What is it like being stationed in Alaska, and what should I expect?

Second and third best assignment I ever had with the first been Fort Ord California on the Monterey Peninsula
Second-best assignment Fairbanks Alaska third best assignment Anchorage Alaska

I spent five years up there back to back three consecutive assignments in different units and both major army installations

Wife two dogs two small boys at the time and everybody loved it and we actually considered going back to retire but at the time it was just too far away from family and friends so we changed our mind

Loved it there! Was there 2012-2015, deployed once while stationed there. At Fort Dum now, just reenlisted to get Wainwright again, headed back 2018! You'll love it. The COLA and BAH alone are good enough to be there, but the beautiful scenery makes you want to never leave!

Best duty station ever! I was at Fort Wainwright for 3 years, and returned to the state once I retired out of Fort Drum. It is rugged up here, but you are in charge of your destiny. It's not all brawn, but a thinking assignment. You need to be smart on and off duty. Fairbanks is a small city and the metro area around it aren't too bad. Anchorage is a lot larger (population ~300,000) and offers all the amenities of most cities. Fort Greely is next to Delta Junction and is fairly remote, but it's only 1 1/2 hours from Fairbanks by road; so it's not the end of the world.

Like the other comments about the environment, the constantly changing amount of light or darkness depending on the season, being OCONUS, and the cost of living; you have to do some research and know where to go and what to do on your off time. There are lists you can google for stuff to do, like a top 100 things to do in Alaska thing with the gold panning, salmon fishing, kayaking, and all that. The bulk of the state is very pro military and many businesses offer discounts and openly show their support of the Armed Forces, which is pretty good considering other places.

If your unit assigns a sponsor prior to coming up, they should be able to answer many questions that you may have prior to arrival. My sponsor sent me some info and a fellow soldier gave me a copy of the Milepost, since I was driving up the ALCAN highway. It was a great reference and also helped stoke the dreams of different things and places I wanted to check out here and along the way. if you do drive, go through your vehicle and ensure it is ready for the trip, because it's a long distance and depending on the time of year very remote.