The Department of Defense

In June 1942, the Japanese occupied some of the western Aleutian islands, and hoped to occupy Amchitka.[12] Eager to remove the Japanese, the Joint Chiefs of Staff agreed to move quickly to regain the territory. American planners decided to build a series of airfields to the west of Umnak, from which bombers could attack the invading forces.[13]

The U.S. Army established bases at Adak and 13 other locations.[13] At the War Department's suggestion, an initial reconnaissance of Amchitka was carried out in September 1942, which found that it would be difficult to build an airstrip on the island.[12] Nevertheless, planners decided on December 13 that the airfield "had to be built" to prevent the Japanese from doing the same.[12] A further reconnaissance mission visited Amchitka from 17 to 19 December, and reported that a fighter strip could be built in two to three weeks, and a main airfield in three to four months.[12] The plan was approved and began in 1942.[12]

American forces made an unopposed landing on Amchitka on January 12, 1943, although the destroyer Worden (DD-352) grounded and sank with the loss of 14 lives. Despite facing difficult weather conditions and bombing from the Japanese, the airfield was usable by February 16.[12] The Alaska Command was now 80 km (50 mi) away from their target, Kiska.[13] The military eventually built numerous buildings, roads, and a total of three airstrips on the island,[11] some of which would later be renovated and used by the Atomic Energy Commission.[14] At its peak, the occupancy of Amchitka reached 15,000 troops.[11]

The Aleutian Islands campaign was successfully completed on August 24, 1943.[13] In that month, a strategic intercept station was established on the island, which remained until February 1945.[15] The Army abandoned the site in August 1950.[16] The site later hosted an Air Force weather station in the 1950s, a White Alice telecommunication system in 1959 to 1961, and a temporary relay station in the 1960s and 1970s.[11]
[edit] Plans for nuclear testing
The locations of the nuclear tests

The Department of Defense initially considered the island for nuclear testing planned for 1951. Requiring information about the cratering potential of nuclear weapons, plans were made to detonate two 20-kiloton (84 TJ) devices.[5] After drilling approximately 34 test holes, the site was deemed unsuitable,[16] and the project was moved to the Nevada test site.[5]

In the late 1950s, scientists realized that improved seismological knowledge was necessary for the detection of Soviet underground nuclear explosions.[17] The 1.7-kiloton (7.1 TJ) "Rainier" test (part of Operation Plumbbob, performed in Nevada) produced strong seismic signals, but looked much like an ordinary earthquake. In 1959, Dr. James R. Killian, the Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, formed the Panel on Seismic Improvement (which subsequently recommended the program that came to be known as Vela Uniform), with the twin goals of improving seismic instruments and deploying them globally, and researching in more depth the seismic effects of nuclear explosions.[18] The project was subsequently initiated by the Eisenhower administration.[17]

Together with the Atomic Energy Commission, the DoD began assessing Amchitka for use as part of the Vela Uniform testscheap hotels Sydney
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