ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Melting sea ice, increased shipping and shifting defense priorities are factors in deciding whether the U.S. military re-establishes permanent facilities in Alaska’s Bering Sea region, officials said.
The Native regional Aleut Corporation owns much of the land on Adak Island and is promoting a military return to the Aleutian Islands, Alaska Public Media reported Thursday.
A potential permanent base in Alaska is under consideration, but no decisions have been made, said Navy spokesperson Lt. Rochelle Rieger.
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The Pentagon closed a large naval air base on Adak in the 1990s, but the Navy and Marine Corps recently held large-scale exercises there to test cold-climate capabilities.
The conditions allowed military personnel to practice maneuvers used during missions including moving large numbers of troops and supplies from a warship onto shore, said Navy Rear Adm. Cedric Pringle.
"That's exactly what we'd do with a combat situation," Pringle said. "That's exactly what we would do in a humanitarian situation, as well."
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Adak is 444 miles (715 kilometers) from the nearest population hub, Unalaska, and more than 1,200 miles (1,931 kilometers) from Anchorage.
As ice melts in the Arctic, Aleut Corporation envisions a cargo shipping hub on Adak serving vessels using the Northern Sea and Trans-Polar routes.
The Navy's return would also contribute to the revival of the small civilian community on the island, which has a population varying between 100 and 300 throughout the year, said Paul Fuhs, corporation military liaison.
“When you’re in a war you don’t get to pick your weather,” Fuhs said. “They like it, it’s a challenge. They want to challenge their troops.”
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