Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska was founded in 1940 and is now the largest Air Force installation in the Yukon State. It is the home of the Headquarters of the Alaskan Command, the Alaskan NORAD Region, the Eleventh Air Force and the 3rd Wing. In response to the Japanese threat during World War II, the field became the main air logistics center and staging area for the Aleutian Campaign and operations against the Kurile Islands.

After World War II, the Cold War caused a significant expansion of air defense forces in Alaska. Propeller-driven F-51s were replaced by interceptor jets such as the F-102. Early warning radar systems were spread across the state, and the Alaskan NORAD Regional Operations Control Center (ROCC) at Elmendorf served as the communications center that tied them all together.

Beginning with the Vietnam War era, the mission at Elmendorf gradually shifted from defensive to strategic. Alaska is generally considered to be one of the best strategic locations in the world for air deployment. Flights from Alaska can reach Europe faster than those from the East Coast and can reach the Far East faster than flights from California.

Elmendorf AFB Offers Many Advantages

Today, Elmendorf Air Force Base combines its strategic mission with a very comfortable posting. Facilities include award-winning food service, a state of the art medical center, riding stables, a ski area, and even a golf course. The climate is milder than you might think, seldom warmer than 65 degrees or colder than 20. Finally, the spectacular northern lights displays and the famed "white nights" of summer complete the Alaskan experience.