Strategic Long-Term Plan - Alaska - Department of Military and ...

Ala laska MMilitar ary For orce Addvocaacy
andd
Struucture
e Team m
LLong-TTerm
Strattegic
Plan
Juuly
1, 201 10

Table of Contents
Introduction by Governor Sean Parnell . . . . . . . . . 1
Foreword by Major General Thomas H. Katkus . . . . . . . . 2
AMFAST Long-Term Strategic Plan Priorities . . . . . . . . 3
AMFAST Team Project Recommendations . . . . . . . . 4
The Way Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Team Biographies . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Advisory Committee Members . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Advisory Committee Project Recommendations . . . . . . . . 12

1
A Message from Governor Sean Parnell
The United States Military is intertwined through the history of our great state. Besides infusing Alaska with patriotic,
highly trained professionals, the military has provided foundational infrastructure we depend on today. Alaska’s strategic
geographic location, and its vast training areas make it an ideal site for a strong military presence. The United States
Military in Alaska continues to play a vital and valuable role in our state today.
Our state policy is to expand the mutually beneficial relationship between the United States Military and the State of Alaska. By partnering
with the United States Military, we will grow our economy while providing Alaskans with safety, security, and infrastructure development to
open more opportunities for our families.
The Alaska Military Force Advocacy and Structure Team (AMFAST) and the AMFAST Advisory Committee were created to provide
recommendations to the Governor on how best to retain and build on the state's current military force capability, to propose strategies for
acquiring future missions, and to identify potential for infrastructure development that will benefit the United States' national security while
providing Alaska residents with economic opportunities.
The AMFAST Long-Term Strategic Plan is an important aspect of Alaska moving forward in its relationship with the United States Military.
Having focused, deliberate strategies will lead to improved synchronization of efforts and ultimately, more success achieved. By continuing
the AMFAST mission, we can ensure that the partnership between the State of Alaska and the United States Military is prosperous and
focused.
Through effective partnership with my administration, Alaska’s congressional delegation, the Alaska Legislature, local community leaders,
and the AMFAST Team, the state will be able to fully contribute to and benefit from its long standing relationship with the United States
Military. In doing so, we can secure a future filled with strong families and a vibrant, growing economy in Alaska for generations to come.
Sean Parnell
Governor

u
Foreword by AMFAST Chairman, MG Thomas H. Katkus
Alaska’s strategic global positioning is central to nearly every aspect of our incredible military history. From the lend-
lease program in World War II, to our nation’s current ground-based mid-course defense at Fort Greely, the catch phrase
location, location, location, is Alaska’s bread and butter. Future military investment capitalizes on the relevance of
location. Alaska holds a critical geographic location that provides vital benefit and advantage to our military. Our national military
commanders and political leadership are quickly understanding and implementing ways to capitalize on this unique resource.
The AMFAST long-term strategic plan crafts areas of focus that capitalize on Alaska’s unique location. The plan provides objectives that
incorporate this advantage in making the United States military better and more potent in the future. It also identifies opportunities for our
great state to provide a support structure that is second to none in quality, flexibility, and reliability.
Global security concerns place Alaska at the forefront for arctic issues, natural resource production, and foreign affairs. Rearward positioned
military personnel and assets in Alaska enjoy a secure location within our nation’s border, while simultaneously being forward deployed.
This provides unmatched advantage for quick movement to any point in the northern hemisphere in less than nine hours.
Alaska also offers premier training space for all branches of our armed services. The Gulf of Alaska Naval Training Area combined with the
Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex each provides incredibly large areas for unencumbered military exercise and maneuver training. These
areas are free from civilian encroachment and development. They allow full deployment of weapons, technology, logistics, and equipment in
support of the most comprehensive, military and security challenging, and realistic training available to our military formations as well as
supporting an environment for research and development that is unmatched.
Alaska holds roughly 20-percent of the entire United States’ land mass. The corresponding airspace allows for easily controlled commercial
and private air traffic. Military air traffic flows without interference or danger to the public.
As today’s security issues and threats evolve, Alaska’s strategic importance becomes increasingly relevant. As a nation, we must capitalize
on this resource. We have an obligation and an unmatched opportunity to train and develop our military to fight and win our nation’s wars.
The AMFAST long-term strategic plan is the guide to achieve and maintain a stable and healthy military presence in Alaska. Our great men
and women in uniform deserve our very best support.
MG Thomas H. Katkus
Commissioner/Adjutant General
2

3
AMFAST Long-Term Strategic Plan Priorities
• Ensure a dependable fuel supply for all military
assets in Alaska.
• Fully support the United States Coast Guard in
Alaska to meet growing mission requirements.
• Promote expansion of the nation’s third largest
rocket launch site, the Kodiak Launch Complex,
and identify consistent operational funding sources
for the Alaska Aerospace Corporation.
• Pursue continued development of the nation’s
largest geographically diverse joint military
training area, the Joint Pacific Alaska Range
Complex (JPARC).

