By Michael Tolzmann

Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska

When the daughter of a Cape Elizabeth couple steps outside, inhaling crisp air on a base surrounded by mountains and pristine wilderness in America’s “last frontier,” she is far more likely to run into a bear or moose than an enemy of the United States. 

But Air Force Senior Airman Joy Y. Higgins, daughter of Dr. George and Cheryl Higgins of Cape Elizabeth, and the rest of her colleagues, are strategically as close to North Korea as they are to Washington D.C.  Higgins recently participated in a massive American military exercise called “Northern Edge,” where more than 9,000 U.S. service members sharpened their skills for responding to crises throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

 Higgins is a weapons load crew member with the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.  

“I load training and live munitions for the F-15C aircraft, and I perform daily maintenance on the aircraft as well.  Electrical and mechanical knowledge and repair of this aircraft’s weapons system is the majority of what I do,” said Higgins, a 2003 graduate of Elán School in Poland.

Military maneuvers over the Gulf of Alaska and areas of the Alaskan wilderness, in an area the size of New Mexico, allow aircraft to conduct maneuvers in ways that cannot be done anywhere else. 

  Air Force, Navy, Army, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel participated with aircraft flying in simulated air combat, many times flying in excess of the speed of sound, restricted nearly everywhere else in the United States. Naval warships and land-based forces also synchronized with aircraft in creating a large combined force.

 For Higgins, this important exercise provides an opportunity for her unit to better itself in combat situations and in working with other American military services.

“I get to load explosives on a supersonic aircraft. Alaska is a fantastic state. One of the major perks of the military is traveling. I would never have traveled to Alaska if I were not in the U.S. Air Force,” Higgins said.

 With Alaska situated between Russia and Canada, and within a good part of the Arctic Circle, the region provides a unique setting for both professional and personal experiences. 

 “In order for the U.S. Air Force to operate, you must have two basic functions - air power and ground support. Without munitions, our jets are just airplanes in the sky. Without weapons load crews, our pilots have no mission,” Higgins said.

Higgins’ personal military background illustrates why her experience is ideal for military operations in Alaska, such as this one.

“I joined the Air Force in 2005. I was previously stationed in Mountain Home, Idaho, and in 2007-2008, I was deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. I plan to excel in my job and deploy many more times in my career,” Higgins said.

With the sounds of jet aircraft screaming overhead, wildlife such as moose and bears are undeterred from randomly appearing at this frontier base. But with vigilance found by service members serving in this geographically important location, their efforts will help keep the region’s greater threats at bay.