By SUZANNE DOWNING
July 31, 2026 – Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Thursday announced the creation of the Alaska Military Affairs Office, a new state office intended to strengthen Alaska’s military installations, attract future defense missions, and improve coordination between the armed forces and the communities that support them.
The office will operate within the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and serve as the state’s central coordinating organization for military issues.
“Alaska has never been more strategically important to our nation’s security than it is today,” Dunleavy said. “The creation of the Alaska Military Affairs Office demonstrates our commitment to protecting and expanding our military presence while ensuring our communities, infrastructure, workforce, and industries are prepared to support the missions that defend our nation.”
The governor said the office will help position Alaska for continued military investment and the economic activity that accompanies it.
Alaska sits at the intersection of the Arctic, Indo-Pacific region, and North American homeland. The state’s location, expansive training areas, missile-defense infrastructure, air bases, and proximity to Russia have made it increasingly important to U.S. national security.
As American defense priorities shift toward the Arctic and Indo-Pacific, the new office will coordinate Alaska’s military policies across state agencies and work with federal officials, local governments, Alaska Native organizations, schools, economic-development groups, and private businesses.
The office is being supported through a grant from the Department of War’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation. It will also act as the principal state liaison supporting the Alaska Military Affairs Commission.
Its responsibilities will include advising the governor and state agencies on military matters and defense-related economic development, coordinating long-range infrastructure planning, and developing a statewide strategy to protect existing military missions while competing for future assignments and investment.
The office will also coordinate with Alaska’s congressional delegation and federal agencies on defense priorities affecting the state. Another part of its mission will be improving quality of life for service members and their families, an issue that can affect military retention and decisions about where missions are based.
Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe, Alaska’s adjutant general and commissioner of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said military readiness depends in part upon the strength of the surrounding civilian communities.
“Strong military missions depend on strong communities,” Saxe said. “The Alaska Military Affairs Office will strengthen the relationships between our military installations and the communities that support them while helping ensure Alaska remains the premier location for defense investment and military readiness.”
Placing the work under a permanent office gives Alaska a dedicated organization to advocate for federal defense spending, coordinate infrastructure needs, and bring military and civilian partners together.
“Alaska’s future is inseparable from America’s security,” Dunleavy said. “This office ensures that our state is organized, proactive, and united in supporting the service members, families, installations, and communities that make Alaska indispensable to our nation’s defense.”
