It might seem like one more helicopter in Juneau won’t be all that noticeable, but this one is a bit bigger and more distinctive in appearance than those carrying groups of flightseers over to the glacier.
A UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter was stationed full-time in Juneau on Thursday, according to an announcement Friday by the Alaska Army National Guard. The helicopter is part of the National Guard’s 207th Aviation Troop Command, headquartered at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, and one of five helicopters the National Guard has stationed throughout Alaska.
The primary purpose of stationing the helicopter in Juneau is so “aviators (can) fulfill federal training requirements across Southeast Alaska,” according to the National Guard’s announcement.
“The challenging topography of the areas surrounding Juneau provides the aircrew ample opportunities to hone three mission skill sets: mountain, over-water and glacier operations,” Dana Clifford, a Juneau-based Black Hawk pilot and second-class chief warrant officer for the National Guard, said in a prepared statement.
The helicopter is the second deployment of a military craft in Juneau announced this year. The U.S. Coast Guard announced in mid-August it will homeport an icebreaker in Alaska’s capital city — which will have a much more significant community impact with an estimated 190 personnel plus their families, but is likely at least two to three years ago from deployment.
Emergency operations have become a central focus of Juneau officials due to massive flooding from Suicide Basin the past two summers, with this year’s flood damaging about 300 homes. Other recent major disasters in Southeast Alaska requiring a widespread response include fatal landslides in Ketchikan in late August, Wrangell last November and Haines in 2020.
A Black Hawk helicopter in Juneau greatly increases the state National Guard’s response capability in such situations, Clifford said.
“When a request for helicopter support from JBER to Juneau comes in, the stars have to almost align for that flight to happen,” Clifford said. “Flights require a suitable weather window at both locations, and well, often that’s not the case. Having us down here means that if we get a call for support, we’ll be more able to help as well as get there faster than if we were responding from JBER.”
The Black Hawk can carry up to 11 passengers, and lift 2,600 pounds of cargo internally or 9,000 pounds of cargo externally, depending on its configuration, according to the National Guard’s statement. The Juneau-base helicopter is also equipped with internal and external auxiliary fuel tanks that extend its range to about four hours of flying time.
The Alaska Army National Guard also has full-time aircrews and helicopters stationed in Anchorage, Bethel, Fairbanks and Nome.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
