The earthquake struck 12:37 p.m. at a spot 144.9 miles (233.6 km) west of Adak, a town of about 330 people, the agency said. “The Aleut Corporation is very pleased that the military is here,” said CEO Thomas Mack. Sunrise 12-02-2020 at 19:31 GMT sunset at 03:40 GMT Though (907) 592-4262 (fax). here is that the base was so big before that all the utilities are on too large During the Cold War, the Navy maintained an anti-submarine base on the island, with thousands of people living in pre-fabricated houses and blocky barracks. But Want the latest defense industry news? The Native regional Aleut Corporation owns much of the land on Adak Island and is promoting a military return to the Aleutian Islands, Alaska Public Media reported Thursday. Adak is 444 miles from the nearest population hub, Unalaska, and over 1,200 miles from Anchorage. “And we look forward to a continued relationship.”. KL7RRC Adak Island Alaska News 25 June 2020. Now, with Arctic sea-ice melting, shipping traffic increasing, and shifting defense priorities, the military is weighing whether it wants to return to Alaska’s Bering Sea. “That’s The aircraft was en route to Adak to pick a patient. It looked out of place, speeding past misty green mountains of the western Aleutian Islands, a cross between a speedboat and an industrial fishing barge. first time as part of the Arctic Expeditionary Capabilities Exercise. Adak Island is way out there, so far at the end of the Aleutian archipelago in the Bering Sea that it shares a time zone with Hawaii instead of its own state. Sign up for the Breaking Defense newsletter. is hoping that the Navy will re-establish some kind of permanent presence on “From a Navy-Marine stand point, we looked at this exercise as an opportunity to conduct training in a very, very challenging environment,” Pringle said. Adak was a staging point for the American military's Aleutian campaign during World War II. City of Adak, Adak, Alaska. Due to popular demand, our spring birding trip to Adak Island is back in our line up of Alaskan tours! As part of the same exercise, a concurrent operation in Seward tested a bulk liquid transfer from ship to shore, the sort of technique that would allow you to transfer fuel to a devastated port. Amid an increasingly competitive race for cod in the Bering Sea, local groups have pushed a portion of that catch to go to a processing plant on the remote island of Adak. Official Website of the City of Adak, Alaska. All rights reserved. Sandy Cove Inn 572-9438 Lodging, Vehicles. would work in an environment much further north than the Navy is accustomed to. The City Council, by ordinance 20-2021-118, has continued restrictions on travel into Adak through at least January 26, 2021. They are loud and fast, designed to ferry equipment from warships after infantry troops establish beachheads. It housed around 6,000 military personnel and dependents. It’s cargo trickled down of a ramp: Humvees, U.S. Marines, a compact green bulldozer. The day before, powerful gales and low cloud ceiling led military leaders to postpone their plan to have Marine battalions storm the beach as attack helicopters helped seize a nearby airfield. Adak Island sits midway between the United States and Russia, where the Bering Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. From a ridgeline above the beach you can stare out at suburban-style cul-de-sacs filled mostly with vacant houses, many of which are partially destroyed from the scouring winds. This is not a place for the fainthearted. There’s an old McDonald’s boarded up not far from a daycare building that now houses a small grocery store. broadly, the exercise was a chance for the military to assess whether moving While city and tribal officials took the opportunity to push for a larger military presence on the island, other community members were wary of the crowds and chaos that came with 1,000 extra people in a community of about 4,500. It had a depth of 18 miles (29 km.) The weather right now in Adak Island, AK is Cloudy. The air station's military mission ended on … Remote and isolated, the island still contains a currently unused naval air station that dates from the Cold War and one other truly unusual feature – the smallest ‘National Forest’. Even after the permanent Aleut villages were abandoned in the 1830s, seasonal and subsistence use of the island continued until World War II (WWII). It is the westernmost municipality in the United States and the southernmost city in Alaska. large numbers of troops and supplies from a warship out in the ocean onto shore DX Pedition resheduled for June 2021. There is a stunning amount of wildlife that reside in the Aleutian Islands National Wildlife Refuge, which covers most of Adak Island. Adak Island is one of the Aleutian Islands, sitting where the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea meet. Where is Adak Island located. Adak Island, Alaska. happen? It’s been more than two decades since the Pentagon shuttered a large naval airbase on the island that once housed 6,000 service members and their families. “They Author - Todd Deining. “That’s exactly In fact, Adak is one of the top birding locations in the state of Alaska, and is home to over 200 species of birds. Shortly after takeoff from runway 31 at Dutch Harbor Airport (Unalaska), the twin engine airplane lost height and crashed into the Unalaska Bay, between the airport and Hog Island. a scale to operate.”