Does anyone know why we have military bases in alaska?

Question

not many people live there. who would want to invade Alaska. I know that a lot of these guys are infantry that are staitioned in Alaska and will be going back to Iraq too soon.

Answer 1

Russia is about 5 minutes away by air. North Korea is also very close. Alaska was invaded by the Japanese during WWII. Winter training in Alaska is very useful to all branches of the military for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that winter survival skills are important for troops who work at high altitudes.

Answer 2

Alaska is closer to Russia and Japan than to continential United States. In the 1800's, Alaska actually belonged to Russia. Because Alaska is so close (the Bering Strait isn't much over 100 miles wide) and the historical presence of Russia in the North American Continent, during the Cold War the US felt there was a need to keep soldiers there.

Also, most Americans are surprised to learn that the Japanese attempted to invade the North American continent by way of the Alaskan islands. That's how the highway up through Alaska go built....it was necessary to move troops in quickly and that road got built in the span of a single Alaskan summer.

US military planners rightly feel because of these historical precidents that there is reason to keep a military presence in Alaska even though it has a small population and formidable enviroment.

Answer 3

Cold war relics mostly - Alaska is really close to Russia. I think that they were actually built during WWII, when we were worried about Japan and the possibility of Germany completely overtaking Russia. An unprotected Alaska would have been easy pickings for any of those three former enemies.

It's actually supposed to be a great place to live. We were supposed to go but my husband's orders got cancelled. Most of the soldiers at Ft Wainwright just got home, actually. They were in Iraq for 16 months, and they won't be going back any time too soon. I don't know about Ft Richardson, but there's not a whole lot of people there.

Answer 4

Well there is alot of reasons, but the main point in this is that because in WW2 the Japanese invaded the islands off the coast of Alaska. We lost all kinds of troops trying to take these islands back, and it was a good stratigic step for the Japanese.

In July of 1942 the Aleutian islands of Alaska were invaded by Japanese forces in order to divert American forces away from the main Japanese attack at Midway Atoll. The United States, having broken the Japanese military codes, knew that this was a diversion and did not expend large amounts of effort defending the islands. Some Americans were taken to Japan as prisoners of war. Most of the civilian population of the Aleutians were interned by the United States in camps in the Alaska Panhandle. American forces fought the Japanese on Attu Island and regained control of the islands. This is known as the Battle of the Aleutian Islands

Answer 5

Whether you believe it or not, Russia is still the second most powerfull country in the world. The US government still recognizes them as a major threat.

Also, China is the third most powerfull country in the world. In the event of a war with China, niether side will be able to lauch attacks from all the way across the Pacific. All US attacks on China would have to be launched from Alaska, and China would have to invade Alaska and use it as a staging area to launch any attacks on the US mainland.

Thefore Alaska is strategicly important, and has troops to defend it.

Answer 6

oil and it's close to asia and russia. the quickest way from Washington DC to Moscow is over the northern ice cap. If nukes were ever fired they'd likely go that way. we have radar stations through the north pole much less alaska. Japan invaded Alaska, few know. During WWII they were on US soil for months holding a mountain island. Today the harsh climate makes it suitable for survival training and extreme weather training. It's also joked that that is where they send the screw ups and embaressments.

Answer 7

Alaska is the shortest route for bombers to reach the continental USA. And it's a little known fact it was the only part of present day America actually invaded during WWII. The Aleutians. It's the potential back door to our country and as such it is not left wide open. Your a little to focused on the mid-east.

Answer 8

Our bases in Alaska are there mainly to protect our northern border. Remember, Russia is less that 75 miles away from AK, and you see why we have bases there. I was stationed there for 4 years, and we trained to fight in the winter, which is something no other unit in the Army is capable of doing.

Also, you can reach most places along the Pacific rim much quicker from Ak than other bases.

Answer 9

sure it incredibly is a CONUS accountability Station... a minimum of the final time I checked it grew to become into as Alaska is a factor of the North American Continent... No the militia policies are the comparable on each and every base... Plus what ever is correct to that Base... Alaskan Bases probable will instruct you the thank you to stay to tell the story in Sub-0 climate... The UCMJ is the comparable around the worldwide...

Answer 10

We have military bases in all fifty states.

But the real technical legacy of our Alaskan military is a hold over from the cold war. It was thought that the Russians would launch their nuclear strikes over Alaska and the North Pole, and so we placed our advanced radar arrays there.