US Troops Conclude Deployment to Alaska Island Amid Increased Russian Military Presence

The deployment involved 130 soldiers and coincided with Russian and Chinese military drills near Alaska.

About 130 U.S. soldiers from Alaska, Washington, and Hawaii were deployed to Shemya Island with mobile rocket launchers.
The deployment took place on September 12 and was part of a readiness exercise for real-world conditions.
Russian military activity included eight planes and four navy vessels, including two submarines, near Alaska but did not breach U.S. airspace.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tracked Russian military planes in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone over a four-day span.
The U.S. Coast Guard monitored four Russian naval vessels that crossed into U.S. waters to avoid sea ice, adhering to international rules.