Eielson Air Force Base

Eielson Air Force Base, located approximately 26 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, was established in 1943 as Mile 26 Satellite Field and redesignated Eielson Air Force Base on January 13, 1948. It is named in honor of polar pilot Carl Ben Eielson. The base is owned by the Department of Defense and operated by the U.S. Air Force, controlled by Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). Eielson has been an operational military installation since its inception, serving various roles throughout World War II and the Cold War, including support for the Alaska-Siberia Ferry Route and as a Strategic Air Command base. It has also hosted units for Arctic training and air defense.

The host unit at Eielson AFB is the 354th Fighter Wing (354 FW), which supports RED FLAG-Alaska, a series of field training exercises for U.S. Forces in a simulated combat environment. The base also hosts the 168th Air Refueling Wing of the Alaska Air National Guard, which operates KC-135 Stratotankers. Other units include the 18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 353rd Combat Training Squadron, 355th Fighter Squadron, 356th Fighter Squadron, and the 210th Rescue Squadron Detachment 1. Eielson received its first Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft in April 2020, completing its fleet of 54 F-35s by April 2022, which significantly increased the base's personnel. The base operates a single concrete runway, 14/32, measuring 4,428.7 meters. Eielson Air Force Base has been a Superfund site since 1989 due to environmental contamination, including lead, volatile organic compounds, and perfluorinated compounds.