U.S. Army's Arctic division gets its own supply brigade

The U.S. Army has activated a new sustainment brigade for the 11th Airborne Division in Alaska, giving the Arctic-focused division its own formation to keep troops supplied and supported in some of the harshest conditions the U.S. military operates in. The 11th Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade (Arctic) uncased its colors on Oct. 16, 2026, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage, the division said. The ceremony also stood up the brigade’s subordinate battalions and companies: the 106th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion was reactivated, the 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion was renamed the 17th Division Sustainment Support Battalion, and a new 11th Airborne Division Sustainment Troops Battalion was activated. “Today’s uncasing ceremony represents much more than the unfurling of our unit colors,” said Col. George Plys, the brigade’s commander. “It symbolizes the beginning of a new chapter, the commitment to a mission, and the readiness of our Soldiers to answer the call wherever and whenever our nation needs them.” A division sustainment brigade handles the logistics that keep combat units moving, including fuel, ammunition, food, maintenance and transportation. In Alaska, where winter temperatures can fall far below freezing and distances between bases are vast, that support is central to whether troops can operate for long periods at all. The U.S. Army reactivated the 11th Airborne Division in 2022, replacing the U.S. Army Alaska headquarters, and the division describes itself as both the youngest division in the active force and the fastest growing among comparable units. Until now, its main combat power has rested on two infantry brigade combat teams, one based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and one at Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks. “Our ability to endure and sustain ourselves in the crucible of large-scale combat operations is impossible without the formations you see in front of you today,” said Maj. Gen. John Cogbill, the division’s commanding general. The activation follows the U.S. Army’s release of new foundational doctrine, titled “How the Army Fights,” which names endurance as one of four linked operational elements alongside convergence, strike and close battle. Plys said the brigade’s two main battalions do different but connected jobs, with the 17th sustaining the force and the 106th giving commanders intelligence and electronic warfare capabilities to understand the battlefield. “While these two battalions have distinct missions, both are essential to our Army’s ability to fight and win,” said Plys. “One sustains the force; the other provides the intelligence and electronic warfare capabilities that help commanders understand the battlefield and make informed decisions.”