History
The post’s history began in 1942 when an advance detail of 15 men arrived in the Big Delta Area to establish an Army Air Corps Base. These first Army units set up camp on June 30, 1942, at what was to become Station 17, Alaskan Wing, Air Transport Command. Throughout World War II, the post was a rest and refueling spot for American pilots ferrying aircraft to Ladd Army Airfield (now Fort Wainwright) for the Lend Lease Program.
Fort Greely continued as an Army Air Corps Base until 1945 when it was put in an inactive status. In April 1947, the War Department designated the base as the site for post-war cold weather maneuvers, and “Exercise Yukon” was staged during the winter of 1947-1948.
The installation was reactivated May 1, 1948 and was officially transferred to the Department of the Army and redesignated as an Army post. Under this directive, the post was to be called United States Troops, Big Delta, Alaska. The post was named as the site for the Arctic Training Center in 1948.
The post was redesignated the Arctic Training Center on July 1, 1949 and later renamed the Army Arctic Center on September 1, 1952. Construction began on the permanent buildings located a mile from the airfield in 1953. These buildings are referred to as “main post” today, while the original temporary buildings near the airfield are called “old post”. A major construction program for permanent-type buildings was initiated in 1954.
The post was designated Fort Greely on August 6, 1955 in honor of Major General Adolphus Washington Greely, an arctic explorer and founder of the Alaska Communications System. Greely was responsible for the construction of thousands of miles of telegraph lines throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Alaska. More than 45,000 miles of telegraph lines were completed in Alaska alone.
In April of 1963, the Department of the Army redesignated the Cold Weather and Mountain School as the Northern Warfare Training Center (NWTC). NWTC was then given the mission of training units in the conduct of warfare in northern areas of operation.
Fort Greely became part of the 172nd Infantry Brigade in 1974, after the disestablishment of the United States Army, Alaska. The post was under the command of Forces Command at Fort McPherson, Georgia.
Fort Greely celebrated its 50th anniversary (in conjunction with the annual Midnight Sun Festival) with a three-day festival in June 1992. The 6th Infantry Division (Light) was deactivated in a formal ceremony on July 6, 1994, at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. The actual effective date for the deactivation occurred on July 26, 1994, becoming U.S. Army Alaska (USARAK).
In 1995, the installation underwent Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) and was warm based in 1997. In 2001, it was partially removed from the BRAC list to support the national objective of missile defense. It was reduced to its current size of 7,200 acres, and the surrounding ranges and training lands were transferred to Fort Wainwright.
Today, Fort Greely proudly serves as an integral part of the Nation’s Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) and is a National Security Asset.
Fort Greely’s installation mission is mid-course missile defense (destroying threat missiles in their midcourse phase). Fort Greely is also host to the military mission of the Cold Regions Test Center.