Section 1089 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2021 provides that the Secretary of Defense shall submit a plan to establish a DoD Regional Center for Security Studies for the Arctic, which may be called the “Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies.” Congress appropriated $10M to establish the center.

Section 1089 also provides that the Secretary of Defense may, not earlier than 30 days following the submittal of the attached plan, establish such a Center.

10 May 2021 – The Undersecretary of Defense for Policy approved the required report to Congress.

9 June 2021 – In accordance with the provisions of NDAA 2022, the Secretary of Defense announced the establishment of the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies (TSC or simply Stevens Center).

23 August 2021 – The first member appointed to the TSC was sworn in as the Senior Advisor for Arctic Security Affairs. That same person was publicly announced on 22 September 2021.

17 November 2021 – Anchorage Alaska was announced by the Office of the Secretary of Defense as the sole candidate city to host the TSC.

28 December 2021 – In accordance with the signing of National Defense Authorization Act 2022, the TSC was formally established as DoD’s 6th Regional Center in Sections 342 and 2611 of Chapter 16 (Security Cooperation), of Title 10, U.S. Code.

9 February 2022 – TSC’s Plans, Objectives and Milestones was approved by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs that includes reaching Initial Operating Capacity by 1 July 2022 and Full Operating Capacity by 1 July 2023.

17 March 2022 – TSC’s first official hosted forum was the inaugural hosting of the Executive Seminar of the Arctic Region Security Orientation Course (ARSOC-ES) at Headquarters, U.S. Strategic Command.

21-25 March 2022 – TSC’s first full course was ARSOC instructed via a virtual presentation. Through three full course offerings, by 1 July 2022, TSC had graduated approximately 225 course participants.

2-6 May 2022 – TSC’s first hosted conference was in partnership with Alaskan Command for the Arctic Symposium 2022.

1 July 2022 – TSC achieved Initial Operating Capacity.

11 August 2022 – TSC officially “opens for business”.