|
Elmendorf Air Force Base
Elmendorf Air Force Base is a United States
military facility in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. Formerly known as
Elmendorf Field, in 2010 it merged with nearby Fort Richardson to form Joint
Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
The adjacent facilities were officially combined by the 2005 Base Closure and
Realignment Commission. Its mission is to support and defend U.S. interests in
the Asia Pacific region and around the world by providing units who are ready
for worldwide air power projection and a base that is capable of meeting PACOM's
theater staging and throughput requirements.
It is the home of the Headquarters, Alaskan Command (ALCOM), Alaskan NORAD
Region (ANR), Joint Task Force-Alaska (JTF-AK), Eleventh Air Force (11 AF), the
673d Air Base Wing, the 3rd Wing, the 176th Wing and other Tenant Units.
World War II
Construction on Elmendorf Field began on 8 June 1940, as a major and permanent
military airfield near Anchorage. The first Air Corps personnel arrived on 12
August 1940.
On 12 November 1940, the War Department formally designated what had been
popularly referred to as Elmendorf Field as Fort Richardson. The air facilities
on the post were named Elmendorf Field in honor of Captain Hugh M. Elmendorf,
killed on 13 January 1933, while flight testing the experimental Consolidated
Y1P-25, fighter, 32-321, near Wright Field, Ohio.[3][4] After World War II, the
Army moved its operations to the new Fort Richardson and the Air Force assumed
control of the original Fort Richardson and renamed it Elmendorf Air Force Base.
The first Air Force unit to be assigned to Alaska, the 18th Pursuit Squadron,
arrived in February 1941. The 23d Air Base Group was assigned shortly afterward
to provide base support. Other Air Force units poured into Alaska as the
Japanese threat developed into World War II. The Eleventh Air Force was formed
at Elmendorf AFB in early 1942. The field played a vital role as the main air
logistics center and staging area during the Aleutian Campaign and later air
operations against the Kurile Islands.
Cold War
Following World War II, Elmendorf assumed an increasing role in the defense of
North America as the uncertain wartime relations between the United States and
the Soviet Union deteriorated into the Cold War. The Eleventh Air Force was
redesignated as the Alaskan Air Command (AAC) on 18 December 1945. The Alaskan
Command, established 1 January 1947, also headquartered at Elmendorf, was a
unified command under the Joint Chiefs of Staff based on lessons learned during
World War II when a lack of unity of command hampered operations to drive the
Japanese from the western Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska.
The uncertain world situation in late 1940s and early 1950s caused a major
buildup of air defense forces in Alaska. The propeller-driven F-51s were
replaced with F-80 jets, which in turn were replaced in succession by F-94s,
F-89s, and F-102s interceptor aircraft for defense of North America. The Air
Force built an extensive aircraft control and warning radar system with sites
located throughout Alaska's interior and coastal regions. Additionally, the Air
Force of necessity built the White Alice Communications System (with numerous
support facilities around the state) to provide reliable communications to these
far-flung, isolated, and often rugged locales. The Alaskan NORAD Regional
Operations Control Center (ROCC) at Elmendorf served as the nerve center for all
air defense operations in Alaska.
The U.S. Air Force Security Service (USAFSS) activated the 6981st Security Group
tasked with monitoring, collecting and interpreting signals intelligence of
concern to the region, including installation of an AN/FLR-9 antenna array as
part of a worldwide network known collectively as "Iron Horse."
Air defense forces reached their zenith in 1957 with almost 200 fighter aircraft
assigned to six fighter interceptor squadrons located at Elmendorf AFB and Ladd
AFB. Eighteen aircraft control and warning radar sites controlled their
operations. Elmendorf earned the motto "Top Cover for North America." AAC
adopted the motto as its own in 1969.
The late 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s brought about a gradual, but significant
decline in air defense forces in Alaska due to mission changes and the demands
of the Vietnam War. The Air Force inactivated five fighter squadrons and closed
five radar sites. In 1961, the Department of Defense consigned Ladd AFB to the
Army which renamed it Fort Wainwright. The Alaskan Command was disestablished in
1975. Elmendorf began providing more support to other Air Force commands,
particularly Military Airlift Command C-5 and C-141 flights to and from the Far
East.
Despite a diminished number of personnel and aircraft, a turning point in
Elmendorf's history occurred in 1970 with the arrival of the 43d Tactical
Fighter Squadron in June 1970 from MacDill AFB, Florida. The squadron gave AAC
an air-to-ground capability which was further enhanced with the activation of
the 18th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf (also with F-4Es) on 1 October
1977.
The strategic importance of Elmendorf AFB was graphically realized during the
spring of 1980 when the 18th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed eight of its
F-4Es to Korea to participate in exercise Team Spirit. It was a historical first
and underlined an increasing emphasis AAC placed on its tactical role. The
strategic location of Elmendorf AFB and Alaska made it an excellent deployment
center, a fact that validated the contention of Billy Mitchell who, in 1935,
stated that "Alaska is the most strategic place in the world." Deployments from
Elmendorf AFB and Eielson AFB to the Far East are now conducted on a routine
basis.
The 1980s witnessed a period of growth and modernization of Elmendorf AFB.
During 1982, the 21st Tactical Fighter Wing converted from F-4Es to F-15A/Bs.
The 18th Tactical Fighter Squadron was assigned to Eielson AFB where it was
equipped with A-10s. The 54th Tactical Fighter Squadron, of Aleutian Campaign
fame, activated once again in 1987. Operating two F-15 Squadrons (43rd and 54th
TFS), the F-15s were housed next to the 5021st Tactical Operations Squadron's
T-33 Shooting Stars. Rounding out the modernization program was the construction
of an enhanced Regional Operations Control Center (completed in 1983), and the
replacement of the 1950s generation aircraft control and warning radars with the
state of the art AN/FPS-117 Minimally Attended Radars. The integrated air
warning and defense system became fully operational in mid 1985. Alaska's air
defense force was further enhanced with the assignment of two E-3As to Elmendorf
AFB in 1986. The Alaskan Command was reestablished at Elmendorf in 1989 as
subunified joint service command under the Pacific Command in recognition of
Alaska's military importance in the Pacific region.
The Elmendorf AFB is a site of one of the now decommissioned FLR-9 Wullenweber-class
antennas, a node of the now obsolete High Frequency SIGINT direction finding
system.
Modern era
That importance was further recognized when the F-15E Strike Eagle equipped 90th
Tactical Fighter Squadron was reassigned to Elmendorf Air Force Base from Clark
Air Base in the Philippines in May 1991. The Pacific Regional Medical Center
moved from Clark to Elmendorf and construction of a new, greatly expanded
hospital began in 1993. The early 1990s also saw major organizational changes
and an expansion of Elmendorf's importance. In 1991, the 21st Tactical Fighter
Wing was reorganized as an objective wing and all the major tenant units on
Elmendorf were placed under it. The 21st Wing was inactivated and the 3d Wing
was reassigned from Clark Air Base to Elmendorf Air Force Base on 19 December
1991. This was in keeping with the Air Force's polices of retaining the oldest
and most illustrious units during a period of major force reductions. It was
also an alternative landing site for the Space Shuttle.
|
