Eielson projects to have 54 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft assigned to the installation, of which the first two aircraft arrived on 21 April 2020. The last of the aircraft arrived in April 2022.<ref name=54f35s >Amy Hudson (13 Apr 2022) Eielson Days Away from Achieving Full Complement of F-35s</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The planes come with an estimated 3,500 personnel, to include airmen and their families as well as civilian personnel.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The F-35 program increases the number of military personnel at Eielson by approximately 50%, which is a significant change for a base once on the brink of closure.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
A month later, contractors and civilian crews from Ladd Field started laying out the new airfield. Actual construction began on 25 August 1943. Crews built two parallel runways, Template:Convert across and Template:Convert long. Other facilities included an operations building, housing for 108 officer and 330 enlisted personnel, and a ten-bed dispensary. The garrison and airfield totaled about Template:Convert. Completed on 17 October 1944, the 14-month project cost about eight-million dollars.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Operational uses of Mile 26 were few. Ladd Field served as the debarkation point for the Alaska-Siberia Ferry Route of the Lend-Lease program and was the hub of activity. Lend-lease aircraft would occasionally land at Mile 26, but there are no records indicating any lend-lease aircraft used the airfield to depart for the Soviet Union. Mile 26 closed when the war ended.
A year later Eielson moved from under the shadow of Ladd Field when the Alaskan Air Command assumed organizational control. Also in the fall of 1947, Colonel Jerome B. McCauley assumed duties as commander. The primary missions of Mile 26 were to support Arctic training for USAF tactical and strategic units, as well as defend the base itself.
Headquarters USAF General Order 2, dated 13 January 1948, redesignated Mile 26 as Eielson Air Force Base. It was named for Carl Ben Eielson, an Alaska aviation pioneer who was killed, along with his mechanic Earl Borland, in the crash of their Hamilton H-45 aircraft in 1929. Eielson and Borland were attempting a rescue flight to an icebound ship in the Bering Sea when they were killed. On 1 April 1948, the Eielson Air Force Base Wing (Base Complement) was formed. The host-unit subsequently would be dubbed the Eielson Air force Base Bomb Wing, and finally, in January 1949, the 5010th Wing. Colonel John L. Nedwed, the third commander of the base since it fell under Alaskan Air Command fifteen months before, became the first to head the 5010th.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
For the next 34 years, the 5010th (alternately known as the Wing, Composite Wing, Air Base Wing, and lastly, Combat Support Group) served as host-unit at Eielson. Construction boomed at Eielson during the 1950s. Many of the facilities used today were built at that time, including Amber Hall, the Thunderdome, Base Exchange, Gymnasium, Theater, some of the schools, and many of the dormitories.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
During the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, Eielson-based Lockheed U-2 pilot Charles Maultsby was allegedly blinded by the aurora borealis while collecting radiation from Soviet nuclear weapons tests over the North Pole and accidentally strayed Template:Convert into Soviet airspace, into Chukotka. Soviet MiG interceptors were sent to intercept the plane before he was escorted back to U.S. territory by nuclear-armed F-102 interceptors.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Cold War saw the use of Eielson's expansive reservation as a maneuver area for the U.S. Army. The 1960s 171st Infantry Brigade (Separate) and 172nd Infantry Brigade (Separate) both trained here, both on a regular and extensive basis, not to mention units of the Alaska National Guard. Later in the 70s mid 80s the 172nd Infantry Brigade (the 171st Infantry Brigade was inactivated on 13 November 1972), followed by the 6th Infantry Division when the 172nd Infantry Brigade itself was deactivated on 15 April 1986 (it was reactivated in Alaska on 17 April 1998, and inactivated in Iraq on 14 December 2006)
In 1984, the 343d Composite Wing was redesignated a Tactical Fighter Wing. Seven years later, in 1991, it was redesignated as the 343d Wing. Also that year, the 343d gained a second flying unit, the 11th Tactical Air Support Squadron (11 TASS), which flew OA-10 aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 20 August 1993, the 354 FW replaced the 343d Wing. No personnel or equipment were affected by the change. Prior to its shutdown, the 343d was the oldest surviving air combat unit in Alaska with a lineage dating back to the Aleutian Campaign. The 18 FS, whose history also dated back to World War II, remained active, but the 355 FS replaced the 11th TASS.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Another change involved the 3rd Fighter Training Squadron, which was replaced by the 353rd Fighter Squadron (later redesignated as a Combat Training Squadron).
