Former Walker Administration policy adviser Craig Fleener, who once ran for lieutenant governor as the running mate of Gov. Bill Walker, has been named chief of staff for Lt. Gen. David A. Krumm.
Krumm took the reins of Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, Alaskan Command, and Eleventh Air Force in April in a quiet, no-fanfare ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fleener started his military service as a U.S. Marine and worked his way through the officer ranks of the Alaska Air National Guard. He worked for the Department of Fish and Game under Gov. Sean Parnell.
Fleener had been chosen by Walker to run as his running mate in 2014 as independents. When it appeared that they would not succeed against incumbent Gov. Sean Parnell, Byron Mallott made a deal with Bill Walker — Mallott would run as Walker’s lieutenant governor and Fleener was offered a full four-year post in the Walker Administration in exchange for withdrawing from the ticket. The “Unity Ticket,” as it was called, went on to win over Parnell in the General Election.
For the Walker Administration, Fleener was the Arctic policy advisor and also became director of state and federal relations.
The Alaskan NORAD Region directs bilateral air operations with Canada within Alaska to ensure defense against hostile airborne threats. Alaskan Command integrates activities of more than 21,000 active duty, Guard and Reserve members from all military services in Alaska as a sub-unified command of U.S. Northern Command. Eleventh Air Force oversees the training and readiness of five Air Force wings and Air Force installations located in Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam.
