I think it’s a recognition that the modular brigade system and it’s disassociated division base have fallen by the wayside. The pre- modular 25th had between two and three maneuver brigades in Hawaii with the third at Lewis in the mid-late 90s. The division was focused on a series of pacific contingencies; primarily Korea, but also exercising in Japan, Thailand, Phillipines, and Australia. Alaska had the 6th ID that morphed into the 172nd SIB with a primarily Alaska defense mission. Stryker, modularity, and GWOT saw the 172d go away (to Germany as a short lived reflag of a 1st AD brigade), the 1/25 at Lewis become independent of the 25th before moving to a Alaska as a reflag of the 172d, and 4/25 get stood up to take over the pacific contingency mission from the 25th. The 25th itself got a Stryker brigade (2/25) at schofield and a modular infantry brigade (3/25).
Since the army has moved back to fighting as divisions and corps, 25th has reformed 2/25 and 3/25 as infantry brigades and reestablished the division base as a controlling headquarters for them. It would make sense to do the same in Alaska to put a division headquarters over the two brigades there.
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