The 11th Airborne Division, known as the "Arctic Angels," is based in Alaska at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) and Fort Wainwright, serving as the U.S. Army's only Arctic Airborne division with a focus on cold-weather and high-altitude operations in the Pacific Theater. Re-activated in 2022, it includes the 1st Brigade at Fort Wainwright (Fairbanks) and the 2nd Brigade at Fort Richardson (Anchorage), specializing in airborne infantry tactics in extreme environments.
Organization and Key Units
The division is headquartered at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Anchorage and Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks.
1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Arctic Wolves): Stationed at Fort Wainwright. Formerly a Stryker brigade, it transitioned to a light infantry unit focused on Arctic mobility.
2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) (Spartans): Stationed at JBER. It is the only airborne brigade combat team in the Pacific Theater.
Arctic Aviation Command (AAC): Activated in August 2024 at Fort Wainwright, it oversees all Alaska-based aviation units, including Apache and Chinook helicopters.
Northern Warfare Training Center (NWTC): The Army’s primary facility for training soldiers in extreme cold weather and mountain warfare.
Specialized Equipment
To survive and fight in temperatures reaching -40°F, the division utilizes:
CATV (Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicle): The BvS10 Beowulf replaced the Stryker vehicle for superior over-snow maneuverability.
Arctic Gear: Includes specialized clothing, skis, snowmobiles, and equipment designed for frozen environments where standard batteries and lubricants often fail