Mobilitty
• Parrtner
with United U Statess
Coast Guaard
to
connstruct
an ai ircraft hanggar
in Barroow.
• Cooordinate
dev velopment oof
existing ddeep
water
porrts
to maxim mize militaryy
usage.
• Suppport
seamle ess rail connnection
fromm
Alaska’s
porrts
to its base es and rangges.
• Devvelop
deep water w port inn
the arctic. .
AMMFAST
TTeam
Prroject
Reecommenndationss
Trainin ng
• Enhaance
Unitedd
States Navvy
training oopportunitie
es
in the
Gulf of Allaska.
• Soliddify
federal support of RRed
Flag Allaska
comba at
trainning
exercisee.
• Suppport
expandded
land usee
agreements ts at the
North thern Warfaare
Trainingg
Center (NWWTC).
4

Airspace
• Support research, development, and presence of
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the State.
• Ensure robust logistical support for the Alaska-
Pacific Air Bridge.
• Continue transition to an active associate Air
Tanker mission for the 168th Air National Guard
Wing.
• Promote Alaska as a premiere basing option for
Air Force mission migration from overseas
airbases such as Japan.
5
Environment
• Promote use of Unmanned Systems in Alaska for
important interests and arctic research opportunities
such as polar bears, whales, polar ice activity,
homeland security, and temperature monitoring.
• Ensure air quality management throughout the state
that supports increased military basing and
operations activity and growth.
• Explore synthetic fuel technology in Interior Region.

Alaska A MMilitary
Force Addvocacyy
and Strructure
TTeam
-The WWay
Forwarrd-
The Alask ka Military Forcce
Advocacy andd
Structure Teamm’s
long-term sttrategic
plan is tthe
road map foor
a long and proosperous
relationship p between the SState
of Alaska aand
the United SStates
Military. The long-term strategic plan ddetails
a view of f
requiremen nts for the next ffive
years, that mmakes
the militaary
and the Alasskan
economy aas
strong 20 yeaars
from now as it is today.
AMFAST T recommends coontinuation
of thhe
team and misssion
beyond thhe
November 1stt,
2010 terminattion
date. That wway
we
can develo op and implemennt
paths to achieeve
AMFAST reecommended
acctions.
Effectiveely,
it’s time to put “meat on thhe
bones of
this plan”. Further partneership
between tthe
Joint Armedd
Service Commmittee
and the AMMFAST
Team wwill
only strengtthen
Alaska’s ef fforts to maximize
the benefits from its relationnship
with the UUnited
States Military.
The effeective
executionn
of the
recommend dations in this pplan
will be the ddriving
force in determining thee
true and lastinng
value of the AAMFAST
long-tterm
Strategic Plan. P
6

7
MG Thomas H. Katkus
Gen Patrick Gamble (Ret.)
Gen Joseph Ralston (Ret.)
Members of the Alaska Military
Force Advocacy and Structure Team
Major General Thomas H. Katkus currently serves as the Adjutant General for the Alaska National Guard and the
Commissioner of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Major General Katkus is a lifelong Alaskan and thirtythree
year member of the Alaska Army National Guard. On 9 November 2010, Major General Katkus was appointed by
Alaska Governor Sean Parnell to lead the Alaska National Guard. In addition to his military career, Major General Katkus is
a retired Police Captain with over twenty-one years of service to the Anchorage Police Department.
General Patrick Gamble served as the top Air Force Commander in the Pacific region and was responsible for
operations, planning, and budgeting of fourteen military installations with 50,000 employees and 400 aircraft. His duty in
the Air Force also included serving as the Director of NATO Operations and Logistics as well as the Director of the Air
Force Air and Space Operations. He retired as a four star General from the United States Air Force before joining the
Alaska Railroad. General Gamble served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Alaska Railroad Corporation, a
$170 million dollar freight, passenger, and land management business. He is currently the President of the University of
Alaska system.
General Joseph Ralston served 37-year Air Force career as Commander, U.S. European Command and Supreme
Allied Commander Europe, NATO. As Commander of the U.S. European Command from (2000-2003), General Ralston
was the senior U.S. military officer and commander of all US forces in an area of responsibility that covers more than 21
million square miles and includes 93 nations. Previously, General Ralston served as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff (1996-2000), the nation's second highest-ranking military officer. General Ralston is currently a member of the Board
of Directors of Lockheed Martin, The Timken Company, and URS Corporation as well as the Vice Chairman of The Cohen
Group.

