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US Army, Alaska (USARAK)

The mission of the U.S. Army Alaska is to train and equip forces to deploy rapidly in support of combat operations and other operations worldwide, as directed. Conduct operations in cold regions and mountainous terrain. It serves as the land force component command for joint operations, and provides installation support for Alaska. The Army in Alaska's strategic location, unsurpassed training capabilities, long-term economic impact and partnership with Alaskan communities make it a significant national asset and world-class power projection platform for military operations anywhere in the world.

The Army in Alaska has two higher headquarters: U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) and Alaska Command (ALCOM). USARPAC is the service component to Pacific Command and ALCOM is a sub-unified command also subordinate to Pacific Command. The USARAK Commander wears two hats. As the USARAK Commander, he responds directly to the USARPAC Commander on service component issues; and as the Deputy ALCOM Commander, he responds directly to the ALCOM Commander on Alaska-specific matters and joint responsibilities.

Upon inactivation of the 6th Infantry Division (Light) on July 6, 1994, the principal Army unit in the state is the U.S. Army Alaska, which has its headquarters at Fort Richardson, adjacent to Anchorage. U.S. Army Alaska is a subordinate element of U.S. Army Pacific, headquartered at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. The new organization, commanded by a major general, is a result of a Department of the Army decision in March 1993 to downsize the 6th Infantry Division (Light) to a brigade task force.

U.S. Army Alaska is home to two brigade-equivalent headquarters, a separate infantry brigade and the United States Army Garrison as well as tenant organizations and Reserve Component units.

The 172nd Infantry Brigade (Separate) -- formerly the The 1st Brigade, 6th Infantry Division (Light) -- is headquartered at Fort Wainwright and consists of three infantry battalions, an artillery battalion, a support battalion, and four separate supporting companies. In July 2005 it was joined by the newly formed 4th Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division, a nwe Airborne unit.

Alaska appears to be remote when examined using a standard global view. However, when viewed using a polar projection, the logic of U.S. Army forces stationed in Alaska is apparent. Air routes from Alaska provide for rapid deployment throughout the Pacific Theater. Deployment times to other parts of the world such as Germany and Saudi Arabia are better than, or compare favorably with, other U.S. Army units.

The 172nd Infantry Brigade (Separate) is trained and ready to have units enroute to a contingency location on short notice, or within 18 hours of notification while serving as the Pacific Theater's Ready Army Brigade. The 172nd Infantry Brigade (Separate) location is important not only because of Alaska's strategic location, but also because there are five airfields capable of supporting strategic airlift. The primary departure airfields are Eielson Air Force Base and Elmendorf Air Force Base. The alternate airfields are Fort Wainwright, Fairbanks International Airport and Anchorage International Airport. All five are capable of accommodating the Air Force's largest aircraft, and most importantly, can be used simultaneously.

Headquartered at Fort Richardson are the Special Troops battalion, a Theater Army Aviation battalion and detachments of the personnel and finance battalions. The U.S. Army Garrison is also headquartered at Fort Richardson, and includes a Headquarters company at each installation, the Law Enforcement Command and the Noncommissioned Officer's Academy.

Tenant organizations are located at each USARAK installation and include the USA Medical Department Activity -- Alaska, USA Dental Activity -- Alaska, a signal battalion, the Cold Regions Test Activity, the Bureau of Land Management, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, and the Northern Warfare Training Center.

The Reserve Component units located throughout the state include a National Guard Infantry Group (Scout) consisting of three Infantry Battalions, a Support Battalion, an Aviation Battalion, and an Army Reserve Engineer Battalion and a Reserve Hospital.

There are three Army installations in Alaska: Fort Richardson, Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely.

USARAK emphasizes training under conditions as close to actual combat as possible; training as a team with emphasis on the basics at all levels. More importantly, leaders are trained to prepare, conduct and evaluate multiechelon training using the most efficient and effective methods. USARAK trains to the same tasks and to the same standards as all other Army units, but the extreme conditions help produce tough soldiers and exceptional leaders.

