Ladd Army Airfield

Ladd Army Airfield is located at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska. The United States government established the facility in 1938 as Fairbanks Air Base, renaming it Ladd Field in 1939. Major construction of airfield infrastructure, hangars, and support buildings occurred between 1941 and 1942.

During World War II, the airfield served as a cold-weather testing center and the primary hub for the Lend-Lease program. It functioned as the Alaska Air Depot for aircraft bound for Soviet forces, with 7,926 aircraft ferried through the site by the end of the war. Following the creation of the United States Air Force in 1947, the installation was renamed Ladd Air Force Base.

During the Cold War, the base operated as the headquarters for the 11th Air Division and as a logistics center for the Alaskan Air Command. It provided support for regional defense systems, including Aircraft Control and Warning sites, the Distant Early Warning Line, and the White Alice communications network. The base hosted various units, including the 449th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, the 72d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, and the 74th Air Rescue Squadron. Air Force flying operations concluded in 1960.

On January 1, 1961, the installation transferred to the United States Army and was renamed Fort Wainwright, with the aviation facility designated as Ladd Army Airfield. The United States Army currently operates the airfield. Infrastructure includes World War II-era hangars and quarters, which were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985. The site remains integrated into the operational framework of Fort Wainwright.