Within the first year of its arrival the 354 FW hosted an Arctic combat search and rescue exercise between the United States, Canada, and Russia. Ironically, these were the same countries that took part in the search and recovery efforts that followed the fatal crash of Carl Ben Eielson and his mechanic, Earl Borland, in 1930 as they were attempting to fly relief supplies to the Nanuk.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
File:Eielson-afb-hursey-gate.jpgHursey Gate at Eielson, the primary access point to and from the base. A partial interchange was built on the Richardson Highway in conjunction with the relocation and rebuilding of the gate.
Airmen who are stationed on Eielson commonly refer to themselves as "Icemen" due to the frigid Alaskan weather. Their wing motto is: "Ready to go at fifty below!"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Department of the Air Force has selected Eielson Air Force Base for its first nuclear microreactor. A National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) assessment will begin by 2024. Microreactor testing and demonstration of power and steam is expected by year-end 2027.<ref name=power-20230831>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=nei-20231122>Template:Cite news</ref>
The groundwater contains lead and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like benzene, xylene, and toluene. Several areas of underground petroleum-contaminated soil and floating petroleum product are the sources of continuing groundwater contamination. Ingesting or coming into direct contact with contaminated groundwater or soil can pose a potential health threat. Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated fish were also found in the area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Construction of the superfund site was complete in 1998.<ref name="epa progress">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2014, Eielson tested waters and soils for perfluorinated compounds around areas where aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) had been used for firefighting and training. In March 2015, the base changed its source of drinking water, because contamination had been found. In April 2015, wells near Moose Creek, Alaska, the community to the north, were tested and found contaminated.<ref name=fnm>Template:Cite news</ref> In July 2015, water from 132 Moose Creek wells, which serve more than 200 residences, was found to contain perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) above the health advisory level of 0.2 micrograms per liter by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The highest reading in Moose Creek was 2.09 micrograms per liter, and the highest level on Eielson reached 2,000 micrograms per liter at the site of a KC-135 aircraft fire in 1989. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said "contamination stretches 6.5 miles from the south of Eielson's runway to the north of Moose Creek and is found up to 100 feet deep". Template:As of the extent of contamination was unknown and if there was one large plume or multiple small ones. The USAF has held meetings to discuss different solutions for providing affected homes with water.<ref name=fairbanks>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:As of, between 145 and 150 homes had well water with PFOS above the EPA health advisory concentrations. With EPA's national water quality standard announced in May 2016, 15 more homes in the Moose Creek community were added.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Work is now being done to connect the affected homes to water from the City of North Pole's public utilities.
There were 1,448 households, out of which 77.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 92.4% were married couples living together, 2.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 2.3% were non-families. 2.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 0.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.52 and the average family size was 3.55. At the base the population was spread out, with 40.8% under the age of 18, 16.6% from 18 to 24, 41.2% from 25 to 44, 1.2% from 45 to 64, and 0.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 110.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.7 males.<ref name="GR2"/>
The median income for a household in the base was $35,938, and the median income for a family was $35,688. Males had a median income of $24,961 versus $21,432 for females. The per capita income for the base was $11,512. 6.0% of the population and 5.1% of families were below the poverty line. Of the total population, 7.5% under the age of 18 years and 0.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.<ref name="GR2"/>
The 18th Fighter Squadron (18 FS) converted to the 18th Aggressor Squadron. This squadron trains in the same manner as the aggressors at Nellis Air Force Base, learning the flying styles and abilities of foreign air forces to train USAF pilots. Aircraft changes entail sending all 18 of its Block 40 F-16 Fighting Falcons to Kunsan Air Base, Korea, and receiving 18 Block 30 F-16Cs from Kunsan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The 18th Aggressor Squadron was officially established on 24 August 2007.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The base formerly housed two separate elementary schools, Anderson and Crawford (grades K-2 and 3-6, respectively<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>), along with Ben Eielson Junior/Senior High School. In 2022 Anderson closed.<ref name=Snyderforgood/> The junior-senior high school closed 2024,<ref>Template:Cite web - Copy atAnchorage Daily News</ref> due to a loss in funds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office 1961 (republished 1983, Office of Air Force History, Template:ISBN).
Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984) Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. Template:ISBN.
Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases Volume I: Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. Office of Air Force History.
Martin, Patrick (1994). Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Military Aviation History. Template:ISBN.
Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. Template:ISBN.
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