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| Alaskan Command | |
|---|---|
 Alaskan Command shield | |
| Active | 15 November 1942 – present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch | Joint |
| Type | Subordinate Unified command |
| Role | Defense of Alaska |
| Part of | United States Northern Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson |
| Motto | Guardians of the North |
| Mascot | "Binky" the Polar Bear |
| Anniversaries | Organization Day, 14 July |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Lt GenRobert D. Davis,USAF |
| Deputy Commander | BGenJoseph E. Hilbert,RCAF |
| Command Senior Enlisted Leader | CMSgtHeath T. Tempel,USAF |
| Insignia | |
| Alaska Command–Army ElementShoulder Sleeve Insignia |  |
TheAlaskan Command (ALCOM) is a joint subordinate unified command of theUnited States Northern Command, responsible for operations in and around theState of Alaska.[1] Alaskan Command is charged with maintaining air sovereignty, deploying forces for worldwide contingencies as directed by the Commander, U.S. Northern Command, providing support to federal and state authorities during civil emergencies and conducting joint training for the rapid deployment of combat forces. ALCOM combined forces include more than 16,000Air Force,Army,Navy andCoast Guard personnel, and 3,700guardsmen and reservists. Recently, the Command Representative for Missile Defense position was created to be the focal point for all issues related toGround-Based Midcourse Defense in Alaska, in support of Alaskan Command, theAlaska NORAD Region, and theEleventh Air Force.
ALCOM is headquartered atJoint Base Elmendorf–Richardson nearAnchorage. The command is made up of the following military forces:
ALCOM also conducts close cooperation and training with the Joint Forces Headquarters,Alaska National Guard, headquartered at Camp Denali, part ofJoint Base Elmendorf-Richardson nearAnchorage.
ALCOM was established 1 January 1947, as a unified command reporting to theChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[2] The command was founded based on lessons learned duringWorld War II, when a lack of unity of command hampered operations to drive the Japanese from the westernAleutian Islands ofAttu andKiska in theAleutian Islands campaign.
ALCOM was charged with the defense of Alaska and its surrounding waters, and to furnish humanitarian support during disasters, such as the1964 Alaska earthquake. TheAlaskan Air Command,United States Army Alaska and the Navy's Alaskan Sea Frontier were the three original ALCOM service components.
The Alaskan Sea Frontier was inactivated in 1971 as part of post-Vietnam War military reductions by PresidentGerald R. Ford and Secretary of DefenseJames R. Schlesinger.[3][2] Responsibility for the defense of the Aleutian Islands was transferred toU.S. Pacific Command, again creating a lack of unity of command for Alaskan defense. U.S. Army Alaska was inactivated in 1974, and ALCOM followed suit in 1975.
Joint Task Force-Alaska was created[when?] to replace ALCOM. It was a provisional organization activated in the event of war or disasters by theChairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The problem of disjointed command was corrected on 1 October 1989 when a re-activated "Alaskan Command", a subordinate unified command ofU.S. Pacific Command, took charge of the defense of Alaska and control of all units stationed there.[4] This new command recognized Alaska's important role in the Pacific by putting all military forces in the state of Alaska and under the leadership of one commander.
2014,In a move to streamline command and control of forces in Alaska and integrate forces in defense of North America, Secretary of DefenseChuck Hagel approved the transfer of ALCOM to USNORTHCOM on 1 October 2014.
TheEleventh Air Force provides forces to maintainair superiority inAlaska and support Alaska-based ground forces, and combat-ready air forces for employment by unified commanders to preserve the national sovereignty of the United States and defend U.S. interests overseas. The largest subordinate units in the Eleventh Air Force are the3rd Wing at Elmendorf and the354th Fighter Wing atEielson Air Force Base, nearFairbanks.
The 3d Wing providesair defense and air superiority in Alaska, and supportsPacific Air Forces during contingencies in theU.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility. The 3rd Wing is equipped with theF-22 Raptor air superiority fighter. The wing's Raptor fighters stand active air defense alert 24-hours-a-day, year-round in support of theNorth American Aerospace Defense mission. The354th Fighter Wing uses theF-16 Fighting Falcon to provide close air support and battlefield air interdiction requirements of the 11th Airborne Division andPacific Air Forces mobility commitments.
Military airlift inAlaska is provided by the 3rd Wing's517th Airlift Squadron at Elmendorf withC-17 Globemaster III andC-12 aircraft. The962d Airborne Air Control Squadron flies theE-3 Sentry, which can direct friendly fighter aircraft to intercept and identify unknown aircraft as they enter U.S. airspace and also augment existing ground-based radar systems by providing a survivableairborne radar platform during hostilities.
Remote locations of the 11AF are operated by the PACAF Regional Support Center (PRSC) at Elmendorf. Those locations includeEareckson Air Station onShemya Island, and a network of18 Air Force radar sites throughout Alaska.
When mobilized, the state'sAir National Guard becomes an integral part ofPacific Air Forces and Alaskan Command. TheAlaska Air National Guard maintainsKC-135 Tankers (168th Air Refueling Wing),C-130s and air rescueHH-60 Pavehawk helicopters (176th Wing).
Previously known asUnited States Army Alaska (USARAK), 11th Airborne Division is a subordinate element ofI Corps, headquartered atJoint Base Lewis–McChord. The division's mission is to be prepared to deploy rapidly in the Arctic as well as the Pacific Theater as directed in support of contingency operations,U.S. Pacific Command objectives and United States national interests.
11th Airborne commands twobrigade combat teams, an Aviation Task Force, the United States Army garrisons and tenant organizations in Alaska, theNCO Academy and Reserve Component units:[5]
Tenant organizations are located at each of the division's installations and include the USA Medical Department Activity-Alaska, USA Dental Activity-Alaska, a signal battalion, and theBureau of Land Management. The Reserve Component units located throughout the state include aNational Guard Regional Support Group (RSG) and Aviation Battalion, and aUnited States Army Reserve Engineer Company (B-411, whose battalion headquarters are in Hawaii)[6] and a Reserve Hospital.
There are no majornaval ports in Alaska. The commander of the 17th Coast Guard District,United States Coast Guard, commandsU.S. Naval Forces Alaska, accomplishing both the peacetime and wartime naval tasks in the state. Major peacetime responsibilities include search and rescue, law enforcement of territorial waters, maintenance of navigational maritime aides and ensuring maritime safety. Naval Forces Alaska has the task force designator Task Force 91.
District 17 forces are located atPetersburg,Juneau,Ketchikan,Homer,Seward,Tok,Anchorage,Kenai,Valdez,Nome,St. Paul, and three air stations atKodiak,Sitka andCordova (seasonal). The district uses a wide variety of vessels, including tenders, patrol boats and medium endurance cutters. During wartime, Coast Guard forces provide the majority of naval forces in Alaska for the defense of the state's 33,000 miles (53,000 km) of shoreline.
Due to budget constraints and warming relations with former adversaries, theAdak Naval Air Station was closed in March 1997. Prior to the deactivation, Adak's mission had shifted from providing support to air operations for antisubmarine warfare forces to one of providing short term support of transiting aircraft and ships. The island's population had shrunk to approximately five hundred unaccompanied personnel residents – down from a peak of nearly 5000 active duty and family members.
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