Training opportunities in Alaska are limitless. The combined training lands available at the three posts total over 1.5 million acres. In comparison to the continental United States and Germany, Alaska clearly offers an excellent training environment. The Army in Alaska has been busy participating in numerous Command Post Exercises, combat training center rotations, and Joint and Combined Exercises throughout the United States and overseas.

USARAK combat units routinely conduct rotations to both the Joint Readiness Training Center and the National Training Center. Unique training opportunities in the Pacific Theater include deployments to Japan, Korea, Thailand and other locations.

Currently, units in Alaska are firmly anchored in the North Pacific and strategically positioned for worldwide deployment. With the large, varied, tough training environment, USARAK has developed a highly capable force which is combat ready.

The heart of the U.S. Army in Alaska is the Arctic Soldier. Arctic Light and Arctic Support are not merely specialties, but involve a state of mind. From initial assignment to any unit in Alaska, our soldiers experience a training program full of new challenges. USARAK soldiers are trained to operate anywhere but specialize in arctic operations.

Alaska provides the Army with a vast training environment and challenging climate. Training in Alaska is virtually unrestricted in land availability. From airborne operations to glacier training, Arctic soldiers receive the most demanding, and rigorous training available.

The U.S. Army was first headquartered in Alaska at Sitka on Oct. 9, 1867, shortly after the purchase of the territory from Russia for $7.2 million. On Oct. 18, 1867, the American flag was raised for the first time over Alaskan soil. The first U.S. Army units to serve in Alaska were Company F, 9th Infantry, and Battery H, 2d Artillery.

For the next 10 years, the Army's greatest contributions to Alaska were in terms of exploration and mapping. The 1896 gold rush drew thousands of fortune seekers to the state and the attendant need for someone to maintain law and order. U.S. Army presence increased to meet this requirement.

In 1900, under the direction of Brigadier General Adolphus W. Greely, the Army developed an extensive network of telegraph lines extending across Alaska connecting the far north to Seattle by way of submerged cable. The system, known as the Washington-Alaska Military Cable System, or "WAMCATS," served the U.S. government and commercial needs until 1971.

The need for a road connecting Alaska and the Lower 48 states was always apparent. The enormity of the task, the cost, and the difficult terrain and weather hindered all attempts to provide a land route between the two U.S. land masses. With the fear of a Japanese invasion from the north during World War II, the U.S. Army and the Canadian military battled muskeg, swollen rivers, and untamed wilderness to complete the 1,428 mile Alaska Highway in just one summer season. The highway was completed in November 1942.

American fears were realized when the Japanese attacked Dutch Harbor, Alaska, on June 3, 1942, in an attempt to gain a foothold in the northern Pacific. Four days later, the Japanese took the Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska. On May 11, 1943, the U.S. 7th Infantry Division successfully assaulted Attu. The bloody battle cost the Japanese 2,321 soldiers (98 percent of their force at Attu) and lasted 19 days at a cost of 432 American lives. The Aug. 15, 1943, assault on Kiska was unopposed; the Japanese had withdrawn on submarines 17 days prior.

Ladd Field near Fairbanks was an important link in the Alaska-Siberia Lend Lease route during World War II. Army Air Corps crews flew almost 8,000 aircraft to Ladd Field, where the planes were turned over to Soviet pilots for use in their war effort against the Germans. American and Soviet crews worked together to defeat their common enemy.

The Army assumed control of Ladd Field from the U.S. Air Force on Jan. 1, 1961 and the base was renamed Fort Wainwright in honor of General Jonathan M. Wainwright, World War II hero and Medal of Honor recipient.

Over the past decades, Alaska has been home to many Army units, including the 2d Infantry Division, the 171st and 172d Infantry Brigades, and most recently the 6th Infantry Division (Light). In July 1998, the 172nd Infantry Brigade (Separate) was reactivated and remains the main combat troop unit in U.S. Army Alaska.