Army starts recruiting campaign to bring soldiers to Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Army has launched a new recruiting campaign that targets prospective soldiers who want to live and work in Alaska.

Previously, soldiers could only request assignment to Alaska after completing basic training, KTUU-TV reported Sunday.

Now, they can ask recruiters to be sent to the state.

Alaska provides some of the harshest winter U.S. military training regimens, the television station reported.

“That’s good for us because we’re trying to build soldiers that have some of these skills,” said Major General Peter Andrysiak. “That’s a key component of what we’re doing. They’re more apt to thrive.”

The Army is researching other ways to provide incentives for prospective soldiers who would move to Alaska, Andrysiak said.

“If we’re going to ask soldiers and families to live here and endure some of the challenging winters, we’re looking at opportunities for how to improve that,” Andrysiak said.