An opening objective shared by the Dean of the school, Matthew Bell, to the participants reflected on the loss of Arctic exceptionalism, “Not only do we expect you to survive and thrive in the Arctic, but to adequately adapt to the complex environment to defeat the enemy effectively and efficiently, when called upon to do so.”
The Arctic grows in importance with each passing day. It is essential to recognize the strategic significance of the Arctic and the proactive measures required to understand, defend, and assert our interests in this vital region. In its pursuit of a robust national strategy for the Arctic, we hear many notable quotes about the critical importance of the Arctic. Deputy Fleener’s closing comments for the course highlighted one of his favorites, often repeated by Senator Dan Sullivan is that “Alaska is the most strategic place in the world!”
The Arctic is not just a distant frontier, at least not for many of us…it is our home. And, for the United States and its Arctic allies, it is a region of strategic importance that demands our collective attention and action. Our next ARSOC is scheduled for April 21-25, visit the TSC website to register for this upcoming course.