Historic airfield has dynamic future

  • Published
  • By Maj. Guy Hayes
  • Alaska National Guard
BRYANT ARMY AIRFIELD, Alaska --  There are similar places all across Alaska like Bryant Army Airfield on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Listen closely and you can almost hear the men and women who've worked in the hangars, shops and on the flightline. Their stories paint a picture of a raw Alaska, and listening to their experiences is like sitting down with a blanket in front of a nice fire. Warm and vivid with the crackle of an old voice sharing experiences of a simple, yet more challenging time.

In the 1950s, Alaska was an untouched and developing territory with aviation at the forefront of transportation.

Fort Richardson was established in 1939 and following the National Security Act of 1947, the installation split into two military bases in 1950, handing over Elmendorf Field to the newly created Air Force.

With no airfield of its own, the U.S. Army on Fort Richardson established Bryant Army Airfield in 1958 to provide logistical support to remote areas across Alaska. Consisting of only one hangar, a landing strip and a few small support facilities, its primary mission was to deliver supplies.

"I came to Alaska in 1963 and went to work for the forestry department," said Col. (ret) John Spalding. "I transferred from the Oklahoma National Guard and was flying with the Army because the Alaska Guard didn't have any aircraft stationed here."

Spalding, the Alaska Army National Guard's first state aviation officer, flew the UH-21 Shawnee, UH-1A Huey, L-19 Bird Dog, OH-13 Sioux and the U-1A single engine Otter, which the Guard received in 1968, according to Spalding.

"We had three to five Otters at that time," Spalding said. "There was little security and people could come and go on the flightline. We only had seven or eight pilots, and most of our missions were for training."

Looking across the flightline, Spalding fondly points out how many things have changed and the improvements Bryant has received throughout the years.

"The airfield has changed quite a bit. Part of the runway was paved and part of it wasn't. Also, in those days the airfield had the operations building, black hanger, Butler building, the tower and that was it," Spalding remembers.

The Air Traffic Control Tower, known as building 48000, was built in 1961 and manned by U.S. Army personnel. The tower operators controlled the airspace over a very busy flight corridor that included the 120th Aviation Company's UH-1 Huey helicopters.
On March 28, 1964, North America's most powerful earthquake struck the south-central region of Alaska. Following the massive 9.2 earthquake, Alaska National Guardsmen assisted with rescue efforts while U.S. Army pilots flew helicopters out of Bryant to capture aerial photography and survey the damage.

"This is a very stable geological area," said Chief Warrant Officer (ret) Jim Noe, Bryant Army Airfield airport manager with 42 years of military service. "The tower communications on Elmendorf and the international airport failed in the '64 earthquake. It didn't stop operations on their airfields too much, but it caused problems and Bryant didn't have any problems."

In 1984, Bryant Airfield officially became Bryant Army Heliport. The field, which was also used as a base for flying clubs, was used mainly for rotary wing operations and didn't require fixed wing aircraft standards for an airfield.

"There are criteria that have to be met on a scheduled basis to keep the airfield up as an airfield," Noe said. "It automatically became a heliport because there are requirements for runway testing and cracked sealing, they just didn't do it, and it became an ineffective airfield."

The U.S. Army's 120th Aviation Company pulled out of Bryant in 1996, eventually leasing the property to the Army National Guard in 1998. With no personnel or funds to keep the tower manned, the air traffic control tower was vacated, but Bryant continued to house the Alaska Army National Guard's C-23 Sherpas and UH-60 Black Hawks.

With the departure of the U.S. Army and funds to man the tower, safety became a concern for many Alaska National Guard aviators, including Chief Warrant Officer Dave Benesch, who transferred into the Alaska Army National Guard in 1972 following a tour in Vietnam.

"When the 120th left, they took all their tower personnel," Benesch said. "Bryant moved from a Class D, which is controlled airspace, into a Class G, which means anybody can fly through it anytime and do whatever they want to do."

Benesch, who flew the UH-1 Huey 40-years ago in Vietnam, flies the more modern UH-60 Black Hawk today and is optimistic because of the current plans and renovations for the tower, flightline and buildings occurring on Bryant.

"It's a whole different place now and a lot bigger than it was," Benesch commented while sharing a laugh with Spalding. "We have two full-size hangars and this one here, which is almost full size. And what they have coming out in the future, well, I think this is going to be a great place and good headquarters for National Guard aviation."

Authors Note: This is the first of a two part series on Bryant Army Airfield. The second feature will discuss the improvements currently occurring to the airfield to make it a critical airfield for the Alaska National Guard and the state of Alaska.