Army Identifies 3 Soldiers Killed in Alaska Helicopter Crash

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The U.S. Army identified on Saturday the three soldiers who were killed when two helicopters collided in Alaska while returning from a training mission.

The helicopters were headed to Fort Wainwright from a mission in the Donnelly Training Area when they crashed at 1:39 p.m. Thursday, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Healy.

The U.S. Army announced Friday that it has grounded aviation units for training after 12 soldiers died within the last month in helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky.

“The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training,” the Army said in a statement.

Killed in Thursday’s crash were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher Robert Eramo, 39, of Oneonta, New York; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle D. McKenna, 28, of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Warrant Officer 1 Stewart Duane Wayment, 32, of North Logan, Utah. (Read more from “Army Identifies 3 Soldiers Killed in Alaska Helicopter Crash” HERE)

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U.S. Army Grounds Entire Helicopter Fleet

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The U.S. Army grounded its entire helicopter fleet Friday after two recent crashes that killed 12.

The stand-down order will remain in effect for noncritical pilots forcewide until they undergo mandatory safety training. Gen. James McConville promised the training “will focus on safety and training protocols to ensure our pilots and crews have the knowledge, training and awareness to safely complete their assigned mission,” according to a statement.

Two Apache helicopters crashed in Alaska on Thursday. The crash claimed the lives of three soldiers who were on training flights. The crash comes after two helicopters collided flying out of Fort Campbell in Kentucky in March. That crash killed nine. (Read more from “U.S. Army Grounds Entire Helicopter Fleet” HERE)

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Two Apache Helicopters Crash in Alaska

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Two AH-64 Apache helicopters based at Fort Wainwright crashed today near Healy, Alaska, according to the 11th Airborne Division.

According to a tweet from the 11th Airborne account, the two helicopters are with the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment and were returning from a training flight.

First responders are on scene, according to information posted to Twitter. When reached by Army Times, 11th Airborne spokesman John Pennell said he had no further details at this time. . .

This is the second serious Apache crash in Alaska this year. In February, two soldiers were injured when a military helicopter was involved in a rollover accident in Talkeetna. The crash occurred when the helicopter was taking off. Those soldiers were treated and released from the hospital. (Read more from “Two Apache Helicopters Crash in Alaska” HERE)

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Alaska Airlines Defends Decision to Kick Woman off Plane amid Viral Video

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Avideo of a passenger who was “kicked off” a plane after she had an alcoholic drink called a “mimosa” has gone viral on TikTok.

The clip, which had 1.1 million views at the time of writing, was shared by Kandace H (@kandace_h) from Oregon’s Portland International Airport after being taken off an Alaska Airlines flight traveling from Portland to Las Vegas.

[Warning: video contains explicit language.]

@kandace_h SPREAD THE WORD ! @alaskaair THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE !! I AM LIVID !!! The flight attendants on flight #714 from Portland to Vegas need to be fired !! I was BLATANTLY lied on & removed from the plane…UTTERLY embarrassed by your staff !!! I have flown with this company too many times & have only had pleasant things to say about it, until today ! #pdx #alaskaairlines #discrimination #foryou #fyp ♬ original sound – Kandace H

A spokesperson for the airline told Newsweek: “One of the passengers exhibited concerning behavior during the pre-boarding process and was asked to exit the aircraft due to safety concerns. After resolving our concerns, we booked the passenger on the next scheduled flight to their intended destination.

“At Alaska, safety is our top priority. We train and empower our crews to make decisions that ensure the safety of all on board the aircraft. Part of keeping a flight safe is making sure all guests are fit to fly,” the spokesperson added. (Read more from “Alaska Airlines Defends Decision to Kick Woman off Plane amid Viral Video” HERE)

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Murkowski Claims She Was Duped by Pro-Life, Anti-Tranny Trump Judge

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Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is upset that a controversial Trump-appointed judge concealed his involvement in an article attacking abortion rights and transgender people during his confirmation hearing, reported POLITICO on Wednesday.

