Military

10,000 U.S. allied servicemembers prepare for large training exercise

KUAC

Published February 6, 2026 at 2:15 PM AKST

Soldiers with the 11th Airbornes's 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment assess military vehicles loaded onto Alaska Railroad flatcars at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson that were transported last month to be used this year's Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center exercise. — Soldiers with the 11th Airbornes's 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment assess military vehicles loaded onto Alaska Railroad flatcars at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson. The rigs were transported last month in preparation for this year's Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center exercise.

JPRMC includes increased drone aircraft testing, training

The 11^th Airborne Division will begin a major training exercise Monday near Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base.

The Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center, or JPMRC, will be conducted through Feb. 26, mainly around the Yukon Training Area east of Eielson.

11^th Airborne officials say this year’s exercise won’t involve much activity on other training areas around Fort Greely.

Soldiers with the 200th Military Police Command practice and perform military police duties during last year's JPMRC in the Donnelly Training Area south of Fort Greely.

That’s what Lt. Col. Alissa Clark, Fort Greely’s garrison commander, told the Delta Junction City Council in Tuesday’s meeting.

“A couple years ago we had a really big group of soldiers that came down here and exercised,” Clark said. “It's not going to be that way this time. We will have a very small footprint, potentially some Marines as well as some 11^th Airborne individuals.”

An 11^th Airborne spokesperson said Friday that the division has transported military vehicles up the Parks Highway from JBER to the Fort Wainwright area. Most of those vehicles were delivered on Alaska Railroad flatcars.

Division officials expect more vehicles will be coming up the highway through the weekend, the spokesperson said.

An 11^th Airborne news release says the exercise is intended to test the readiness of 11^th Airborne soldiers to deploy quickly and conduct large-scale combat operations in cold weather alongside other U.S. and allied military units.

The spokesperson said about 10,000 servicemembers in the exercise, including some who are working in support roles.

Multinational partners and allies participating in JPMRC include servicemembers from Canada, Sweden, Norway, and Italy. Some will be participating, and some will be observing, the spokesperson said.

This year’s exercise also will include greater use of drone aircraft, according to an 11^th Airborne informational video – which is AI-generated. It said “Testing will focus on evaluating system performance in sub-freezing temperatures, preserving battery life and ensuring visibility in no- or low-light conditions.”

According to the video, the exercise is part of an initiative to adapt drone technology for warfare in the Arctic and other extreme climates.
It said the 11^th Airborne has established new drone-manufacturing and training programs at Fort Wainwright and Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson.

Editor's note: This story has been updated.