JANUARY 22, 2026 – Alaska Army National Guard members assigned to the 207th Aviation Troop Command medically evacuated an individual Jan. 21 in Southwest Alaska.
In response to a request for assistance from Kanakanak Hospital medical staff, the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center opened a medevac mission for an individual experiencing a medical emergency.
Because of daylight restrictions, local civilian air ambulance services were unable to conduct the mission.
The Alaska Army National Guard accepted the mission and dispatched a Bethel-based UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter.
Using night-vision goggles, Alaska Army National Guard Black Hawk aviators Chief Warrant Officer 3s Bryan Kruse, Colten Bell and Nick Lime, with Bethel Fire Department medics Kelly Parker and Lauren Konig aboard, flew about 180 miles southeast to New Stuyahok.
The Black Hawk crew arrived on the scene and loaded the patient for transport to Dillingham, about 50 miles southwest. Parker and Konig rendered medical aid to keep the patient stable en route.
Upon arrival in Dillingham, the patient was transported to Kanakanak Hospital and released to the staff.
The effort continued the Alaska Army National Guard’s ongoing relationship with Western Alaska communities.
The Alaska Army National Guard frequently supports emergency response operations across the state in partnership with the Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Rescue Coordination Center and local agencies.
The Bethel-based Black Hawk crew is not a designated rescue asset with hoist capabilities or paramedic teams. Despite that, the crew is crucial for supplementing traditional emergency services that are often unavailable in Western Alaska, a region where no roads connect rural communities.
By Alejandro Pena
Alaska National Guard