Arctic Security Expedition visits Clear AFS

Published Oct. 13, 2017
13th Space Warning Squadron

CLEAR AIR FORCE STATION, Alaska -- The Air Force Arctic Security Expedition visited Clear Air Force Station, Alaska, Sept. 8, 2017, as part of the group’s tour across the northern fringes of the U.S., Canada, and Greenland.

The expedition was comprised of 18th Air Force general officers and senior executives serving in key leadership roles across the service.

The group’s mission was to assess how the Air Force will continue to operate within a vital domain that has been uniquely impacted by shifting climate changes.

Clear AFS resides in the vast interior portion of Alaska and doesn’t face the same challenges as coastal sites. Its largest natural threat comes from wildfires that can occur in the dense boreal forest that surround the installation.

While at Clear AFS, the group received a mission overview that highlighted the base’s pivotal role in the defense of our North American homeland and its continued support to both U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Strategic Command.

They observed the construction site for the future Long Range Discrimination Radar and toured the Early Warning Radar.

Lt. Col. Joel Lane, Clear AFS installation commander and 13th Space Warning Squadron commander, showcased the base’s current and future capabilities to leadership.

The visit highlighted the mission and the unique location in Alaska.

“The key takeaway for leadership was that our squadrons at Clear AFS possess unique one of a kind capabilities that perform a critical no-fail mission for the defense of both the United States and Canada,” said Lane.

Following their stop at Clear AFS, the group continued on to various sites throughout Alaska, Canada, and Thule Air Base, Greenland, where the group toured the 821st Air Base Group and 12th SWS.