United States Army Alaska

United States Army Alaska (USARAK or "America's Arctic Warriors" ) is a military command of the United States Army located in the state of Alaska, USA. A subordinate command of the United States Army Pacific, USARAK is the ground element of the Alaskan Command. USARAK is headquartered at Fort Richardson and commanded by a major general.

The 1950s: USARAL
The Army established the Yukon Command at Ladd Air Force Base as a component of the U.S. Army Alaska (USARAL) with the mission of point defense of U.S. military installations north of the Alaska Range. Consequently, infantry and anti-aircraft units comprised most of the Army presence at Ladd AFB during the 1950s. Elements of the 4th Regimental Combat Team arrived at Ladd AFB in 1950, and the 9th Infantry Regiment took its place in 1956. The 4th AAA Group was stationed at Ladd until 1958. In 1959, a NIKE battalion equipped with nuclear-capable Nike Hercules surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) took over the interior defense mission.

Later two battalions of Nike missiles were stationed in Alaska: 4th Battalion (later 1st Battalion), 43rd Air Defense Artillery, and 2d Battalion, 562nd Air Defense Artillery. The two battalions and their direct support ordnance companies fell under the command of the USARAL Artillery Group, headquartered at Fort Richardson. The Group was directly responsible to the USARAL Commanding General for Army participation in the air defense of Alaska, which involved Nike Hercules batteries, fighter interceptors, and the associated early warning radars and communications systems.

1993 onwards: USARAK
The command was activated after the Department of the Army's decision in March 1993 to inactivate the 6th Infantry Division (Light), which was then the principal Army unit in Alaska.

United States Army Alaska commands two brigade combat teams, an Engineer Brigade, an NCO Academy, the US Army's Northern Warfare Training Center (NWTC), and the United States Army garrisons in Alaska, as well as tenant organizations and Reserve Component units. Major units under the United States Army Alaska command are:
 * 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Fort Wainwright
 * 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) 25th Infantry Division at Fort Richardson
 * 2nd Engineer Brigade at Fort Richardson
 * Northern Warfare Training Center at Fort Wainwright
 * Noncommissioned Officer Academy at Fort Richardson
 * 59th Signal Battalion at Fort Richardson
 * Medical Department Activity-Alaska at Fort Richardson

The Reserve Component units located throughout the state include a National Guard Infantry Group (Scout) consisting of three Infantry Battalions (207th Infantry Group), a Support Battalion, an Aviation Battalion, and a United States Army Reserve Engineer Company (B-411, whose battalion headquarters are in Hawaii ) and a Reserve Hospital.