The Alaskan portion of the large-scale Ardent Sentry/Northern Edge 2007 exercise currently running in several states comprised a mass casualty event bringing together civilian first responders and Air Force and Army emergency response specialists and “victims.” A US Northern Command release states that some 5,000 personnel participated in the event at the North Pole (Alaska) Refinery Complex. Government and civic leaders watched the action.
Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost—a trailblazer and one of the first 10 women to reach a four-star rank across the U.S. military—retired and passed control of U.S. Transportation Command to Air Force Gen. Randall Reed on Oct. 4, finishing an eventful tenure at TRANSCOM.