Some 1,000 new recruits chose Alaska as their first duty station as the Army scrambles to incentivize service in the inhospitable state by allowing new enlistees to pick where they are stationed, according to the commander of the 11th Airborne Division.
About 400 of those soldiers have already arrived in Alaska, where the Army is hoping to forge an elite volunteer force, and the remainder are on their way there after basic training, Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, whose division was recently reactivated in the state, told Military.com.
“The way I jumped into the Army is I wanted adventure and to do tough and challenging things. You aren't going to beat that here,” Eifler said. “There's a requirement of grit to serve here.”
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Alaska is viewed as one of the Army's most difficult duty assignments because the environment itself can be dangerous, with temperatures that can dip below -50 degrees Fahrenheit. That is on top of the generally harsh conditions soldiers in airborne or light infantry units must endure.
Eifler is quick to say the environment isn't for everyone.
Even seasoned noncommissioned officers from the lower 48 states can experience a steep learning curve when operating and surviving in the frigid environment. Because of that, some in Alaska, including Eifler, see that rough lifestyle as an opportunity to mold units there into…