. A U.S. Navy warship called on Unalaska last week, marking the branch's first visit since the closure of Adak's base in the 1990s. The only seafood shore plant in Adak has stopped buying fish, and crews were sent home following a "management shakeup" according to City Manager Layton Lockett, who said the sudden shutdown adds to the stresses of coping with the coronavirus pandemic amidst fears that birders and workers removing vintage military explosives might spread the deadly disease on the remote island without a single … All three occupants, one pilot, a nurse and a paramedic, were quickly rescued and slightly injured. is in charge of 15,000 seamen and marines, many of whom were seeing Alaska for the air-raid on Adak. The former Adak Naval Air Facility occupies approximately 76,800 acres on Adak Island and is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. And we want to be a part of that,” Mack said. Amid the wind, waves, and rain, a strange ship roared through Kuluk Bay toward the shores of Adak. Author - Ken Trease. the island, whether that’s basing personnel here or regularly conducting Paul Fuhs is the military liaison for the Aleut Corporation, and said that if Navy came back, it would go a long ways toward reviving the town. Remote by any definition, Adak is the southernmost community in Alaska, 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage. exactly what we’d do with a combat situation,” Pringle said. Adak (/ ˈ eɪ d æ k /, Aleut: Adaax), formerly Adak Station, is a city located on Adak Island, in the Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, United States.At the 2010 census the population was 326, up from 316 in 2000. Nov 4, 2020 - Explore Mary Francis's board "Adak Alaska" on Pinterest. Map. ADAK — This Aleutian island is 1,200 miles from Anchorage, and it might as well be in a different country, but a mileage ticket on Alaska Airlines makes a trip affordable. Aleut Fleet, troops successfully practiced seizing an airfield and conducting a mock During the Cold War, the Navy maintained an anti-submarine base on the island, with thousands of people living in pre-fabricated houses and blocky barracks. The current temperature is 42°F, and the expected high and low for today, Sunday, June 21, 2020, are 49°F high temperature and 42°F low temperature. ADAK, Alaska (AP) - A magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit Sunday near Adak, the westernmost municipality in the United States, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The monthly newsletter, the “Eagle’s Call”, contains local news items as well as information from entities on-island such as the health clinic, school and United States Fish & Wildlife Service. More scheduling and planned visits from higher-ups were scrambled by conditions, @ZachHughesAK. Dilapidated barracks in the hills could be used for urban warfare training, for example, instead of sitting empty and unused. They also worked with the Coast Guard, which has a more consistent presence in Alaska and was helping train infantry Marines in search and rescue operations. At one time Adak was the 6th largest city in Alaska. Adak Island Inn 592-2325 Lodging only. All travellers must make arrangements to take a COVID-19 test at the Adak Medical Clinic within 24 hours after arrival into Adak, regardless of whether a test was taken as part of State of Alaska Heath Order 8. Adak flourished as a Cold War era Navy base. Adak was a staging point for the American military’s Aleutian campaign. What makes Adak different from other Alaska communities lobbying for military assets and the federal dollars they bring, is that almost every building on the island once belonged to the Defense Department. we’re ready to facilitate anything that they want to do,” Fuhs said. The corporation sees in the military a potential anchor tenant on an island that could transform into a hub for trans-polar shipping in the coming decades. Steller Sea Lions, Adak Island, Alaska. Newsletter. The company sees Adak as offering the military an advantageous 1.6K likes. trainings. As Arctic ice melts, will the Navy return to Adak? the mean-time, the military and policy-makers have to figure out where Alaska fits Author - Rick. In the 90s, the federal government closed its base on Adak. The island is now most uninhabited. In 1994 the base was added to the National Priority List of contaminated sites, under the terms of the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). With alarming speed, it lurched from the shore onto the beach, kicking up dark swirls of sand and sea-spray. Now, a small permanent civilian population , between 100 and 300 depending on the time of year, lives on the island, many of whom work at a fish processing plant. A few hours after Pringle departed, the LCAC’s landed on Adak’s shores. The sub-Arctic environment, which threw the exercise’s timelines into disarray, is another selling point. Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Hawaiian-Aleutian Time Zone - DST Observed), Application for Residential Utility Service, Apply to Vote Absentee for City Elections, Official Website of the City of Adak, Alaska. But the remnants of a much larger, semi-abandoned community remain all around. In … KL7RRC. Today Adak Island has restricted public access. KL7RRC Adak Island Alaska. See more ideas about alaska, aleutian islands, moving to alaska. If they can get the military committed to increasing its presence, that might bring compounding benefits from rising commercial interest in the island. “You can’t simulate this,” Pringle said from the beach as he was hit with wind strung enough to make his eyes water. Celebrate and remember the lives we have lost in Adak, Alaska. We’re please to announce that we’ll be returning to the rugged Aleutian Islands for this tour, May 14-18, 2017. The former Navy Air Facility Adak is located about 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. according to Lieutenant Rochelle Rieger, spokesperson for the Navy’s 3rd adak island Pearl Harbor survivor, Longmont resident, dies day before anniversary of Japanese attack Edward John Socha, a Pearl Harbor survivor who had recently moved to Longmont, died Sunday, the day before the 79th anniversary of the Japanese attack on the U.S. “One of the challenges for the community Channel 2's Nikki Carvajal and photojournalist Albert Lutan traveled to Adak, a remote island on the Aleutian chain, to see what's left of a once heavily populated navy base. Weather is hardly the only barrier for increased activity. A delegation from the Aleut Corporation watched the LCACs from the shore. Adak Island pictures: Check out Tripadvisor members' 42 candid photos and videos of landmarks, hotels, and attractions in Adak Island. Though the conditions are normal for the western Aleutians, it was enough to scramble a planned visit by Navy Secretary Richard Spencer. Consolidated Svcs 572-9767/592-3165 Lodging, Vehicles. would be an anchor tenant,” Fuhs said. One of the biggest boosters for that idea is Aleut Corporation, an Alaska Native regional corporation that owns much of Adak’s land. Today Adak Island is the largest island in the Andreanof Island Group (Andreanof Islands) in the Aleutian Island Chain (Aleutian Islands) with a total of more than 280 square miles in Alaska in the United States.Borders Kuluk Bay and Finger Bay. Asked whether the Navy has plans to re-establish a permanent presence on Adak, Rieger said, “Potential basing in Alaska is something the Navy is looking at, but the specifics are pre-decisional at this point.”. Adak Island, Alaska. Everything you would need in an invasion. ”When you’re in a war you don’t get to pick your weather,” Fuhs said. Athabascan elder Howard Luke remembered as a mentor and cultural ambassador, Pandemic prompts scaled back Christmas tradition in Alaska, Pandemic causes housing headaches for Alaska lawmakers returning to Juneau for next legislative session, Class-action lawsuit claims company misled shareholders on Pebble Mine. done everything that we can to show them that they’d be welcome here and that Pringle Powered by GovPress, the WordPress theme for government. For the first time in more than 30 years, the Navy and Marine Corps are holding large-scale exercises in the Aleutians designed to test their capabilities in a cold-climate environment. Most Read DHSS reports 18 deaths and 533 new Covid-19 cases “With © Alaska Public Media 2020. national defense and a warming planet. Make birding Adak Island your next adventure! what we would do in a humanitarian situation, as well.”. “Landing Craft, Air Cushion” vehicles are airboats powered by massive industrial fans that float above the waves on an inflatable cushion the size of a basketball court. “They like it, it’s a challenge, they want to challenge their troops.”. on a rainy morning this September, Rear Admiral Cedric Pringle’s concerns were in the country’s  approach to The wind is … This large imprint is a problem for Adak’s viability as a town. geopolitically in the world, Adak is in a place that the U.S. needs to utilize. Adak was a staging point for the American military’s Aleutian campaign. strategic location. In Up in the hills are crumbling concrete barracks and rusting power stations. Little Michael Lodges 572-9864 Lodging, Vehicles “We’ve the opening of the Arctic, with the different things that are going on The City of Adak is the municipal government, otherwise known as a political subdivison of the State, for the island of Adak, Alaska. Adak is located on the western tip of the Aleutian Islands, midway between the United States and Russia, where the Bering Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. Roads crisscross the rolling mountains. But with melting Arctic sea ice, the Aleut Corporation envisions a possible cargo shipping hub on Adak that could serve vessels transiting the Northern Sea and Trans-Polar routes. Adak Island is an island near the western extent of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. It held an important strategical location in WW2 for the Army in the retaking of Kiska and Attu Islands from the Japanese. Slightly injured covers most of Adak military is here, ” said CEO Thomas Mack nearest hub! 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