Alaska’s “Frontier Grit, Indy Speed” pin is displayed alongside state pins from Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont, Kansas, Washington, Indianapolis, and Hawaii at the 168th Wing, Alaska Air National Guard, Sept. 3, 2026. Designed by Lt. Col. Yutashea Zirkle, the Alaska National Guard pin won Best State Pin during the first-ever National Guard Association of the United States state pin competition held at the 148th NGAUS General Conference and Exhibition in Indianapolis, Indiana. The pin features an Alaska bear behind the wheel, racing colors and checkered flags, along with Alaska’s Big Dipper stars and mountain peaks, blending Alaska’s frontier heritage with Indianapolis’ racing culture. Pin trading is a long-standing NGAUS tradition that allows Guard members to share pride in their state, National Guard story and heritage. Hawaii won Best Integration of Assigned Number for its “50” design. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Julie Avey)
| Date Taken: | 09.03.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.05.2026 19:35 |
| Photo ID: | 9915475 |
| VIRIN: | 260903-Z-UF872-1010 |
| Resolution: | 2048x1536 |
| Size: | 687.16 KB |
| Location: | EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 5 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Alaska’s Frontier Grit Takes the Win at First-Ever NGAUS State Pin Competition [Image 8 of 8], by SMSgt Julie Avey, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.