Photo By Capt. Patrick Bracken | Troopers from 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment keep the lane clear as a musher...... read more read more
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FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Soldiers serving in Alaska are afforded the opportunity to experience events unique to any other duty station: the Northern Lights, temperatures in the -40s, almost 22 hours of daylight in the summer, 20 hours of darkness in the winter, and an abundance of wildlife from bald eagles to grizzly bears.
Troopers from 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment were fortunate enough to participate in another event unique to Alaska: the annual Yukon Quest dogsled race. The Yukon Quest is a 1,000-mile race that stretches from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. Each year, the starting and ending points of the race are switched between the two cities. The 2014 race started in downtown Fairbanks.
More than 100 troopers volunteered some of their free time to support the logistics, setup, and execution of the Yukon Quest.
Planning and preparations began months before the race. Two weeks prior to the race, troopers from the squadron helped the mushers offload, sort, and palletize all of the food and supplies that would subsequently be delivered to the various checkpoints along the race.
On race day, troopers assigned to the 5-1 Cavalry headed to downtown Fairbanks early in the morning to set up the starting chutes. More 5-1 Cavalry troopers arrived hours later and helped ensure the raceway stayed clear of spectators and obstacles, allowing the mushers to start their journey as quickly as possible.
After the race left downtown, it wound through Fairbanks, heading east on the frozen Chena River, eventually making its way onto Fort Wainwright. Mushers attached a second sled to the backs of their own that carried VIPs such as former racers, dignitaries, and the (not so new as this point) new Fort Wainwright garrison commander.
Once on post, the mushers made a pit stop along the river and were greeted by 5-1 Cavalry troopers who volunteered to help unhook the extra sleds and assist the VIPs up the river bank into awaiting transportation vehicles.
The 5-1 Cavalry commander, Lt. Col. Erik Krivda, and the troopers of the squadron sought an opportunity to connect with the community in an unusual way.
"The Yukon Quest (Sled Dog) Race is a unique and powerful symbol of life in Interior Alaska and the Yukon," said Krivda. "The teams that race in this event promote self-reliance, loyalty, trust, and resiliency; something that exemplifies what we expect from soldiers in U.S. Army Alaska. I am extremely honored we could assist the Fairbanks community with the race. This community is the most supportive I've ever lived in, and we strive to do our part to assist our friends and neighbors any chance we get."
| Date Taken: | 02.01.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 02.13.2014 21:42 |
| Story ID: | 120611 |
| Location: | FAIRBANKS, AK, US |
| Web Views: | 84 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Troopers volunteer in a unique way, by CPT Patrick Bracken, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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