Hegseth fields questions about Alaska, Arctic defense amid Senate confirmation hearing

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - President-Elect Donald Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, fielded questions from U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, about Alaska and arctic defense in the first Senate confirmation hearing for Trump’s incoming cabinet.

Hegseth, a combat veteran and former Fox News Host, appeared before the Armed Services Committee Tuesday morning for several hours, answering questions from committee members, including Sullivan.

Sullivan referenced the late U.S. Army Officer Billy Mitchell when he said he was about to ask Hegseth ‘the most important question you will receive all day.’

“In 1935 before the congress, the father of the United States Air Force, General Billy Mitchell was testifying about a certain place in the world he said, quote, ‘I believe that in the future, whoever holds this place will control the world. This location is the most strategic place in the world.’ What place was Billy Mitchell talking about,” Sullivan asked. “And let me give you a hint—it wasn’t Greenland.”

Hegseth laughed when he replied, “I believe he was talking about the great state of Alaska.”

During the questioning, Sullivan emphasized the importance of Alaska’s role in Arctic defense when questioning Hegseth. Hegseth mentioned a ‘brief training exercise’ he completed at Fort Wainwright during his past military service, saying, “I look forward to returning.”

Sullivan, also touching on the recent increasing Russian and Chinese activity near Alaska, asked Hegseth if he would agree to commit military assets and infrastructure investments in Alaska.

“If confirmed, Senator, it would be a pleasure to work alongside you and this entire committee to recognize a very real threat in the Indo-Pacific, the very real ways—even these past couple of weeks, Russia has attempted to probe and push in and around Alaska,” Hegseth said.

“And also the very real strategic significance of Alaska vis-a-vis these shipping lanes through the Arctic. There are many, many ways in which Alaska is strategically significant, and with a shift toward—a necessary shift—toward INDOPACOM, Alaska, by necessity will play an important role in that.”

Alaska’s News Source has reached out to Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, for her thoughts on Tuesday’s hearing. We will update this story when we have her comments.

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