Logistical challenges at the Last Frontier

  • Published
  • By Capt. Anthony Mollison
  • 611th Air Support Squadron
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Alaska, our 49th state, derives from the Aleut word meaning "great land." It has been called the "Last Frontier" by its early pioneers because of the abundance of opportunities it offers to gold seekers, oil companies and other entrepreneurs and tourists with an appetite for adventure. 

Its geographic location provides a strategic advantage with a shorter route to Europe and Asia via the Arctic. This became more evident during the Cold War since a threat from the Soviet Union could likely come from across the North Pole; Alaska became the northern "eyes" of our nation with its network of Distant Early Warning radars spread across the coastline to detect any aggression from the north and the west. 

Although the Cold War has ended, many threats still exist, demanding the continued presence of remote military sites across the state. Although advancements in technology have enabled reductions in manpower and infrastructure, providing logistics support to sustain operations at the remote locations that remain continues to be an everyday challenge. 

Just as it did during World War II, Elmendorf Air Force Base continues to play a vital role as the main air logistics center and staging area for the Aleutian Islands as well as interior Alaska. The 611th Air Support Squadron's logistics readiness flight is the primary office of responsibility for coordinating passenger and cargo support for Eareckson Air Station, the Forward Operating Location at King Salmon airport, 15 remote radar sites and three radio relay stations scattered throughout the state. 

Alaska is large, and covers more than 656,000 square miles. The rugged topography and harsh climate limits modes of transportation with this immense size. The road network is limited to only 5,674 state highway miles, compared to the tiny state of Delaware, which has over 10,000 in a far smaller area. Only three sites are accessible by road - Murphy Dome radar site near Fairbanks, Valdez radio relay station, and Oliktok radar site near Prudhoe Bay. The remainder of the sites and stations are only accessible by air or water. Military logisticians face similar transportation constraints only in underdeveloped countries such as Afghanistan. 

This shortage of roads limits access to many of the sites. As a result, travelers to the radar sites are heavily reliant on C-12 airlift provided by the 3rd Wing's 517th Airlift Squadron. An Air Mobility Command-contracted Gulfstream II through Flight Works, Inc. moves passengers to Eareckson AS three times weekly. Cargo movement typically occurs on AMC-contracted Lynden Air L-100's or contracted barges through the Army's Surface Deployment and Distribution Command. For fuel, many of the sites rely on seasonal barges for resupply, and in the cases of Sparrevohn and Indian Mountain interior radar sites, fuel can only be delivered by aircraft, 5,000 gallons at a time. 

One of the biggest logistical hurdles is weather. Project cool barge, a barge contracted by the government to transport bulk items, is one the preferred methods of getting fuel and large quantities of supplies to some of the sites. But due to the harsh arctic conditions which may bring winds exceeding 100 miles an hour, the sea states often become too dangerous for navigation. This limits the barge "season" in the Aleutian chain from April through September. For the coastal sites in the west and north of the state, sea ice is the main limiting factor. 

This dependability on airlift can often create single points of failure. To overcome this, detailed long-term planning and coordination with site personnel is required for delivery of critical fuel, food, supplies and personnel. To ensure the smoothest possible logistics operations, planning for these events can start as much as six to eight months prior to delivery. 

Despite the challenges of access and weather, and the occasional volcanic activity, members of the logistics readiness flight successfully deliver eight million gallons of fuel annually to the remote sites while ensuring safe and reliable transportation of more than 5,000 passengers and 2,700 tons of equipment and supplies annually. Alaska may no longer be the final frontier, but its logistical constraints are unlike anything else on Earth.