Lt. Col. Steve Carroll, 49th Missile Defense Battalion commander, thanks Mike Shuster, National Public Radio, on July 2 for his coverage of missile defense in his internationally broadcast radio show.  (Photo by Sgt. Jack W. Carlson III, Unit Reporter, 49th Missile Defense Bn.)

A Soldier from the GBI Security Company, 49th Missile Defense Battalion, assists a contract security guard in a personnel search on July 22. (Photo by Sgt. Jack W. Carlson III, Unit Reporter, 49th Missile Defense Bn.)

More than 200 Soldiers from all over the country participated in a recent two-week Air Assault Course at Fort Richardson, Alaska; the 49th Missile Defense Battalion had 10 Soldiers attend. Here they wait to hook up their sling load as a Blackhawk approaches. (Photo by Sgt. Jack W. Carlson III, Unit Reporter, 49th Missile Defense Bn.)

Lt. Col. Hunt Kerrigan, Alaska Army National Guardsman, entertains children on July 9 at the Child Development Center during a recent distinguished visitor tour to Fort Greely. (Photo by Sgt. Jack W. Carlson III, Unit Reporter, 49th Missile Defense Bn.)

Stanislaw Komorowski, Polish Undersecretary of State, watches as Soldiers of the 49th Missile Defense Battalion fire direction crew run through an engagement scenario of the ground based midcourse defense system on July 2. (Photo by Sgt. Jack W. Carlson III, Unit Reporter, 49th Missile Defense Bn.)

A ground based interceptor is transported on a strong-back truck on the Missile Defense Complex at Fort Greely, Alaska. (Photo by Sgt. Jack W. Carlson III, Unit Reporter, 49th Missile Defense Bn.)