Alaska Guard Helps Provide Free Health Care to Kodiak Residents Published May 10, 2024 By Alejandro Pena, Alaska National Guard KODIAK, Alaska - Alaska National Guardsmen from the 176th Wing and the 207th Aviation Troop Command based out of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson began Kodiak Arctic Care ‘24 on May 6, flying equipment and personnel to Kodiak. Kodiak Arctic Care, scheduled May 9-21, is part of the Department of Defense-sponsored Innovative Readiness Training program. It delivers free medical, dental, optometry and veterinary services to Kodiak Island residents without regular access to comprehensive medical care. Service members from the Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and active duty, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Naval Reserve, U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Public Health Service are providing medical services at seven sites across the Kodiak Island Borough: Kodiak, Port Lions, Ouzinkie, Larsen Bay, Karluk, Old Harbor and Akhiok. Service members work closely with the Kodiak Area Native Association and other regional and community partners. As part of the advanced echelon, Alaska Air National Guard aerial transport specialists assigned to the 176th Logistics Readiness Squadron worked with a C-17 Globemaster III aircrew from the 144th Airlift Squadron to transport essential gear, medical equipment and personnel from JBER to Kodiak. Alaska Army National Guard aviators also staged three UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters at Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak. The Black Hawks will transport medical personnel and equipment to each of the care sites. The IRT program delivers joint training to increase deployment readiness while providing U.S. communities with key services, such as health care, construction, transportation and cybersecurity.