, whose population is almost entirely members of the Alaska Native Nunakauyarmiut Tribe living a subsistence lifestyle, lost thousands of pounds of meat that spoiled due to extended power outages caused by Typhoon Merbok flooding. At the request of the Tribe and through the IRT program, the Alaska National Guard transported nearly 14,000 pounds of frozen beef, chicken and pork from JBER to Bethel and then onto the community of Toksook Bay.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Seth LaCount)
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Alaska Air National Guardsmen and local airport personnel offload a pallet of frozen meat from a 211th Rescue Squadron HC-130J Combat King II during an Innovative Readiness Training mission at Bethel, Alaska, Nov. 15, 2024. Two years ago, the community of Toksook Bay, whose population are almost entirely members of the Alaska Native Nunakauyarmiut Tribe living a subsistence lifestyle, lost thousands of pounds of meat that spoiled due to extended power outages caused by Typhoon Merbok flooding. At the request of the Tribe and through the IRT program, the Alaska National Guard transported nearly 14,000 pounds of frozen beef, chicken and pork from JBER to Bethel and then onto the community of Toksook Bay.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Alejandro Pena)
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The delivery is part of the Defense Department’s innovative readiness training program, which connects U.S. communities in need with military units that can provide services and apply training to real-world situations.
The Alaska Air National Guard transported the frozen meat from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to Bethel, Alaska, via an HC-130J Combat King II, the same aircraft that routinely conducts civil search and rescue missions across the state.
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Alaska Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Morgan Osborn, left, a UH-60L Black Hawk pilot with the 207th Aviation Troop Command greets local resident, Nick Therchik, after delivering thousands of pounds of frozen meat during an Innovative Readiness Training mission at Toksook Bay, Alaska, Nov. 18, 2024. Two years ago, the community of Toksook Bay, whose population is almost entirely members of the Alaska Native Nunakauyarmiut Tribe living a subsistence lifestyle, lost thousands of pounds of meat that spoiled due to extended power outages caused by Typhoon Merbok flooding. At the request of the Tribe and through the IRT program, the Alaska National Guard transported nearly 14,000 pounds of frozen beef, chicken and pork from JBER to Bethel and then onto the community of Toksook Bay.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Seth LaCount)
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Alaska Air National Guard HC-130J Combat King II pilots from the 211th Rescue Squadron park their aircraft on the Bethel Airport flightline during an engine-running offload in support of an Innovative Readiness Training mission at Bethel, Alaska, Nov. 15, 2024. Two years ago, the community of Toksook Bay, whose population is almost entirely members of the Alaska Native Nunakauyarmiut Tribe living a subsistence lifestyle, lost thousands of pounds of meat that spoiled due to extended power outages caused by Typhoon Merbok flooding. At the request of the Tribe and through the IRT program, the Alaska National Guard transported nearly 14,000 pounds of frozen beef, chicken and pork from JBER to Bethel and then onto the community of Toksook Bay.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo Alejandro Pena)
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Alaska Air National Guardsmen and local airport personnel offload a pallet of frozen meat from a 211th Rescue Squadron HC-130J Combat King II during an Innovative Readiness Training mission at Bethel, Alaska, Nov. 15, 2024. Two years ago, the community of Toksook Bay, whose population are almost entirely members of the Alaska Native Nunakauyarmiut Tribe living a subsistence lifestyle, lost thousands of pounds of meat that spoiled due to extended power outages caused by Typhoon Merbok flooding. At the request of the Tribe and through the IRT program, the Alaska National Guard transported nearly 14,000 pounds of frozen beef, chicken and pork from JBER to Bethel and then onto the community of Toksook Bay.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo Alejandro Pena)
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“The Alaska National Guard is well suited to provide assistance of this kind,” Army Maj. James Goddard, the innovative readiness training program manager, said. “We’re the only ones in the state that have fixed-wing aircraft and rotary aircraft that can deliver in a timely manner for a need like this.”
This was not the only successful delivery in Alaska by DOD’s innovative readiness training program. National Guardsmen also have provided aid in the form of medical services, construction, cybersecurity and transportation.
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Publish date : 2024-12-01 11:00:00
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