District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of Amarillo, Texas, whom Murkowski had voted to confirm at the time, is responsible for the ruling that suspends the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the abortion medication mifepristone, which happened over two decades ago and is threatening to upend abortion access even in states that still allow the procedure.

“A Washington Post report that he switched out his name on an article not disclosed during his confirmation process criticizing Obama administration policies on abortion and transgender people has the Alaska Republican hopping mad,” reported Burgess Everett. “‘You want to talk about the ultimate bait and switch? I feel like I got duped. I feel like voted for somebody based on what had been presented to me. And you do this? That is totally, totally wrong,’ Murkowski said in an interview on Wednesday.”

“When he was confirmed, he received no Democratic support and further opposition from Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). If the same vote were held today, you can probably bet Murkowski would have joined them,” said the report. “‘Do I feel good about my vote on this judge now having learned how he was able to get a path to his confirmation because he perhaps didn’t honestly disclose that? That to me is as troubling as anything else’ Murkowski asked rhetorically. She said when it comes to judicial nominees, ‘I hold you to a higher standard than if you’re gonna be a deputy undersecretary for housing. I just, I do.'” (Read more from “Murkowski Claims She Was Duped by Pro-Life, Anti-Tranny Trump Judge” HERE)

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Military Leaders in Hawaii Look to Strengthen Forces in Alaska

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As U.S. relations fray with China and Russia, American military leaders in Hawaii are increasingly giving attention to their forces in Alaska.

Recently, U.S. Army Pacific’s Oahu-based commander, Gen. Charles Flynn, visited Alaska to observe training at the Alaska portions of the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center—a series of training ranges in Hawaii and Alaska the Army is using to train troops for potential combat operations amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Pacific.

The training also takes place amid increasing concern by some American policymakers about China’s aspirations in the Arctic. . .

Chinese military forces aren’t strangers to the Aleutians. In 2021 the U.S. Coast Guard encountered Chinese warships moving near the island chain, and in September the Coast Guard again saw Chinese vessels near the Aleutians—this time joined by Russian warships. Though American forces watched them closely, U.S. officials stressed they did not violate any rules.

The U.S. military also regularly conducts operations near China, including the South China Sea—a critical trade route that more than a third of all international trade travels through. Beijing claims nearly the entire waterway as its exclusive territory and is locked in a series of disputes with neighboring countries over territorial and navigation rights. (Read more from “Military Leaders in Hawaii Look to Strengthen Forces in Alaska” HERE)

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WATCH: Dog Invites Moose Inside Alaskan Woman’s Home, Police Use Taser; Another Moose Invades Alaska Hospital

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A moose in Soldotna, Alaska, followed a woman’s dog back into her house where a police officer tried to use a taser to scare it off.

Barbara Nickels always cracks the door open when she lets out her dog, Jesse, Alaska’s News Source reported Wednesday. However, when Jesse returned this time, he brought home a wild Alaskan moose. Described as “huge” and without a “care in the world,” the moose apparently made a beeline for Barbara’s salad bar plants.

Barbara told Alaska’s News Source that she “stared at it for three or four seconds before it really dawned” on her that there was a moose inside her home. Her husband “thought he was dreaming” when he saw the animal.

When police arrived on the scene, the moose was still munching on the plants. Not even the sound of a taser could fend him off, and it was not until one policeman raised his voice that the moose was startled into leaving, according to the report. (Read more from “Dog Invites Moose Inside Alaskan Woman’s Home, Police Try to Use Taser to Scare Wild Animal Away” HERE)

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Moose Invades Providence Hospital

By Associated Press. A young moose trudging through the snow looking for a meal spotted green plants in the lobby of a medical building in the Providence Alaska Health Park and decided to drop in for a dose of greenery.

The ingenious — or lucky — moose triggered the sensors on the automatic doors to the building that houses the hospital’s cancer center and other medical offices, said Randy Hughes, the hospital’s director of security.

“We received a call from one of our tenants advising that a moose had just walked into the building,” Hughes said.

