In recognition of the prestige of the fighting forces, the US Army recently renamed Alaskan troops the 11th Airborne Division, but a report leaked to Reddit’s Army forum has revealed multiple problems facing service members in the northern state.
Sexist and racist behavior were among the issues cited in the report, which was informed by interviews and surveys with soldiers. Some 5% of interviewed service members said they’d experienced catcalling within the previous two weeks while 6% said they’d experienced unwanted touching. Meanwhile, 16% said they’d heard racist remarks directed towards other soldiers or themselves.
Heavy drinking was another problem noted by the report, perhaps exacerbated by low temperatures, short days and remote locations in Alaska.
"The boys and girls in the barracks, what else is there to do on a Friday night other than hunker down and get wasted," remarked one anonymous junior officer.
Also cited in the report were outdated facilities and equipment, which were sometimes in short supply. Additionally, the pace of operations for the soldiers was deemed to be a major concern as US troops throughout the military have been under an increased workload since the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
An increase in resources, dubbed Mission 100, was recently granted to tackle the issue of suicides among soldiers, but there were concerns about whether improvements spurred by the effort could be maintained.
Still, the 11th Airborne was commended for its initiative and performance in the unforgiving Alaskan terrain.
“[It’s] critically important, I think, to our Army and to our nation to have troops who can go out and operate in [an environment like this],” said General Randy George in a recent visit to Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson. “You have to survive in this, first and foremost, and be able to thrive in this environment and they train for that year-round.”