Lt. Gen. Bill Liquori and Iris Ferguson write for Defense News: Few things are easy in Utqiagvik, Alaska. Sandbag barriers hold back the tide of the rising Arctic Ocean, milk costs $10 a gallon, and during the winter months, 24 hours of darkness cloak this northernmost city in the United States. The 4,000 residents of this remote town struggle with many things most Americans take for granted, including affordable communications access. In fact, for many rural Alaska residents — some 30 percent of the state’s population — the ability to access modern services like telemedicine and remote education has never been a possibility.
Alaska Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Matthew O’Brien simulates combat search and rescue tactics in Alaska by practicing radio communications on Jan. 21, 2021. (Senior Airman Kelly Willett/U.S. Air National Guard) (176th Wing Public Affairs)
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