For the first time since World War II, Alaska's National Guard troops from remote Native villages are being called up for duty.

In the Yupik Eskimo village of Kongiganak, with just 386 people, six men are headed to Iraq. "When I signed up, I never thought I would go to war; I mean, you never really think of Alaska being at war with anybody," Harold Azean, 23, told The Los Angeles Times.

The Eskimo troops say their subsistence lifestyle and cultural practices will be an asset on the training ground. But the drastic change in environment, the long distance from home and the loss of men in small villages are causing family and friends to worry.

Get the Story:
Eskimo Troops Brace for Iraq (The Los Angeles Times 6/5)
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