Operation Colony Glacier 2023

Operation Colony Glacier 2023

Members of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, gather during Operation Colony Glacier at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska June 21, 2023. The soldiers serve as part of a recovery team searching for remains, personal effects and aircraft wreckage from a C-124 Globemaster crash in 1952 on Colony Glacier. The effort includes military members and civilians from around the country, with Alaskan Command serving as the lead support agency. This mission highlights a national commitment to never leave a service member behind. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew J. Alvarado)

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Operation Colony Glacier 2023

U.S. Army Sgt. Nathan Long, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, Glacier Mountaineering Team radiotelephone operator, stands for a portrait during Operation Colony Glacier at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska June 21, 2023. Long serves as part of a recovery team searching for remains, personal effects and aircraft wreckage from a C-124 Globemaster crash in 1952 on Colony Glacier. The effort includes military members and civilians from around the country with Alaskan Command as the lead support agency. Long uses military communication equipment to connect the recovery team with aircrew and the weather camp, updating them on any operational changes to the recovery window. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew J. Alvarado)

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Operation Colony Glacier 2023

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Earl, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, Glacier Mountaineering Team lead mountaineer, stands for a portrait during Operation Colony Glacier at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska June 21, 2023. Earl serves as part of a recovery team searching for remains, personal effects and aircraft wreckage from a C-124 Globemaster crash in 1952 on Colony Glacier. Earl uses his advanced mountaineering experience to build rope systems for safe and efficient movement over challenging glacier terrain. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Andrew J. Alvarado)

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Operation Colony Glacier 2023

U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Powell, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, Glacier Mountaineering Team medic, stands for a portrait during Operation Colony Glacier at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska June 21, 2023. Powell serves as part of a recovery team searching for remains, personal effects and aircraft wreckage from a C-124 Globemaster crash in 1952 on Colony Glacier. The effort includes military members and civilians from around the country with Alaskan Command as the lead support agency. Powell ensures the health and welfare of individuals during their time on the glacier. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Andrew J. Alvarado)

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Operation Colony Glacier 2023

U.S. Army Sgt. Nathaniel Smith, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, Glacier Mountaineering Team advanced military mountaineer, stands for a portrait during Operation Colony Glacier at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska June 21, 2023. Smith serves as part of a recovery team searching for remains, personal effects and aircraft wreckage from a C-124 Globemaster crash in 1952 on Colony Glacier. The effort includes military members and civilians from around the country with Alaskan Command serving as the lead support agency. Smith’s daily tasks include ensuring safe movement for regular travel and the employment of rope systems which enable exploration of deep cracks in the glacier or shaft-like holes found during recovery operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew J. Alvarado)

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Operation Colony Glacier 2023

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Wand, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, Glacier Mountaineering Team non-commissioned officer in charge and pathfinder, stands for a portrait during Operation Colony Glacier at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska June 21, 2023. Wand serves as part of a recovery team searching for remains, personal effects and aircraft wreckage from a C-124 Globemaster crash in 1952 on Colony Glacier. The effort includes military members and civilians from around the country with Alaskan Command as the lead support agency. Wand’s duties include planning for adequate supplies, planning air movement and setting up for helicopter landing zones during recovery operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew J. Alvarado)

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Operation Colony Glacier 2023

Sgt. First Class Earnie Williams, Armed Forces Medical Examiner System morgue supervisor, stands for a portrait during Operation Colony Glacier at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska June 21, 2023. Williams assists in processing portions and remains found during the Operation Colony Glacier search and recovery operations, with the goal of providing a degree of comfort and closure for the loved ones of service members through positive identification. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew J. Alvarado)

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Operation Colony Glacier 2023

U.S. Air Force Capt. Jessica Vander Molen, 673rd Force Support Squadron Glacier Mountaineering Team member, stands for a portrait during Operation Colony Glacier at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska June 21, 2023. Vander Molen serves as part of a recovery team searching for remains, personal effects and aircraft wreckage from a C-124 Globemaster crash in 1952 on Colony Glacier. She also ensures the recovery team remains equipped with emergency food and water rations on the glacier. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew J. Alvarado)

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Operation Colony Glacier 2023

Mable Justice, Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations mortuary affairs specialist, stands for a portrait during Operation Colony Glacier at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska June 21, 2023. Justice aids the search and recovery mission and transports remains to a local morgue for processing and the eventual return of remains from Colony Glacier to the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System at Dover Air Force Base, with the goal of providing a degree of comfort and closure for the loved ones of service members through positive identification. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew J. Alvarado)

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