Military

Ladd Army Airfield (AAF)
Wainwright Army Airfield

Ladd Army Airfield (AAF), known in aviation circles as Wainwright Army Airfield is located on Fort Wainwright adjacent to the town of Fairbanks Alaska. Construction of Ladd Field started in1938, with the airfield becoming fully operational in 1940. Ladd Field was intended as a bulwark against growing Axis ambitions in the Pacific region. In 1938 Ladd Field was chosen as the home of the Army Air Corps' Cold Weather Experimentation Station. During World War II, Ladd AAF served as the transfer point for aircraft being flown to Russia under the Lend Lease Program. By the end of WWII almost 8,000 aircraft had passed through Ladd Field in route to Russia and the war in Europe. In 1962 Ladd Air Force Base was turned over to the Department of The Army and designated Fort Jonathan M. Wainwright, in honor of the hero of Corregidor. Ladd Field is listed in the Register of National Historic Landmarks.

Currently Fort Wainwright, Alaska is the home of the 1st Brigade, 6th Infantry Division (Arctic Light). Wainwright AAF is home to the 4th/123rd Aviation Regiment, 23rd Aviation Intermediate Maintenance, 283rd Medical Detachment, Detachment 1, Company A, 1st/207th Aviation Regiment, and 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron Weather. The Bureau of Land Management is a major user of Wainwright AAF, with the stationing of the Alaska Fire Service and the Alaska Smoke Jumpers on the airfield.