“Whoever holds Alaska, will hold the world,” Gen. Billy Mitchell famously told Congress in 1935. Today, with Russia’s military buildup in the region and China’s claims to be an Arctic nation, Mitchell’s remarks are surprisingly prescient.
With the beddown of Eielson Air Force Base’s F-35 strike fighters, there is now more fifth-generation combat power in Alaska than anywhere else in the world. That is not by accident.
Alaska’s strategic location allows U.S. fighters to reach any hotspot in the world within eight hours. The challenge now is building the expertise necessary to Fly, Fight, and Win in one of the harshest natural environments a pilot might face.
Join AFA President Bruce Wright, USAF, (Ret.), 354th Fighter Wing Commander Col. David J. Berkland, and 356th Fighter Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Ryan Worrell for a virtual fireside chat, Aug. 10 at 12:30 EST.