About

Alaska presents unique challenges.

The rugged geography. Unpredictable weather. Lack of infrastructure. Small population. The high latitude. A preponderance of isolated towns and villages unconnected to a central road system. And most of all, the sheer size -- one-fifth that of the continental United States, with more miles of coastline than the other 49 states combined.

The 176th Wing's airlift and rescue capabilities have served Alaska well. Since its founding more than 50 years ago, it has enabled the wing -- perhaps more than any other unit in the Air National Guard -- to play a pivotal role in the development of its state.

From the first Alaska Air National Guard Commander Maj. Clyde E. Eaton, 1951-1953 to the present 176th Wing Commander, Col. Anthony D. Stratton.

• United States Army Center of Military History
• Air Force Historical Studies Office
• National Museum of the United States Air Force
• Air Force Historical Research Agency
• Society for Military History
• Naval History and Heritage Command
• United States Army Heritage and Education Center
• United States Marine Corps History Division
• Air Force Historical Foundation

The 176th Wing is one of the largest and most active wings in the entire Air National Guard.

Our missions include:

Combat Search and Rescue
Strategic Airlift
Air Control
Rescue Coordination

And those are just our operational missions! Supporting them are all the highly trained men and women -- pilots, mechanics, engineers, electricians, administrative support personnel, network programmers, air controllers, medical technicians, chaplains, photojournalists, firefighters and many, many others -- who make it all possible.

Quick overview (790KB PDF)
How the wing is structured
Things we do
History of the 176th Wing