WHAT ARE THE MILITARY BASES IN ALASKA?
Soon after the USA completed its purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, the US Army took possession of the new US territory and began establishing garrisons. These activities continued through World War II, actions that significantly increased the territory’s strategic importance. This led to the construction of major bases and the Alaska-Canada (ALCAN) Highway that connected the territory by land to the “Lower 48.”
Following WWII and the emergence of political tension between the USA and its Cold War nemesis, the Soviet Union, Alaska’s role as a critical defense position expanded dramatically. This included the establishment of two large military installations near Anchorage in Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Field.
Soon after, the construction of more bases and airstrips in the Aleutian Islands was accompanied by the setup of more than a dozen early warning radar sites across Alaska and the ongoing strategic importance of arctic and cold-region warfare training.
The military continues to play a significant role in Alaska, maintaining strategic defense capabilities and focusing on cold-weather and arctic warfare training.
In this article, we’ll look at the six major military installations in Alaska.
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER)
Located in Anchorage, JBER is the largest military installation in Alaska, formed by the merger of Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson US Army Base in 2010. JBER’s mission is to support and defend US interests in the Asia Pacific region and around the world by providing units that are ready for worldwide air power projection and a base that is capable of meeting USINDOPACOM's theater staging and throughput requirements.
It is the home of the Headquarters, Alaskan Command (ALCOM), Alaskan NORAD Region (ANR), Joint Task Force-Alaska (JTF-AK), the 11th Airborne Division, Eleventh Air Force, the 673d Air Base Wing, the 3rd Wing, the 176th Wing, and other tenant units.
JBER is home to the USAF’s 3rd Wing, tasked to support and defend US interests in the Asia Pacific region and around the world by providing units that are ready for worldwide air power projection and a base that is capable of meeting United States Pacific Command's theater staging and throughput requirements.
The Wing is composed of two groups, each with specific functions. The Operations Group controls all flying and airfield operations. The Maintenance Group performs aircraft and aircraft support equipment maintenance. The wing’s units include:
- 3rd Operations Group
- 3rd Operations Support Squadron
- 90th Fighter Squadron (F-22A fighter aircraft)
- 517th Airlift Squadron (C-12 and C-17 transport aircraft)
- 525th Fighter Squadron (F-22A fighter aircraft)
- 962nd Airborne Air Control Squadron (E-3 Battle Management and Command and Control aircraft)
- 3rd Maintenance Group
The 11th Airborne Division is a United States Army light infantry and airborne division headquartered at JBER, nicknamed the "Arctic Angels." Originally activated in 1943 for WWII, it was deactivated in 1965 but was reactivated in 2022 to serve as the Army's primary Arctic and Indo-Pacific response force.
It operates from its home stations at Fort Wainwright and JBER. The 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division is an airborne infantry brigade combat team (BCT) that is home-stationed at JBER and is the only airborne brigade combat team in the Pacific Theater. It is also the newest airborne brigade combat team and one of only six in the United States Army.
The population of JBER is approximately 32,000 people, which includes active-duty military, families, and civilian contractors. JBER also provides medical care to a large population of service members, families, and retirees in Alaska.
Fort Wainwright
Fort Wainwright is a US Army installation in Fairbanks, almost in the center of Alaska. The installation is managed by the US Army Garrison Alaska (USAG Alaska), and the senior command is the 11th Airborne Division located at JBER.
Fort Wainwright was formerly known as Ladd Field from 1939 to 1945 and Ladd Air Force Base from 1947 to 1961. The installation was renamed Fort Wainwright in honor of General Jonathan M. Wainwright, a Medal of Honor recipient for his courageous leadership as commander of US forces during the fall of the Philippines in World War II.
With over 1.6 million acres of land spanning across the Fairbanks North Star Borough and Southeast Fairbanks, Fort Wainwright is the largest US military installation by area outside the contiguous United States.
Fort Wainwright is located in Interior Alaska, between the Alaska Range in the south and the Brooks Range in the north. To the west of Fort Wainwright is the City of Fairbanks, and to the southeast is the City of North Pole. Fort Wainwright resides on both sides of the Chena River, a 100-mile tributary of the Tanana River.
Units assigned to Fort Wainwright include:
- 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division “Arctic Wolves”
- 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment “Bobcats”
- 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment “Blockhouse”
- 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment “Black Hawks”
- 2d Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment “Automatic 8th”
- 70th Brigade Engineer Battalion “Kodiaks”
- 25th Brigade Support Battalion “Opahey”
- 65th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company “Dreadnought” (Higher HQ is in Hawaii)
- 1st Battalion, 52d Aviation Regiment, 16th Aviation Brigade
- 1st Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Aviation Brigade
- 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion
- 402d Army Field Support Battalion – Logistic Readiness Center
- Northern Warfare Training Center
The total population, to include the workforce on Fort Wainwright, is approximately 15,000 personnel. There are roughly 6,500 military members, 5,700 military dependents, 1,250 civilian employees, and over 400 contractors.
