Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) is a joint Army-Air Force installation in Anchorage, Alaska. It hosts the 11th Airborne Division, the 673d Air Base Wing and F-22 fighter operations. The base holds large-scale military exercises and shapes Anchorage's airspace and housing growth.
Photo: Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson via Wikimedia Commons · Photo source · Public domain
jber.jb.mil ↗Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, AK 99505, USA
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Defense Department official who toured JBER dorms says poor housing drains readiness
A top Defense Department official told a defense communities convention this week that run-down military housing is hurting the force. The department illustrated his remarks with a photo from his tour of dorms at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
"Substandard living conditions are not minor inconveniences," said Dale Marks, assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations and environment. "They are an active drain on morale, combat readiness and our retention of top-tier talent." He cited black mold, failing plumbing and leaky roofs.
The department's account of the speech ran a photo of Marks touring JBER's Polaris Hall dorms in August 2025. An airman dorm leader walked him through and talked with him about housing quality for soldiers and airmen, the caption says. The account doesn't say what condition Polaris Hall is in or whether it's slated for repairs.
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FAA Airspace Redesign Public Comment Deadline
FAA proposes redrawing Anchorage basin airspace and flight paths for JBER's extended runway
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