Robert Service, poet-chronicler of the Alaskan gold rush days, sang with exuberance of this adopted land.Today that same spirit is shared by the men of the USASA Detachment at Ft. Richardson, U.S. Army Alaska. Located just a few miles north of Anchorage,the state's largest city, the unit is a part of that "big, broad land way up yonder.There is one element of the detachment, in fact, even farther up yonder.It is 450 miles to the north of Anchorage at Ft. Wainwright near the city of Fairbanks - once the rough-and-tumble town of gold rush fame. Alaska is called by some the country's last frontier . . . and that's probably true. But the giant state - one-fifth the size of the rest of the United States - is a lot more.It is a modern progressive commonwealth; one whose unique location makes it of vital strategic military importance.And, characteristically, where there is a vital position, the Agency will be found.

USASA Detachment's main function is to lend support to the activities of the Army forces in Alaska. U.S. Army Alaska's functions are varied. Not only is it concerned with defense of our vast "frontier" but it is also responsible for Arctic testing of all new items of equipment as well as cold weather and mountain warfare training for the Army.One special mission of the Agency detachment is to provide support to the two Alaska National Guard Scout Battalions which are primarily manned by native Eskimos.Each year men of the detachment travel several thousand miles to visit remote villages and provide support to these units.

Throughout the year USASA Detachment, USARAL, under the command of LTC Gerald J. Beshens Jr., participates in a number of field exercises and maneuvers that are often accomplished in some pretty bizarre climatic conditions. Once the detachment was out on a winter maneuver when the temperature dipped to a numbing 60 degrees below zero.Usually the winter weather is more reasonable and seldom drops below minus 40.

One curious natural phenomenon that has confronted the men of the detachment is something called "White Out" - a condition that obliterates the horizon."White Out" is actually an ice fog that blends with the snow on the ground and the sky above.The resulting illusion is a massive bleach-white sheet. . . up, down, around, everything is white.

In this kind of chilly surrounding it's essential every member of the detachment be skilled in the techniques of cold weather survival. Everyone is.In recent history the unit has not had a serious cold weather injury. The closest thing to one occurred during a winter maneuver a few years ago when the unit's motor sergeant left his false teeth in a glass of water overnight. Next morning the teeth were frozen solid in a glass of ice and the sergeant had to gum his way through the next two meals until the ice thawed.

Of course in winter it's not all bivouac and ice at USASA Detachment, USARL. The winter weather does, naturally, lend itself to a wide range of off-duty activity. Skiing, ice-skating, hunting, and ice fishing are probably the most popular pastimes.With moose, bear, caribou, bison, and mountain sheep roaming the state's ranges, Alaska is the hunter's paradise. In fact, the moose near Ft. Richardson are so plentiful, it's not unusual to see a moose and her calf spending a leisurely afternoon in the back yards of the post's dependent housing area.

In the summer Alaska stretches out. Long luxurious summer days, blushing from temperatures in the mid-80's, beckon the Agency men to unspoiled lakes and streams, to mountains, camping areas and hiking trails.If the pioneer sprit stirs, you can even pan for gold!The men of the detachment and their families enjoy trips to the McKinley National Park, home of the nation's largest mountain peak, Mt. McKinley.

This past summer the men at the Ft. Wainwright element witnessed the "Midnight Sun," when the sun stayed above the horizon for a full 24 hours. In the land of natural beauty and excitement, USASA Detachment, USARAL, performs its mission unassumingly with the accent on excellence and professionalism.The detachment works in an environment where modern technology meets nature and both do very well. The unit is part of a spirit articulated in the theme of Alaska's centennial celebrations two years ago: "North to the Future."

In 1867 Alaska was purchased from Russia for $7,200,000, or less than 2 cents an acre. Critics called it "Seward's Folly" after Secretary of State William H. Seward who engineered the purchase.Today the spirit is "North to the Future.." USASA Detachment is happy to be in Alaska helping to make that future happen for the state and the nation.