Military aircraft began to deploy to Alaska during the last half of 1940. To coordinate air activities there, the Alaskan Defense Command established the Air Field Forces, Alaskan Defense Command, on May 29, 1941. Under authority from Western Defense Command, the Alaskan Defense Command replaced the Air Field Forces, Alaskan Defense Command, with the Air Force, Alaskan Defense Command, on October 17, 1941. Neither the Air Field Forces nor the Air Force, Alaskan Defense Command, were legitimate War Department establishments and must be classified in the same category as provisional units, although the term "provisional" was never used in connection with them. The War Department activated the Alaskan Air Force on January 15, 1942, replacing the Air Force, Alaskan Defense Command. On 5 February Alaskan Air Force was redesignated 11th Air Force, which became Eleventh Air Force on 18 September. The designation only lasted until 18 December 1945, when the Eleventh Air Force was redesignated the Alaskan Air Command.
In 1990, Eleventh Air Force was revived as a designation with the subordination of Alaskan Air Command to Pacific Air Forces.
Early in 1940, the question of air defense of the northern Territory came into the limelight when the late President Roosevelt pointed out in his message to Congress requesting funds for fortification of Guam and Wake Islands and other strategic points in the Pacific that airfields were needed in Alaska.
First conceived as the AirForce, Alaskan Defense Command, it emerged as an integral unit as the Alaskan AirForce on 15 January 1942, and was redesignated the EleventhAirForce on 5 February.
Air Corps supply and fourth echelon maintenance was carried on at the AlaskaAir Depot at anchorage, and the normal paper-work, customarily handled by a Service command, devolved upon the EleventhAirForce Headquarters.
The 11th AirForce plans, conducts, controls and coordinates air operations in accordance with the tasks assigned by the commander, Pacific AirForces, and is the force provider for Alaskan Command, the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region (ANR) and other unified commanders.
Following the occupation of Kiska, the 11th AirForce declined from peak strength of 16,526 in August 1943 to 6,849 by the end of the war.
By reorganizing from AAC to a Numbered AirForce, the AirForce was able to reduce its administrative manpower requirements during a period of massive reoragnization and down-sizing throughout the AirForce.
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