Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, is the headquarters of the Alaskan Command, a unified command of the United States armed forces. The Alaskan Command is part of the U.S. Northern Command, which oversees U.S. military forces throughout North America. The commander of the Alaskan Command also heads the Alaskan Region of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (see NORAD ). During an emergency, the commander would assume control of all military forces in Alaska. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is near Anchorage. The base was established in 1940. It was named for Captain Hugh M. Elmendorf, who was killed in a test plane accident in 1933.
