By SUZANNE DOWNING
Feb. 6, 2026 – The 11th Airborne Division has been taken off heightened standby status after roughly 1,500 Alaska-based soldiers had been placed on prepare-to-deploy orders in January for a potential mission tied to violent rioting and insurrection in Minneapolis.
US Northern Command had directed troops from two infantry battalions of the 11th Airborne Division, headquartered at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Fort Wainwright, to be ready for possible deployment to Minnesota. The alert came amid escalating protests in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities area connected to aggressive federal immigration enforcement activity.
The situation drew national attention as demonstrations intensified following controversial encounters involving federal officers. President Donald Trump publicly suggested he could consider invoking the Insurrection Act, a rarely used 1807 law that allows active-duty troops to be deployed domestically under extreme circumstances if local authorities cannot maintain order. Pentagon officials emphasized at the time that the orders were precautionary and did not represent a confirmed deployment or a domestic law enforcement mission.
The choice of Alaska’s 11th Airborne Division raised questions because the unit is best known for Arctic and cold-weather expertise, not domestic civil disturbance operations. The division was selected due to rapid-response capability and availability, with the troops positioned only as an option, should federal authorities request military support to civil authorities. Additional standby alerts were also reported for military police units outside Alaska.
No deployment ultimately occurred. By this past weekend, Northern Command ordered the Alaska troops to stand down and removed them from heightened alert status.
Back in Alaska, the entire episode prompted interest from lawmakers. The co-chairs of the House and Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee requested that General John Cogbill appear before the Legislature to discuss the Minneapolis standby plans.
Rep. Jamie Allard, a military veteran from Eagle River, responded by noting that the armed forces do not report to the Legislature on operational matters and would not typically be able to provide sensitive details about federal deployment planning in a public legislative setting.
Allard says state lawmakers have no authority to compel testimony from military commander
2 thoughts on “11th Airborne taken off standby status for Minneapolis”
That’s a shame. They should’ve been deployed there and cleaned house. At least the people of Minnesota who actually work and pay for the shameful actions by the protesting knuckle draggers – and their enablers – would find some relief and resolution.
TACO TACO TACO.