Adak Naval Station, Alaska

A remote and barren outpost on an island in the middle of the Aleutian Chain, the Naval Air Facility in Adak had a community of 5,000 as recently as a few years ago, until its closure in 1997 as mandated by the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC). Most of the naval facilities were transferred to the Aleut Corporation, who currently manage a marine fueling facility, the Port of Adak with its associated services, and the Adak Seafood Processing Facility. The facilities at Adak were especially built for the harsh environment, which is very seismically active and extremely windy. The treeless island is littered with ash from nearby volcanoes. Anti-submarine warfare surveillance aircraft were stationed here, and chemical warfare material has contaminated portions of the base which are undergoing remediation.