One of the most important peoples to influence the early days of what became the UKA were the Loopers. Members of a pre-Holocaust religious sect of Fundamentalist Christians in what was Anchorage, Alaska, the Loopers survived because of their tightly knit community that required mutual aid. Their leader, the True Pastor Philip McGrath, an authoritarian, ex-military person, keep his community together with an iron hand. He virtually enslaved any outsiders who possessed skills that McGrath felt his people needed. The most famous of these "skilled slaves" was the future Duke of Nicaragua, Charles Harbuck, chosen for his pre-eminent technological skills.
After the Russians, who occupied the city during the Great War, evacuated to the more fertile areas to the north, the Loopers attempted to take control of the Anchorage Bowl. In a low grade war that lasted nearly a decade, the Loopers ended up in control of about one third of the former city.
The Loopers came to an uneasy peace with the community of Bayshore. Through that port, the Loopers traded salvage for goods manufactured in the larger world. While not particularly prosperous, their numbers continued to grow until the arrival of Rear Admiral R.E. Ffolkes completely upset the balance of power in the Anchorage bowl. The Loopers found themselves in conflict with Ffolkes' followers when the Loopers attempted to prevent Ffolkes from salvaging the items he needed to build his war fleet.
The Loopers benefited briefly when Ffolkes' people left the bowl. The altered balance of power in the bowl incited the Russians of the Mat-Su Valley to invade it. They destroyed the Looper's main rivals, the Prevoite Baptists in a large scale attack. This allowed the Loopers to attack the Bayshore community without interference, to gain control of the trade route. It appeared that the Loopers would be the dominant power in the region.
This situation did not last for long. Ffolkes was ensconced in Whittier soon after and quickly came into conflict with McGrath as the newly created Alaska League attempted to acquire what they needed to build the Phoenix. A balance of power resulted in a long conflict that cut off the Loopers from the outside world, though Ffolkes could not defeat the Loopers on land. Another invasion by the Russians, however, destroyed the Looper enclave. A salvage team headed by Craig Henrionnet helped the surviving Loopers to flee to the protection of the Alaska League fortress in Whittier. McGrath was killed while trying to defend his community. The surviving Loopers were predominantly women and children and were integrated into the Whittier community.
Many of the Looper widows married members of the predominantly young, male workforce engaged on the construction of the Phoenix. This led to a rather Puritan strain to the culture of the early Alaska League ruling class.
