Fort Richardson is a United States Army installation in the U.S. state of Alaska, adjacent to the city of Anchorage. The United States Army is the largest branch of the United States armed forces and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... A state of the United States (a U.S. state) is any one of the fifty states (four of which officially favor the term commonwealth) which, along with the District of Columbia, form the United States of America. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Flag Nickname: The City of Lights and Flowers Location Location in the state of Alaska Coordinates , Government Borough Municipality of Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,961. ...

History

Fort Richardson was named for the military pioneer explorer, Brig. Gen. Wilds P. Richardson, who served three tours of duty in the rugged Alaska territory between 1897 and 1917. Richardson, a native Texan and an 1884 West Point graduate, commanded troops along the Yukon River and supervised construction of Fort Egbert near Eagle, and Fort William H. Seward (Chilkoot Barracks) near Haines. As head of the War Department's Alaska Road Commission from 1905 to 1917, he was responsible for much of the surveying and building of early railroads, roads and bridges that helped the state’s settlement and growth. The Valdez-Fairbanks Trail, surveyed under his direction in 1904, was named the Richardson Highway in his honor. 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) is a leap year starting on Tuesday (click on link to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Map of the Yukon River watershed The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. ... Eagle is a city located along the United States-Canada border in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska. ... Haines is a city located in Haines Borough, Alaska, United States. ... Line drawing of the Department of Wars seal. ... Valdez (IPA: ) is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Nickname: The Golden Heart City Location Coordinates , Government Country  State   Borough United States  Alaska   Fairbanks North Star Incorporated November 10, 1903 Mayor Steve M. Thompson Geographical characteristics Area     City 84. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Richardson Highway runs from Valdez, Alaska to Fairbanks, Alaska. ...

Fort Richardson was built during 1940–1941 on the site of what is now Elmendorf Air Force Base. Established as the headquarters of the United States Army, Alaska (USARAL) in 1947, the post moved to its present location five miles (8 km) northeast of Anchorage in 1950. The post then had barracks for 500 soldiers, a rifle range, a few warehouses, a hospital, and bachelor officer quarters. From 1986-1990 the fort was headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division (Light). Fort Richardson is now headquarters for United States Army Alaska (USARAK), a subordinate unit of United States Army Pacific Command. For more than a decade, the major combat unit at Fort Richardson was Task Force 1-501, the only airborne infantry battalion in the Pacific Theater. Task Force 1-501 deployed to Afghanistan from October 2003 through July 2004. A Japanese F-15 takes off from Elmendorf during a joint exercise. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... The 6th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II. Known as Red Star, and formerly called the Sight Seein Sixth. (Shoulder patch: Six pointed red star. ...

The majority of USARAK combat forces were at Fort Wainwright, 300 miles to the north, with Fort Richardson as the primary support base. Fort Wainwright is a United States Army post adjacent to Fairbanks in the U.S. state of Alaska. ...

Recent history

During the Army's expansion following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Task Force 1-501 was expanded into an airborne brigade. Flagged as 4th Brigade (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, the unit is now the primary strategic response force for the Pacific Theater. It comprises two infantry battalions, one cavalry squadron, a small artillery battalion, a support battalion, and a special troops battalion. A full range of family and soldier support facilities common to any small Army community are found on post, ranging from a shoppette to childcare and recreational facilities. The post has small but modern dental and medical clinics, and receives major medical services from the 3rd Medical Group hospital at Elmendorf. The Joint Military Mall, also located on Elmendorf, provides post exchange and commissary services. The towers burn shortly after United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower on the right. ... (Redirected from 25th Infantry Division) Patch of the United States Army 25th Infantry Division. ...

The post’s largest military tenant is the Alaska National Guard, with facilities at Camp Carroll and Camp Denali. Fort Richardson also hosts several non-military activities, including a United States National Cemetery and a state-owned fish hatchery. The post has 3,300 soldiers, as well as over 3,200 family members, and employs about 1,200 Army and DOD civilian employees. Fort Richardson's military payroll for fiscal year 2003 was $85 million. The civilian payroll was $49 million. Including other expenditures of $111 million, Fort Richardson put more than $245 million into the local economy. Seal of the National Guard Bureau Seal of the Army National Guard Seal of the Air National Guard Seal of the National Guard Missile Defense The United States National Guard is a component of the United States Army (the Army National Guard) and the United States Air Force (the Air... Gettysburg National Cemetery, Pennsylvania Golden Gate National Cemetery, California Arlington National Cemetery, Virgnia National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Hawaii National Cemetery is a designation for nationally important cemeteries in the United States. ...

The fort encompasses 62,000 acres, which includes space for offices, family housing, a heliport, a drop zone suitable for airborne and air/land operations, firing ranges and other training areas. Nearby mountain ranges offer soldiers the opportunity to learn mountain/glacier warfare and rescue techniques. Mount McKinley (Denali) in Alaska (USA) has the highest visible base-to-summit elevation on Earth (approximately 5400 metres). ... A glacier is a large, long-lasting river of ice that is formed on land and moves in response to gravity. ...

External links

• The Army in Alaska