Alaska Outstanding Example
Of Unified Military Forces
Alaska will be held up as a
practical working example when
t the nation observes second Armed
Forces day tomorrow, May 19.
In the Territory, States and
overseas the theme is “unifica
tion” of the armed services.
Armed Forces day was instituted
as a tribute to the country’s
fighting men—on land, on sea,
and in the air, working together
in war and in peace to achieve a
common purpose.
The Alaskan command, estab
lished in January, 1947, is one of
the truly unified commands set
up under the United States joint
chiefs of staff. It is similar to
the command existing in Europe,
^in the far east, and in several
other sections of the world.
Under its commander-in-chief,
Lt. Gen. W. E. Kepner, the Alas
kan command embraces all army,
navy and air force in the Terri
tory.
Because Alaska is primarily an
air force theater, the air force
member of the joint chiefs of
staff is the Alaskan command’s
designated executive agent in
►Washington, and the commander
in-chief of the Alaskan command
is an air force officer. However,
the staff of the Alaskan command
consists of members of all serv
ices, and the commander-in
chief’s function is the over-all di
rection of Alaska’s defense role.
..Territorial Command Unified..
Under the Alaskan command j
, come the three organizations j
which work inter-dependently for |
the protection of this vast terri
tory. U. S. army, Alaska, is
headed by Maj. Gen Julian Cun
ningham. The Alaskan sea fron
tier, headquarters at Kodiak, op
erates under the command of
Rear Admiral Clifton A. F.
Sprague. Commanding general
of the Alaskan air command is
Maj. Gen. William D. Old. If an
aggressor should strike at Alas
ka, the three services would be
ready to spring into concerted ac
tion under the leadership of Gen
eral Kepner.
It is the function of U. S. army,
Alaska, to provide ground de
fenses for the Territory, and to
lend logistical support to both the
army and the air force. Protec
tion of the land lines of commu
nication is also the army’s job, as
is the operation of the ports of
Whittier and Anchorage. The
army’s indoctrination school at
Big Delta hardens men to the
rigors of arctic living, and trains
them in the use of equipment and
supplies in extreme weather.
The Alaskan sea frontier’s as
signment is the protection of Al
aska’s sea lanes and its 27,000
miles of coastline, from the tip
of the Aleutian chain to the far
thest reaches of the northern
mainland. Sea search and rescue
operations, and the support of all
the military with seaborne sup
plies and equipment, are other
missions of this organization.
First Line Defense
To the Alaskan air command
falls the job of warding off any
air aggression against Alaskan
military installations. In addi
TWENTY YEARS AGO...
I started the Youth Symphony Orchestra move
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THE SAME THING CAN HAPPEN HERE!
There is as much musical ialeni in the Maianuska Valley
as anywhere in the world. No finer young people ever grew!
They deserve ihe same opporiuniiies as young folk in Ihe
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LEASES ON ALASKA
AIRPORTS
Legislation to encourage private
construction of hangars at the
civil aeronautics administration
airports at Anchorage and Fair
banks has been sent to the House
after receiving senate approval.
The bill seeks to extend from
10 to 20 years the period of time
that the secretary of commerce
may lease real property on the
two airports nearing completion.
The senate committee on inter
state and foreign commerce in re
porting the bill prior to senate
action made the following state
ment in justification of the bill:
“The early satisfaction of han
gar requirements of the two air
ports is urgent and must be ac
complished within the next work
ing season. Since the construction
of hangar facilities would require
funds in addition to the $17 mil
lion already authorized for the
airports, the civil aeronautics ad
ministration is unable to provide
such facilities, and since the
cities of Anchorage and Fair
banks are not disposed to sponsor
such projects, it is necessary that
tion, the air command provides
weather reconnaissance and air
rescue.
These are the elements de
signed to protect the Territory of
Alaska, and to prevent its being
used as a jumping-off point to
the continental United States.
They are the elements of the Al
askan command — a practical,
working example of the unifica
tion which next Saturday will be
discussed during the country’s
observance of Armed Forces day.
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private persons be interested in I
constructing such facilities.
“The existing 10-year limitation
on leases has made it impossible
for the civil aeronautics adminis
tration to interest private persons
in constructing such facilities.
The CAA has been advised by
several persons that while they
were interested in constructing
hangars for rental to users, they
could not obtain the necessary
financing for such projects be
cause of the 10-year lease limita
tion. In addition, they &re reluc
tant to undertake the erection
and operation of hangars because
if they are to regain their original
investment during the term of a
10-year lease, the rental price per
square foot of hangar space
would be so high that few users
could afford to utilize such space.
If the department of commerce
were authorized to grant leases
to such persons for a period of 20
years, as is here proposed, financ
ing would become available and
the longer period of assured oper
ation would permit them to lease
space to users at a reasonable
rate. If the urgently needed
hangar requirements are to be
satisfied by private persons at an
early date, the proposed amend
ment must be enacted.”
r
VISITORS IN WASHINGTON
Mr. and Mrs. Hilton L. Mantle
of Anchorage, called on Delegate
Bartlett while in Washington on
vacation. Mantle is with The Al
aska Railroad, and Mrs. Mantle
is executive secretary of the An
chorage Chamber of Commerce.
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