The National Guard is postponing personnel cuts for the Alaska Air National Guard

The National Guard’s nationwide workforce leveling plan is being pushed back a year for the Alaska Air National Guard. Instead of going into effect in October of this year, the National Guard Bureau will continue implementation of the new changes until September 30, 2025. That delay, Alaska’s congressional delegation says, “will allow the Air National Guard to conduct a more comprehensive assessment of the impact that the proposed changes will affect critical missions in Alaska, and decide whether the proposed changes should occur at all.”

The change was announced on Friday, April 19. The National Guard’s plan, Program Element Code Leveling (also called “code leveling” or “PEC leveling”), would have eliminated 80 Active Guard and Reserve positions in the Alaska Air National Guard. . ARG members of the Alaska ANG are essentially full-time active duty personnel. Instead of making these cuts this year, the Alaska Air National Guard will use the additional time for a broader analysis of what PEC leveling would mean for operational readiness.

The other 53 National Guard units covering the other states and U.S. territories will still complete cross-leveling on October 1.

The Alaska ANG performs a number of important missions, including handling urgent emergencies and playing a key role in defense strategy. The 2,400 members of the Alaska ANG conduct air defense missions under the supervision of the US Northern Command, while the crews also provide mid-air refueling of US military aircraft. Given the harsh weather conditions and remote nature of many communities, rescue operations are often conducted by aircraft and handled by the Air National Guard due to the risks. There can often be multiple missions in one day.

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The National Guard Bureau’s plan called for eliminating 80 full-time active-duty positions in the Alaska ANG, including several pilots and pararescuemen. More jobs would be cut if there were more than a dozen so-called “scope watchers,” the watchmen who man the early warning systems. Task & Purpose reviewed an analysis from the Alaska ANG, which said the proposed cuts under the plan would result in shortfalls of as much as 50% on those missions.

The PEC leveling plan was heavily criticized by both state officials and Alaska’s three-member congressional delegation, citing national security concerns. Under the National Guard Bureau’s plans, the 80 AGR positions that would be lost would be replaced by 88 “dual status technicians” with lower wages that the Alaska ANG said would not be able to meet actual needs of people around the border. clock warning missions. Members of the Alaska ANG also raised concerns about what the changes would mean for wages and working conditions. The National Guard Bureau told Task & Purpose earlier this month that the proposed changes would not impact readiness.

After the postponement was announced, the state’s congressional delegation applauded the decision. In a joint statement, all three members, Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Representative Mary Peltola all noted the important role the Alaska ANG plays in public safety and emergency services for people in Alaska.

“These cuts would not only have undermined the security of our state, but our national security as well,” said Senator Dan Sullivan.

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