Army Bases In Alaska

General: Strong military presence in Alaska will continue

The United States military is likely to remain a solid part of the state's economic and social fabric for the foreseeable future.

Given the geographic advantage for quick deployment to world hot spots, ample space for training and the substantial defense-related infrastructure built here, Alaska's bases seem on solid footing.

That's the message Maj. General Raymond Palumbo, the U.S. Army's top commander in Alaska, gave Anchorage business leaders in a briefing May 16.

Meanwhile, Army units stationed at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks and Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Anchorage are in the thick of it in Afghanistan with seemingly revolving-door deployments.

The 1st Stryker Brigade based at Fort Wainwright is in Afghanistan now. The army aviation brigade, also at Fort Wainwright, heads to Afghanistan in July, with some of the brigade's Chinook helicopter units having just returned from Pakistan in December, where they were deployed on a humanitarian mission.

The official orders aren't out yet, but the 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team based at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson is headed to Afghanistan later this year.

Army engineers in the 3rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, based mainly at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson but with some elements at Fort Wainwright, have also seen their share of overseas action.

This has been a big strain on military families, and having strong community support for families dealing with frequent and extended deployments is extremely important in maintaining morale, Palumbo said in a talk to the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce.

The military is now a big part of Anchorage's economy, the general told the chamber.

The Anchorage military population including Army and Air Force now totals more than 32,500, with more than 12,000 uniformed personnel, 2,950 civilian workers and 17,500 family members, he said.

More than half of military families in the Anchorage area live off base, many in the Eagle River area north of the city.

The Army presence has more than doubled since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, from 2,054 uniformed Army at Fort Richardson then to 5,376 now stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson.

A buildup also occurred at Fort Wainwright, where there were 4,000 soldiers in 2001 and now 7,000.

In Fairbanks the local military population, counting only Army-related troops, civilian workers and families, totals about 16,900. Personnel and families at Eielson Air Force Base east of Fairbanks are not included in that number.

Visiting Alaska? 22 Fun Facts You Might Want to Know

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1.   Rising to 20,320 feet, Mt. McKinley is the highest peak in the United States.  Locally, it is known as Denali, which means “Great One” in Athabascan, the native language.   

2.   Alaska is home to 17 of the tallest 20 mountains in the U.S.     

3.   When the sun rises in Barrow, Alaska on May 10, it does not set until August 2, providing 84 days of continuous sunlight.  Conversely, when the sun sets in Barrow on November 18 easternmost state.  While most Americans ready identify Alaska as the most northern and western state, it also contains the U.S.’s easternmost point by longitude.     

5.   Pochnoi Point, Semisopochnoi Island – at the end of Alaska’s Aleutian Island chain — stretches across the 180º line of Longitude into the Eastern Hemisphere, making it the easternmost point in the U.S.   

6.   Kodiak is Alaska’s largest island and home to the world’s largest bear species — Kodiak brown bears — the only scientifically recognized subspecies of brown bear.     

7.   In 1867 William Seward helped the United States negotiate the purchase of Alaska from Russia for 2 cents per acre.  Many Americans scorned this acquisition and called it “Seward’s Folly.”   

8.   The world’s greatest concentration of American bald eagles is found near Haines, Alaska.   

9.   Haines is home of the unique Hammer Museum , showcasing more than 1,500 hammers.    

10.