MG Mark Hamilton (Ret.)
Mr. Loren Lounsbury
Mr. Jim Dodson
Major General Mark Hamilton served 31 years of active duty in the U.S. Army. As Commander of the U.S.
military group in El Salvador, Major General Hamilton was responsible for negotiating an end to the 12-year civil
war in El Salvador. His service also includes advising the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe on NATO
planning concerning the former republic of Yugoslavia. Prior to retiring, Major General Hamilton was in charge of
national recruiting during the well-known "Be All That You Can Be" era. He recently retired from his position as
President of the University of Alaska system.
Loren H. Lounsbury is Chairman of International Management Group, a company that provides consulting
services to international trade related businesses. Mr. Lounsbury is a former Commissioner of Commerce and
Economic Development for the State of Alaska and former Chairman of the Board of the Alaska Railroad
Corporation. He was Honorary Consul for the Republic of Korea in Anchorage for many years. Subsequently, he
was honored and decorated by the President of the Republic of Korea for his service to that country. Mr. Lounsbury
is presently on the Board of Directors of First National Bank Alaska, the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, and
Chairman of the Alaska Command Civilian Advisory Board.
Jim Dodson currently serves as the President and CEO of the Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation. His
work at FEDC has been instrumental in supporting and developing new industry in the Fairbanks North Star Borough
and the State of Alaska. Mr. Dodson also served in the US Army 5 th Special Forces Group in Vietnam. He is a
lifelong resident of Fairbanks, Alaska and is a successful businessman who serves on numerous local, state, and
national business and non-profit advisory boards to include the Secretary of the Air Force’s Civilian Advisory Board.
He is a tireless supporter of developing Alaska’s economy as well as job creation for Alaskans.
8

9
Major General Thomas H. Katkus General Joseph Ralston (Ret.)
Mr. Loren Lounsbury
General Patrick Gamble (Ret.)
Major General Mark Hamilton (Ret.)
Mr. Jim Dodson

11
AMFAST Advisory Committee
The AMFAST Advisory Committee consists of state, community, and chamber of commerce representatives from throughout Alaska. The
AMFAST Advisory Committee provides valuable input to the AMFAST Team regarding strategies for maintaining military missions in the
state, strategies for acquiring expanded or new military missions in the state, and strategies to better coordinate infrastructure development in the
state to maximize federal military investment. The AMFAST Team then considers and integrates this input as both the Team and Advisory
Committee work together toward developing short-term and long-term recommendations to be given to Governor Parnell.
Members of the Advisory Committee include:
John Katz, Director of the Office of the Governor, Washington D.C.
Paul Brown, Representative from the North Pole Chamber of Commerce
Mayor Doug Isaacson, Mayor of the City of North Pole
Peter Mulcahy, Representative from the Eagle River Chamber of Commerce
Mayor Denise Michels, Mayor of the City of Nome
John Duffy, Representative from the Mat-Su Borough
Lyn Carden, Representative from the Wasilla Chamber of Commerce
Robert Lachowsky, Representative from the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce
Steven Lundgren, Representative from the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce
Mary Kay Ryckman, Representative from the Department of Natural
Resources
Jack Wilber, Representative from the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce
Mayor Jerome Selby, Mayor of the Kodiak Island Borough
Mike Black, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of
Commerce
Sheila Finkenbinder, Representative from the Sitka Chamber of
Commerce
Lena Simmons, Representative from the Office of the Governor,
Office of Management and Budget
Gary Wilken, Representative from the Fairbanks Borough
Leo von Scheben, Commissioner of the Department of
Transportation
Wayne Stevens, Representative from the Alaska State Chamber
of Commerce
George Vakalis, Representative from the City of Anchorage
Martin Maricle, Representative from the Department of Natural
Resources
Sami Glascott, Representative from the Anchorage Chamber of
Commerce
Jillyan Webb, Representative from the Palmer Chamber of
Commerce

AMFAST Advisory Committee Project Recommendations
• Update and increase communication technology
and capability in the arctic region.
• Engage potential partnership opportunities with
private sector regarding helicopter and naval
vessel refueling and maintenance along the
arctic coast.
• Develop a joint service military lodging complex
in Arctic Valley.
• Cultivate strategic partnerships between the
state of Alaska, Military Research and
Development, and the University of Alaska
system.
• Increase roadway access points into Fort
Richardson.
• Activate Airspace Range Control capability in the
Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC).
• Develop rail line connection to northwest Alaska.
• Support the manufacturing of high speed landing
craft/ferry within the state.
12