59th Signal Battalion
"Voice of the Arctic"
In May of 1900, Congress appropriated nearly half a million dollars for the purpose of establishing a communications system connecting the military post in Alaska. This system, which came to be known as the Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System, or WAMCATS for short, was constructed by the Army Signal Corps. Construction of the telegraph cable portion of the system began in the summer of 1900. In 1903 a 107 mile wireless system crossing Norton Sound on the west coast of Alaska was added. Also, in 1903 a submarine cable between Sitka, Alaska and Seattle, Washington was laid, allowing rapid communication between Alaska and the lower 48. By the time WAMCATS was completed in 1904, it included almost 1400 miles of overland telegraph cable, over 2000 miles of submarine cable as well as the short wireless section already mentioned.
In 1936 WAMCATS was renamed the Alaska Communications System. By this time most of the major land lines were replaced by wireless systems. This change occurred due to the high cost of maintaining cable systems over the vast inhospitable expanse of Alaska. There was, however, a short resurgence in the use of cable system for security purposes during World War II. It was during this time that the first full duplex teletype system was established between Seattle and Alaska. The Alaska Communications System remained under the control of the Army Signal Corps until 1962 when it was taken over by the Air Force. In 1971 the system was purchased by RCA and currently most long haul communication systems are owned by ALASCOM, a public utility. Today this system operates over a backbone of microwave links and over 100 earth satellite stations, some serving communities of as few as 25 people. The 59th Signal Battalion depends on this system for much of its communications within the state.
Over the past three decades, the Signal Corps in Alaska has undergone several name changes. In 1962, it was called the US Army Signal Office. Later we went by the name the STRATCOM Signal Group, and in 1974 it assumed the title US Army Information Systems Command Alaska. In October 1989 the unit was redesignated the 1117th US Army Signal Battalion. In October 1992 it became an MTOE structured organization and were redesignated the 59th Signal Battalion. The basic mission of the battalion has remained the same throughout the years--to provide the very best in information systems to the Army in Alaska.
The Mission of the 507th Signal Company is to provide reliable, timely, cost effective Information Management Assets and sustaining base information systems support to the United States Army Alaska (USARAK), 172nd (Separate) Infantry Brigade, United States Army Garrison - Alaska (USAG-AK), the Cold Regions Test Center (CRTC), Northern Warfare Training Center (NWTC), and other federal elements at Forts Wainwright / Greely Alaska. The Company consists of a mixture of soldiers and civilians divided into four sections; Headquarters Section, Telephone Section, Administrative Services Branch, and the Local Control Center.