Eielson Air Force Base
Eielson Air Force Base is a USAF base located approximately 26 miles southeast of Fairbanks. It was established in 1943 as Mile 26 Satellite Field and was redesignated Eielson Air Force Base on 13 January 1948. Eielson AFB was named in honor of polar pilot Carl Ben Eielson.
The 354th Fighter Wing (354 FW) serves as the host unit at Eielson AFB. The wing’s primary mission is to support RED FLAG-Alaska, a series of Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) commander–directed live flying exercises for US Forces in joint offensive counter-air, interdiction, close-air support, and large force employment training in a simulated combat environment. These exercises are conducted on the Joint Pacific Alaskan Range Complex (JPARC), with air operations flown out of Eielson AFB and JBER.
The 354 FW possesses 54 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft. The first two aircraft arrived on 21 April 2020, and the last aircraft arrived in April 2022. The permanent deployment of the F-35 aircraft to the base increased the number of military personnel at Eielson AFB by 50%.
Eielson AFB has a total military population of around 3,900 personnel. The "Icemen" are known for their resilience in the region's cold climate, with a wing motto of "Ready to go at fifty below!"
Fort Greely
Fort Greely is a United States Army launch site for anti-ballistic missiles located about 100 miles southeast of Fairbanks. It is also the home of the Arctic Regions Test Center (ARTC), as Fort Greely is one of the coldest areas in Alaska and can accommodate cold, extreme-cold, and temperate-weather tests depending on the season. It is named in honor of Major General Adolphus Greely, a US Army officer and famous polar explorer.
Following the U.S. withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, Fort Greely was chosen as a site for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system. Work on the missile defense installation began in the summer of 2002, with 40 new missile silos constructed by 2013.
The GMD system is the United States' anti-ballistic missile defense against ballistic missiles during the midcourse phase of their flight. It is a vital part of the American missile defense strategy designed to intercept various ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), which may carry nuclear, chemical, biological, or conventional warheads.
Concurrent with the installation work, the Missile Defense Command assumed authority over Fort Greely, taking it out of direct Army control, though the Army maintained command of the nearby Donnelly Training Area.
Fort Greely's military population is a mix of active-duty military personnel and Alaska Air National Guardsmen, supported by a larger civilian workforce. It has a total population of 407 full-time military personnel, with an additional 325 reserve component members.
Clear Space Force Station
Clear Space Force Station (SFS) is a United States Space Force (USSF) radar station tasked to detect incoming ICBMs and submarine-launched ballistic missiles in support of NORAD’s mission and to provide Space Surveillance data to the USSF. The base is located about 60 miles southwest of Fairbanks.
The history and mission of the base began in 1958 when the USAF acquired the site to set up a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System and became fully operational in November of 1961 as the second detachment of the 71st Missile Warning Wing.
The detachment became the 13th Missile Warning Squadron in January 1967. The unit was re-designated as the 13th Space Warning Squadron and reassigned under the 21st Space Wing at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. Today, Clear SFS serves as home to USAF and USSF personnel assigned to the 13th and 213th Space Warning Squadrons, providing 24/7 missile warning, missile defense, and space domain awareness.
The station’s upgraded early warning radar is part of the Solid State Phased Array Radar System (SSPARS), which also includes those at Beale AFB, Cape Cod Space Force Station, RAF Fylingdales, UK, and Thule Site J, Greenland.
The population at Clear SFS is approximately 350 personnel, consisting of active duty USAF, USSF, Alaska Air National Guard, Department of Defense civilians, and contractors.
Eareckson Air Station
Eareckson Air Station, formerly Shemya AFB, is a USAF military airport located on the island of Shemya, in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands. Eareckson Air Station is located on the western tip of the Aleutian Islands near the larger island of Attu, lying approximately 1,500 miles southwest of Anchorage. The airport lies on the south side of the 2-mile by 4-mile island and is 98 feet above mean sea level.
The airport was closed as an active Air Force Station in July 1994. However, it is still owned by the USAF and is operated by the USAF Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center at Elmendorf AFB for refueling purposes. It also serves as a diversion airport for civilian aircraft.
The base previously hosted the AN/FPS-17 and AN/FPS-80 radars, and since 1977, the more powerful AN/FPS-108 COBRA DANE phased-array radar. The Cobra Dane radar is a large, ground-based phased-array radar originally built during the Cold War for intelligence gathering on foreign ballistic missile tests. It has since been upgraded to also perform missile defense and space surveillance missions, including tracking satellites and debris. Its current primary missions include supporting U.S. Strategic Command, the Ballistic Missile Defense System, and space situational awareness.
Eareckson Air Station currently supports a small, rotating population of military personnel, with about 130 soldiers recently deployed there in response to geopolitical events. The base's permanent staff is approximately 160 contractor personnel, but its military and civilian population can fluctuate seasonally. There is no large, permanent military presence on Eareckson Air Station.
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