This story originally ran in the May 2, 2003, issue of the News-Miner.
For the first time in Fairbanks, a Fort Wainwright squad displayed one of the new 19-ton Stryker vehicles, a symbol of post’s transformation from a traditional infantry brigade to a more mobile, versatile force.
With a Caterpillar diesel engine under the hood and a gleaming 50-caliber machine gun mounted on top, the roughly $2.1 million rig sat outside an officers’ training program Thursday on post.
“It’s a good vehicle, it’s going to work well for the Army,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Hattenhauer, one of the few soldiers in Alaska who has hands-on experience with the stout, eight-wheeled vehicle. Hattenhauer and his crew spent more than 100 hours learning the Stryker inside and out before putting the vehicle through a period of cold-weather testing.
Fort Wainwright’s role in the U.S. Army’s attempt to shift toward a faster, more lethal military began with the leadership training program. Roughly 200 commissioned and noncommissioned officers listened Thursday to how the post’s new role would affect them.
The training is called Snowhawk University and is geared to help officers prepare themselves and their soldiers for the upcoming changes.
Classes continue today with additional instruction Monday and Tuesday.
“It’s really so our leaders can learn about the transformation and the capability of the Stryker brigade and combat team,” said Col. Jim Palsha, commander of the 172nd Separate Infantry Brigade.
By the end of the changeover process in May 2005, nearly 300 Stryker vehicles are expected at Fort Wainwright and Fort Richardson in Anchorage, Palsha said.
“The Stryker brigade is being developed to fill a gap between our light forces — which are responsive and deployable but lack lethality and firepower — and our heavy forces, which are extremely lethal and survivable but take too long to deploy,” Palsha said.
Over the next two years, old vehicles no longer necessary for the new brigade will be turned in, incoming personnel will mix with soldiers already on the post and new training programs will start. The post’s transformation extends beyond the Stryker brigade to include upgrades and construction.
Although one of the three Stryker brigade battalions will be stationed at Fort Richardson in the short term, it eventually will move up to Fort Wainwright, said Maj. Dan Hunter, the transformation team’s public affairs officer.
“That’s upon completion of all the construction projects,” Hunter said.
The transformation is expected to bring about 900 additional soldiers to Fort Wainwright, said Linda Douglass, post public affairs officer.
Some of the construction to support those changes already is under way. “There is a great deal of construction going on, both in terms of housing and barracks and training facilities, deployment complexes, digital training facilities. We anticipate the amount of military construction that will take place over the next several years to be about $1.2 billion,” Palsha said.
The 172nd is the third brigade to begin the transformation to a Stryker unit. The first group, based out of Fort Lewis in Washington, is expected to be ready for worldwide deployment sometime this month.
The Stryker is designed to carry troops–nine soldiers, a driver and a tank commander–and there are 10 variations of the vehicle.
It also can be configured to focus on reconnaissance, medical evacuation, anti-tank firepower and other specialties.