176th Air Control Squadron The 176th Air Control Squadron ( 176 ACS ) is a unit of the Alaska Air National Guard 176th Wing located at Joint Base Elmendorf - Richardson , Anchorage , Alaska . Overview . The squadron provides mission - ready personnel to operate and maintain the Alaskan Region Air Operations Center ( RAOC ) of the North American Aerospace Defense Command ( NORAD ) . It integrates fixed and airborne radar into the NORAD Global Command and Control System ( NGCCS ) , and conducts 24 - hour Alaskan NORAD Region ( ANR ) and Eleventh Air Force ( 11th AF ) air sovereignty and theater air control operations . The 176th Air Control Squadron is unique amongst the other American sectors in that it controls the only sector within its region , while the Eastern Air Defense Sector and Western Air Defense Sector both comprise the Continental NORAD Region ( CONR ) . In addition to this distinction , it is the only sector that has regular reported intercepts of foreign military aircraft , with multiple intercepts of Russian Tu - 95 " Bear " aircraft through its lifetime . History . The 176th Air Control Squadron traces its lineage , honors and history to Murphy Dome Air Force Station ( AFS ) , ( originally situated in a mountainous region known as the Yukon - Tanana Upland , 20 miles northwest of Fairbanks , Alaska ) . It was one of the ten original aircraft control and warning sites constructed during the early 1950s to establish a permanent air defense system in Alaska . Murphy Dome was initially operated by a detachment of the 532d Aircraft Control and Warning Group , Ladd Air Force Base ( now Fort Wainwright ) . When the 532d was inactivated in 1951 , the site was then operated by a detachment of the 13rd Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron , Alaska Air National Guard . As part of HQ Alaskan Air Command ’ s ( HQ AAC ) plan to upgrade all remote sites to full squadrons , the 744th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron ( 744th ACWS ) was activated at Murphy Dome on 1 February 1953 with an authorized strength of 249 personnel . The mission of the 744th ACWS was to support , administer and train assigned personnel to perform air defense missions , support tactical missions as directed by HQ AAC , and operate and maintain the Murphy Dome AFS . In 1977 , the 744th ACWS was assigned to the newly reactivated 531st Aircraft Control and Warning Group ( 531st ACWG ) . The 531 ACWG was later re - designated the 11th Tactical Control Group ( 11th TCG ) in 1981 . In the early 1980s , construction began on a new NORAD Region Operations Control Center ( ROCC ) at Elmendorf AFB , which would be responsible for managing all air defense operations in Alaska , making all manned remote radar sites redundant . The 744th ACWS was selected to man the ROCC , which achieved full operational status on 15 September 1983 . All remote radar squadrons were inactivated by 1 November 1983 . Under HQ AAC ’ s “ Seek Igloo ” project , civilian manning at all remote radar sites was reduced to approximately four civilian personnel per site . In 1989 , the 744th ACWS was aligned under the newly established 11th Tactical Control Wing ( 11 TCW ) . In 1992 , this wing was renamed the 11th Air Control Wing ( 11 ACW ) , and the 744 ACWS was renamed the 744th Air Defense Squadron ( 744th ADS ) . The 11th ACW was reorganized on 1 July 1994 as the 611th Air Operations Group ( 611th AOG ) , and the 744th ADS was renamed the 611th Air Control Squadron ( 611th ACS ) . In 2001 , the 611th ACS began a four - year transition to the Alaska Air National Guard . On 1 October 2004 , the 611th ACS was officially inactivated and the 176th ACS was ceremonially recognized . Thus , the 176th ACS traces its heritage and honors from the original 744 ACWS / ADS , handed down over the past 50 years . Honors . The squadron has earned four Air Force Outstanding Unit Award s for the following periods : 13 August 1967 – 21 August 1967 , 1 January 1976 – 31 December 1976 , 1 January 1978 – 31 December 1978 , 1 July 1982 – 8 November 1983 , 1 July 1994 – 30 June 1996 , and 1 October 1999 – 30 September 2001