Kodiak residents may notice more military activity in the air, on land and at sea this week as the U.S. military conducts its annual joint training exercise known as Arctic Edge. Various locations in Alaska and Greenland are involved, including on Kodiak Island where training began Tuesday and continues through Saturday, Feb. 28.
A spokesperson for U.S. Special Operations Command, Bridget Donovan, said via email that 82 Coast Guard members, mostly based on island, are participating in the Kodiak training.
Some of the training scenarios involve cruise missile defense, protecting critical infrastructure, and countering small unmanned aerial threats like drones. Kodiak residents may notice increased noise around the training ranges and near local military installations this week.
The military said in a press release that its Arctic Edge operations will, “respect the safety of personnel and wildlife in the area,” and that it will not restrict access to public use areas during this exercise. All training occurs at designated sites, which are coordinated with local authorities, and no live fire or live demolitions will be used according to the U.S. Special Operations Command.
The overall Arctic Edge training will involve the Coast Guard, forces from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the Navy and other interagency partners. Donovan said a total of 1,200 people are expected to participate.
Arctic Edge 2026 also includes military forces in Greenland from Denmark and Canada training together on Arctic survival and mobility.
Joint training exercises will also take place in Valdez through March 13. Other communities around Alaska where training may be visible include Anchorage, Fairbanks and Kotzebue.
The timing of this military exercise is not necessarily ideal for Coast Guard members, as the agency is still operating during a federal funding lapse for the Department of Homeland Security. The Coast Guard is the only military branch funded through that department.
That means service members are still working but are expected to miss out on paychecks as the partial government shutdown approaches the two-week mark. Many non-essential Coat Guard operations and support functions are paused until funding is restored according to the agency’s website.