Hughes believes it’s the same moose that has been hanging around campus. And even though moose are commonplace in Alaska, they made an announcement over the intercom of the moose’s presence out of safety concerns. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Alaskan Children’s Book Illustrator Charged With ‘Terroristic Threatening’ for Suggesting Trans People May Kill Children

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A children’s book illustrator has been charged with terroristic threatening for leaving notes around Juneau, Alaska, suggesting that transgender people will commit violence.

The notes were left in apparent connection to the recent killing of 6 individuals at a Christian school in Nashville, including 3 children, by a transgender.

Mitchell Thomas Watley, 47, has been put under arrest under one charge of terroristic threatening, which is a Class C felony. A Class C felony can result in up to 5 years in prison and up to $50,000 in fines. Watley is being held in the Lemon Creek Correctional Center.

The Juneau Police Department received a report on March 31 about a note “that indicated a possible general threat against children.” Later that same day, the police received a second report about a similar note. On April 2, two more notes were reportedly left at local businesses. Police were able to identify and arrest Watley that same day. The arrest was made with assistance from the FBI.

“Feeling Cute Might Shoot Some Children,” one note read, with a picture of a rifle and a transgender pride flag, according to a criminal complaint accessed by the Juneau Empire. (Read more from “Alaskan Children’s Book Illustrator Charged With ‘Terroristic Threatening’ for Suggesting Trans People May Kill Children” HERE)

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A Children’s Book Illustrator Has Been Arrested in Alaska over Anti-Transgender Notes

By Yahoo News. . .On Friday, which was Transgender Day of Visibility, the Juneau Police Department received an early morning report about a note found in a local store that “indicated a possible general threat against children,” according to a statement issued by the department. Several hours later, police received a second report about a similar note found on a bulletin board in the State Office Building. . .

According to court documents, Watley referenced the Nashville school shooting suspect after his arrest.

“Officers spoke to Mitchell, who said (in essence) that he was in fear of the recent transgender school shooter and took it upon himself to print out and distribute these leaflets,” the criminal complaint said. . .

Watley is best known for his illustrations in the children’s books “I Would Tuck You In” and “You Are Home With Me,” which feature animals snuggling their children. The animals make their young feel safe and loved with affirmations like, “Wherever you may be, you will always have a home with me.” (Read more from “A Children’s Book Illustrator Has Been Arrested in Alaska over Anti-Transgender Notes” HERE)

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Sen. Dan Sullivan: White House Should Send F-16S to Ukraine Now

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Senior Defense Department officials were leaning toward supplying Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets until President Biden quashed the idea this year, Sen. Dan Sullivan said Sunday.

The Alaska Republican sent a letter about Ukraine’s urgent need for fighter jets to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, after hosting a delegation of Ukrainian pilots last summer on Capitol Hill.

“It looked like it was moving well through the bureaucracy of the Pentagon,” Mr. Sullivan said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”

But that momentum came to a grinding halt in January after Mr. Biden responded with a terse “no” to a reporter’s question about providing Kyiv with fighter jets.

“And then, last week the national security adviser [Jake Sullivan] says, ‘Well, we’re not going to do F-16s for now,’” said Mr. Sullivan, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “That’s exactly the wrong approach.” (Read more from “Sen. Dan Sullivan: White House Should Send F-16S to Ukraine Now” HERE)

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U.S. Military Pilots Say Unidentified Flying Object Shot Down Over Alaska Had ‘No Identifiable Propulsion,’ Interfered With Their Sensors: Report

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The unidentified flying object shot down 10 miles off the coast of Alaska had “no identifiable propulsion” and interfered with the sensors of the U.S. military fighter jets that engaged the aircraft on Friday, according to a new report.

An unidentified object the size of a small car with a cylindrical shape, and flying at 40,000 feet off the coast of Alaska.

A senior military official said the object was initially detected by radar, and then F-35 stealth fighter jets were scrambled to investigate the UFO.

National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said fly-bys of the object happened on Thursday night and Friday morning, but both encounters provided “limited” information about the unidentified object.

Kirby noted that the object “did not appear to be self-maneuvering.” (Read more from “U.S. Military Pilots Say Unidentified Flying Object Shot Down Over Alaska Had ‘No Identifiable Propulsion,’ Interfered With Their Sensors: Report” HERE)

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