Eilson AFB - Base Realignment and Closure

In May 2005 the Department of Defense recommended to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) the virtual closure of Eielson Air Force Base, located 26 miles southeast of Fairbanks. The Defense Department recommended the withdrawal of 2,821 uniformed personnel and a transfer of the aircraft inventory of the 354th Fighter Wing to Nevada, Georgia and Louisiana. According to military sources, high operational and infrastructure costs put Eielson AFB on their realignment list. The base has a more than 60-year presence in the Fairbanks area and has been a solid foundation in the local economy.