USAG Alaska, Greely  In-depth Overview

Today, Fort Greely proudly serves as the primary support base for a host of tenants that support the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) initiative. The main component support is the Alaska National Guard whose key mission is security and operation of the Missile Defense Site. A small regular Garrison unit is in charge of oversight of the post and main cantonment areas.

Fort Greely was established as the Army Air Corps Station 17, Alaskan Wing, of the Air Transportation Command in 1942. It served as a refueling point for aircraft sent to the Soviet Union (now Russia) under the Lend-Lease Program. After World War II, it was immediately placed in an inactive status. However, it was maintained by the Civil Aeronautics Authority for civilian use. In 1948, the air station was reactivated as the United States Troops, Big Delta Alaska and was the home of the Army Arctic Training Center. It was designated as Fort Greely in 1955 in honor of Major General Aldolphus Washington Greely. Fort Greely has a proud history. Because of its location and environment, it has been the site for cold-weather training and testing of operations and equipment through the past half century. Until the late 1990's, its primary tenant units included the Cold Regions Test Center and the Northern Warfare Training Center.

In 1995, Fort Greely underwent Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). Most of the lands associated with Fort Greely were transferred to the operational control of US Army Alaska. In 2001, Fort Greely was partially removed from the BRAC list, in order to support the nation's strategic objective of missile defense. Today, Fort Greely proudly serves as the primary support base for a host of tenants that support the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) initiative.

Fort Greely's population is a mix of active duty garrison personnel (5), MEDCOM (4), CRTC (2) Alaska National Guard (225), civilian workers (226), contractor and tenant personnel (573). There are approximately (369) people that reside on the post proper.

Fort Greely is considered a remote tour of duty as it is 100 miles away from Fairbanks. It is 350 miles north of Anchorage. When weather permits people often travel to Fairbanks or Anchorage for shopping and/or entertainment. Fort Greely is situated between two beautiful mountain ranges with breathtaking scenery. In mid-summer months the sun does not go below the horizon, in mid-winter the shortest day has about 4 hours of sunlight.

Delta Junction, known as the end of the Alaska Highway, is the nearest town about 5 miles north of Fort Greely. The name "Big Delta", as it is currently used, refers to the residential and farming community located near where the Delta River joins the Tanana River, about nine miles north of Delta Junction. Delta Junction, once called Buffalo Center, is the city itself. Its city limits encompass about an eight mile radius and a population of about a thousand people. For more information, please visit the installation homepage.

If you are driving through Canada, you will be required to have a valid passport as it is the only reliable and universally accepted travel and identification document for the purpose of international travel.

When traveling with a group of vehicles, parents or guardians should arrive at the border in the same vehicle as their children or any minors they are accompanying. If you share custody and the other parent is not traveling with you, or if you are traveling with minors for whom you are not the parent or legal guardian, we recommend you carry a consent letter to provide authorization for you to take them on the trip and enter Canada. Suppoorting identification such as birth certificate or citizenship card may be required also.

A consent letter must include the custodial parents' or legal guardians' full name, address and telephone number. Some travelers chose to have the consent letter notarized, to further support it's authenticity, especially if they are undertaking a significant trip and want to avoid delays.

All vistors arriving from or transitioning through the United States are encouraged to visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Web site for information concerning the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative and the requirements to enter or return to the United States. For more information, check the Canadian website.

Pets traveling through Canada must also have a current health certificate (within 30 days) that will need to be shown at border crossings.

Currently there is no base transportation available on Fort Greely. The post is small and most areas can be accessed within 10 minutes or less if walking.