Alaska troops deploy to remote Shemya Island, less than 300 miles from Russia
The U.S. Army has deployed soldiers from Alaska, Hawaii and Washington state to an air station on Shemya Island in the Aleutians, about 280 miles from Russia.
That’s as Russian aircraft and naval vessels have traveled near Alaska on multiple occasions in the past week.
The Alaska Beacon reports the deployment, which includes the 11th Airborne Division, is the first to Shemya for the Fort Wainwright-based soldiers since 2018.
And Alaska Beacon reporter James Brooks says it coincides with Russia and China conducting joint military exercises in the Sea of Japan.