US Deploys More Soldiers to Alaska Amid Increased Russian Military Activity

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) called recent Chinese and Russian exercises near Alaska ‘Russia’s largest joint naval and air drill since the Cold War.’

U.S. Army soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, maneuver through the thick terrain of Shemya Island, Alaska, as part of a force projection operation to the remote island in the North Pacific Ocean, Sept. 13, 2024. Spc. Brandon Vasquez/U.S. Army via AP

In response to a recent uptick in Russian military incursions near U.S. territory, the U.S. military has deployed more than 100 soldiers along with advanced weaponry to a remote island in Alaska’s Aleutian chain.

Both Russian and Chinese military activity in the region has increased. As part of this deployment, soldiers were stationed on Shemya Island on Sept. 12, bringing with them two High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.