Anchorage Daily News

Maj. Gen. Dana T. Atkins has been named the new commander of the Alaskan Command, 11th Air Force, Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and Joint Task Force-Alaska. He will succeed Lt. Gen. Douglas M. Fraser. The assumption of command ceremony is scheduled for Friday, the Air Force said.

Atkins is special assistant to the Pacific Air Forces commander at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. He has been selected for promotion to lieutenant general.

Fraser, who has been the military commander in Alaska since 2005, is becoming vice commander of the Pacific Command and will be based in the Marine Corps' Camp Smith in Hawaii, according to the Air Force.

According to his official Air Force biography, Atkins initially served a year as an enlisted member and in 1978 was commissioned as an officer. In his career he has flown for the Thunderbirds, commanded a fighter squadron and two fighter wings, and is a command pilot with more than 4,000 hours in fighter aircraft. He was vice commander of U.S. Air Forces in Korea in 2004-05 and a special assistant to the supreme allied commander in Europe during the air war over Serbia in 1998-2000.

The Alaskan Command integrates activities of more than 21,000 active duty, National Guard and reserve members from all military services in the state. The 11th Air Force oversees the two Air Force wings and Air Force installations in the state. The Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region directs bilateral air operations with Canada within Alaska. The Joint Task Force-Alaska is a joint command responsible for the planning and execution of all homeland defense as well as defense support of civil operations within the state.

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