What to know about the isolated military base hosting Trump and Putin

Axios

a day ago

Friday's summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.
Why it matters: The military base played a crucial role in the U.S. monitoring of the Soviet Union during the Cold War. But it's rarely been visited by non-military leaders in recent years, let alone two presidents.
Driving the news: Trump and Putin's meeting on Ukraine, and the press conference that's expected to follow, are expected to take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a little known military facility in Anchorage with a storied history.
In addition to the relatively similar flight times from Washington and Moscow, the remoteness of the base may have made it more attractive.
What they're saying: "Any place you can do it that kind of isolates it, and it makes it easier to control the setting is actually important for both sides," said Benjamin Jensen, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The last thing that President Trump would want is pictures of mass demonstrations about a war criminal like Putin being in the United States."
Here's what you need to know about the base.
Quick facts on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Zoom in: The joint-base is home to the 3rd Wing of the Air Force, which operates fighter jets such as the F-22 Raptor, and is seen as a key hub for operations in Asia, the Arctic and the West Coast.
The military based houses more than 32,000 people and accounts for roughly 10% of Anchorage's population, according to the U.S. military.
The base has around $15 billion worth of infrastructure and covers 85,000 acres.
The bottom line: JBER is seen by many experts as the only location in Alaska with sufficient security to host both Putin and Trump.
How JBER was formed
The big picture: The military base as its known today was created in 2010 when Elmendorf Air Force Base merged with Fort Richardson.
Elmendorf played a crucial role in monitoring the Soviet Union during the Cold War and would also monitor for any possible nuclear attacks or military activity from the Pacific.
The base has the nickname "Top Cover for North America" for that reason, per the base's website.
Flashback: The Army first moved into Alaska in 1867 after the U.S. purchased the territory from Russia. The Air Force arrived in 1941 amid concerns related to World War II, and took on additional importance afterwards.
"Elmendorf Field assumed an increasing role in defense of North America as the uncertain wartime relations between the United States and the Soviet Union deteriorated into the Cold War," the base's website reads.
Worth noting: The Army moved to a new Fort Richardson in 1951 and the Air Force took control of the original Fort Richardson, renaming it Elmendorf Air Force Base.
They merged in 2010, expanding infrastructure in the process, according to the base's website.
Visits to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
The military base has previously played host to at least two U.S. presidents and one foreign dignitary.
In 1971, President Richard Nixon hosted Emperor Hirohito of Japan at Elmendorf, which was a historic meeting as the first time a reigning Japanese emperor visited a foreign country. Thousands of people packed a hangar to watch the interaction.
Former President Reagan stopped at Elmendorf in 1983 while en route to Japan and Korea.
Most other visitors from D.C. have been defense officials scoping out the living conditions of service members in Alaska and discussing the base's mission.