Fort Wainwright was established in 1939 as U.S. Army Air Corps Ladd Field. It was transferred to the Air Force in 1947 as Ladd Air Force Base before finally becoming the Army's Fort Wainwright in 1961. It was named for General Jonathan Wainwright who led U.S. forces in the Philippines in World War II.


Wainwright was first used to test aircraft in arctic conditions. The Fairbanks area can reach extreme temperatures of 90 degrees Fahrenheit during summer and even go as low as 60 degrees below zero during the winter.


The fort serves as Joint Force Land Component Command which supports Joint Task Force Alaska. It also provides housing for two tenants of the U.S. Army Alaska (USARAK), also known as America's Arctic Warriors, which include the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team and the Northern Warfare Training Center. Wainwright employs nearly 7,400 soldiers and close to 2,200 civilians.