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U.S. and Canadian senior enlisted leaders from North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command gathered at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, May 12-13 to discuss and synchronize SEL functions during contingency and crisis operations.
The Alaskan SEL Summit aligned enlisted leaders on readiness, operations and warfighting challenges in the Alaska Theater of Operations.
The two-day event was led by U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Heath Tempel, Alaskan NORAD Region and Alaskan Command senior enlisted leader and 11th Air Force command chief, and Chief Master Sgt. John Storms, NORAD and USNORTHCOM senior enlisted leader. The summit consisted of briefings regarding Alaska infrastructure and common threats, table-top exercises to codify strategic roles, and visits to key supporting facilities and partners such as the Port of Alaska to discuss required coordination efforts across the spectrum of operations from contingency and crisis to disaster relief.
The summit provided participating chiefs and sergeant majors deeper insight into military operations and operational readiness in Alaska. Among the participating SELs was U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Michael Sylvester, 673rd Air Base Wing command chief.
“The Alaska SEL Summit offered an opportunity to bring joint and allied senior enlisted leaders together to talk specifically about the readiness and warfighting challenges of the Alaskan Theater of Operations, in the contexts of North American defense and National Security in the Arctic region,” Sylvester said.
An aspect of the summit is coordination of efforts and forces with stakeholders across JBER and Anchorage.
“I can’t think of any part of the United States where it will be more critical that the joint force, and our allies and mission partners, be ready to work hand-in-hand to protect our shared National and North American interests,” Sylvester said. “Alaska is, in some ways, a bit of an island isolated from the lower 48 states. But it’s also an incredibly close community, which makes it a great place to build and practice readiness and crisis-response capabilities together.”
Storms said his takeaways from the summit included gaining more understanding of the challenges forces face during crisis or contingency operations, particularly with homeland defense and defense of Alaska. He said network and relationship building by the senior enlisted leaders at the summit will allow them to work through those challenges more effectively and efficiently.
“The environment will pose many challenges on forces operating within the Arctic, and by understanding those challenges with greater fidelity, we’ll be better able to prepare our forces,” he said.
Storms added that military and civilian ports will be critical infrastructure during crises or contingencies, not only for forward deployed forces, but also for sustainment of the Alaskan population.
Royal Canadian Air Force Chief Warrant Officer James McCarron, Canadian Element NORAD Chief Warrant Officer, who also participated in the summit, said NORAD is the only binational command in the world, a seamless integration of Canadian and American military and civilians who have cemented 67 years of professionalism, operational excellence and mission delivery. Whether at the headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, or here at the Alaskan NORAD Region, it is a military-to-military relationship that has flourished – and one he experienced in Alaska from 2006-2008 – and one that can benefit from the Alaskan SEL Summit.
“It's great to visit the region again with our senior enlisted cadre. This is a group of leaders who understand the importance of building and continuously strengthening networks and relationships with trusted partners, particularly in a region where threats continue to evolve in an evolving Arctic,” he said. “The positive impacts of our binational cohesion and common operating picture are frankly immeasurable. An enduring example of this here at ANR is when U.S. fighters require maintenance and are grounded while this occurs, and Canadian F-18s can efficiently shift efforts to hold alert during those periods.
“It works both ways, in all three NORAD regions, and of course at our headquarters in Colorado, 365/24/7. It's a partnership that has us sometimes forgetting that we're wearing different flags on our shoulders because we're that engrossed in our shared mission set. And that's a pretty unique and special perspective to enjoy and experience as allies.”
Alaska plays a critical role for USNORTHCOM and PACAF operations, and the SEL summit at JBER emphasized that pivotal role and the necessity for senior enlisted leaders to focus on prioritizing joint and combined efforts.
“I’m particularly interested in our focus this week on Alaska. Here at JBER, we often find ourselves focused on the larger Pacific threat, and training for operations forward in that theater,” Sylvester said. “I’ll be happy to build and strengthen relationships with the joint leaders here who focus a bit more heavily on the Alaska theater, homeland security, and the NORTHCOM mission.”
| Date Taken: | 05.22.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.27.2025 11:52 |
| Story ID: | 498780 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 16 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Senior Enlisted Leaders Gather for a Summit at JBER, by SrA Johnny Diaz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
