By THE ALASKA STORY
Members of the Alaska Legislature’s Joint Armed Services Committee are seeking answers from the US Army’s 11th Airborne Division over confirmed reports that 1,500 Alaska-based soldiers could be deployed to Minnesota amid a large federal immigration enforcement operation and subsequent violence in the streets by radical activists.
The request comes despite the fact that state lawmakers do not have authority over the deployment of active-duty military forces, which operate under federal command and ultimately answer to the President and the Department of Defense, not state legislative committees.
The Pentagon has directed approximately 1,500 active-duty troops to be placed on readiness status in case they are needed in Minnesota. The reports surfaced as federal authorities conduct a wide-scale immigration operation in that state.
Nonetheless, the Joint Armed Services Committee has begun drafting a letter to the division’s commanding general, John Cogbill, requesting that Army leadership appear before lawmakers in Juneau to explain the situation.
Committee co-chair Scott Kawasaki, a Fairbanks Democrat, has indicated concerns about the implications of deploying a large number of Alaska-based troops outside the state, including impacts on military families and questions about the use of active-duty forces in domestic operations.
However, the Army’s chain of command does not include state legislators. Active-duty units such as the 11th Airborne Division are federal forces, and their deployments are determined by the President, the Secretary of Defense, and senior military leadership—not by state committees or individual lawmakers.
House committee co-chair Andrew Gray, D-Anchorage, has also raised alarms publicly, suggesting on Facebook the possible deployment could involve the Insurrection Act.
7 thoughts on “Democrat Alaska lawmakers want military to brief them on Minnesota deployment”
Since when is the US military required to brief a state legislature, or political committee of the legislature, on potential deployment operations??
The same argument existed when Democrats in Congress expected to be briefed in the operation to secure Maduro in Venezuela. It’s an assinine request. You don’t tell your political enemies what you plan to do ahead of time. Otherwise you risk all the ridicule of them telling the world that your operation was botched………because of the traitorous Democrats.
A “No Brainer.”
Sure…….bring in the military honchos for a Democrat briefing. It’s their opportunity to show Scott Kawasaki how a water pistol works. A chance to put a bunch feckless leftists into basic training.
What an absolute idiot! He obviously has no clue about the federal system of government or about anything having to do with the U.S. military. The active Army Commanding General of the 11th Airborne Division should respectfully simply suggest that AK State Senator Kawasaki contact Secretary of War Hegseth for an answer to his questions.
There are times when elected officials say really dumb things that they should be ashamed to say, this is another one of those times. The bad part is that usually the elected officials who utter such nonsense are so clueless they don’t understand just how dumb what they said truly is.
I have been involved with statewide fish and game issues. Years ago while pushing for dipnetting, when it was just starting out and commercial fishermen were pushing back.
Kawasaki wanted his name on my efforts. Talking with a few locals out of Fairbanks, who were involved, said he did it all the time. That meaning Kawasaki wanting his name to be out there in public. I’m assuming he wanted the notoriety. I’m guessing this is why he wants this.
,
The Army should tell him to pound sand
Given he has no say in such affairs and should know as much, I am guessing he is just posturing for his electorate. Those who vote for him are likely not the brightest bulbs so his hope would be they see him as their champion and will continue to vote for him. 🙄