Afghanistan

The U.S. Airforce says an Airman assigned to joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was killed Wednesday in Afghanistan. The Airman was one of eight International Security Assistance Force service members who were killed in a shooting in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital. The Department of Defense has not yet identified the Airman.

by Channel 2 News staff Tuesday, December 1, 2009 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- In a poll conducted by Channel 2 News, respondents were asked if they agree with President Obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. Here is the official question and results of the 393 people who voted. Do you agree with President Obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan? Yes 60 % No 40 % All polls conducted by Channel 2 News and KTUU.

by Channel 2 News staff Tuesday, January 12, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Alaska's senior senator is back in Washington, DC after her recent trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Sen. Lisa Murkowski met with military leaders and local officials from the two countries, including Pakistan's prime minister and Afghanistan's president. Murkowski also traveled to U.S. and Allied forward operating bases in Afghanistan and the police training facility in Kabul. "We met with the minister of defense who indicated that just in the past month the number of recruits that they have received has been incredible.

by Channel 2 News staff Monday, January 25, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- DJ Brad Vance is heading to Afghanistan Tuesday to bring tunes to the troops. The KASH Country radio DJ will be broadcasting from a forward operating base in Afghanistan the first two weeks of February. In addition to playing music for the troops, Vance will go out on patrol with them and visit local villages. He says going overseas is his way of showing support to the troops. "I don't want to say it's really scary, but it's a feeling that I just can't really describe on exactly, how this really feels.

by Channel 2 News staff Tuesday, February 16, 2010 FORT RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Another group of Alaska soldiers returned home to smiles and hugs at Fort Richardson Monday night. After completing a year-long deployment in the eastern provinces of Afghanistan, 200 paratroopers landed at Elmendorf Air Force Base.  The paratroopers are assigned to the 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, home-based at Fort Richardson. After 12 months of waiting, soldiers and loved ones were reunited late Monday night.

Soldiers at Joint-Base Elemendorf-Richardson were up and at 'em early Friday morning to participate in the Spartan Brigade Run. Members of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division took to the pavement in a four-mile run at 6:30 a.m. - the first brigade run since it returned from a 10-month redeployment to Afghanistan. 3,500 soldiers participated in today's traditional event. The brigade run is designed to build "esprit-de-corps" and maintain warrior tradition.

Sgt. Joshua Echtinaw was a good runner, maybe one of the fastest in his unit. He used to run five miles in 32 minutes. That was before he was hit by shrapnel in Afghanistan, before he hit his head on a wall after an explosion near his bunker. Echtinaw is a member of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. He was deployed with the brigade to Afghanistan last year, and has now joined several other soldiers in physical therapy to recover from injuries they sustained during their deployment.

The U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers said an official farewell to paratroopers on their way from JBER to a nine-month deployment in Afghanistan on a mission to defeat IED's. Friends and family members gathered at the Buckner Physical Fitness Center on-base Wednesday for a good-bye ceremony for the "Kodiaks" of 84th Engineer Support Company. The Kodiaks will fly out next month on a "route clearance" mission, which Company Commander Capt. Michael Carvelli described as maintaining clear roads and pathways for coalition forces.  He also said the mission would include training those same forces to, "make sure that they can take over when our company, and further on, the Army pulls out of Afghanistan.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Dena'ina Center in Downtown Anchorage to welcome Alaska Army National Guard soldiers with B Company, 1-143rd Infantry Airborne Regiment, home from a deployment to Afghanistan. More than 120 soldiers were honored for the work they have done overseas, as well as the sacrifice of giving up a year at home to serve their country. The Crow Creek Pipes and Drums opened the ceremony with bagpipe music. Ceremonial music including the national anthem and Alaska's state song were performed by the Alaska Brass Air Force Band of the Pacific . Members of B Company, based in Bethel, initially returned to the U.S. on Nov. 8. They arrived in Indianapolis before returning to their homes in Alaska, but hadn't seen each other since until the welcome-home ceremony.

Army Col. Matt McFarlane took over Wednesday as the new commander of the Anchorage-based 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division in a ceremony held on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. McFarlane has served in the Army since 1992. most recently commanded the 173d Airborne Brigade's 1st Battalion (Airborne) of its 503d Infantry, leading the battalion to Afghanistan in December 2009 during Operation Enduring Freedom. The 4/25's previous commander, Col. Morris T. "Mo" Goins, who has led the unit since 2010, and his wife Yolanda are being reassigned to the Pentagon.

Three Alaska Air National Guardsmen with the 212th Rescue Squadron received medals for their heroic actions in Afghanistan. Senior Master Sgt. Christopher "Doug" Widener, Master Sgt. Brandon Stuemke, and Staff Sgt. Aaron Parcha were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor because they displayed heroic and extraordinary achievement while in combat during an aerial flight. "During the span of five days these warriors, these pararescuemen, flew 25 missions retrieving a total of 49 U.S. and coalition personnel, with 11 of those personnel deceased," said 212th Rescue Squadron commander Maj. Joe Conroy.

400 more soldiers from the 4th combat brigade 25th infantry division at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson have made it home safe, back from nearly a year-long tour in eastern Afghanistan. The group arrived back around 10 a.m. Thursday, and the return marked the biggest group of soldiers from this redeployment to come back to JBER. It also means that now more than half of the 3,500 soldier brigade is safely home -- about 1,800 of them. The remaining 1,700 troops will return home in a series of additional flights over the next week and a half.

Family and friends expected their loved ones to return around 10 a.m. Sunday but the foggy weather in Anchorage pushed those plans back until 1 in the afternoon, making people even more anxious to see the faces they had be missing for so long.          The Baka kids are not old enough to remember the first time their father left on deployment. However, mother and Army wife Cathy Baka counted the passing days until her husband returned home. "I think it's been building for a few days.

Joint Base Elemendorf-Richardson military families and friends welcomed home hundreds of paratroopers back home Monday morning from a deployment in Afghanistan. JBER paratrooper Sebastian Dew last saw his daughter in person when she was only nine days old. His wife, Krysteena Dew, has spent 12 months corresponding with him via email and Skype.  “I think it's going to take him by surprise how big she is, because seeing it on camera through a computer doesn't compare to physically being able to hold her,” Krysteena Dew said.

Cpl. Ethan Martin was 22 and wanted to become a nurse after he got out of the U.S. Army. But his life was cut short on August 8 th . Martin was remembered in a ceremony at Joint Base Emendorf-Richardsonon Thursday afternoon. He was a paratrooper from the 4 th Brigade Combat Team. He died after a member of the Afghan Security Force, who was working with his unit, opened fire. Three other soldiers were wounded in that same attack in Koragay, Afghanistan. At Martin's memorial service at the Richardson Soldier's Chapel, letters from his platoon members were read.