Getting assigned to Antarctica?

My wife told me a few months ago that she wished I was going to Afghanistan instead of 6 months TDY in Germany without her (operative word, without).

Intersting. Very Interesting.

The Navy used to deploy to Antartica, Mcmurdo Station i beleive it was. It was a detachment. 6 months of freezing and blowing snow. If my memory serves me the squadron was VXE-6. They always wintered over. My brother deployed there twice. They had a UH-1 and C-130. It was funded by the National Scientific Association or something like that.

I did two tours in the Antarctic - 1968-69 & 1969-70. Deployments were from September through March. The forward operating base was Christchurch, New Zealand. My role as a photographer allowed me to go places to photograph scientific exploration, unusual sights (I shot picture of a mirage - called a fata morgana - from the highland just above Scott's hut). i was aircrew on Navy LC-130F (ski equipped) Bu Number 148320. This aircraft had a panoramic camera system that we used for photo-mapping for USGS, and support for scientific research such as, penguin counts and research in the dry valleys. I also flew on H-34s and HUEYs. When the season started in September the sun would still be going below the horizon, the temperatures around 65 below zero and up to double whole gale winds (70 mph). I doesn't really snow there, the moisture freezes out of the air and produces a fine dust with practically no moisture content. We would use number 16 grain scoops to move it and it felt as though the shovel was empty. It was an interesting two seasons.

CPO Bernie Penkin - I saved the second one. Hope you don't mind. Also, http://waifu2x.udp.jp/ is great for enlarging photos without blur.

SGT (Join to see) - Don't mind at all Sargeant. Glad you like them.

Some of my best memories were heading to Scott Base on the other side of the hill and hanging with the Kiwis...they always the better beer! I spent most of my time at the South Pole, though. Hoping to go back there someday, but it'd have to be as a civilian next time.

No fireants either

You would experience the same daylight challenges but fewer mosquitoes. In fact, no mosquitoes as Antarctica is delightfully free of them. Instead of mosquitoes the Southern Continent boasts a liberal sprinkling of flightless fowl in formal wear. Unlike Alaska, there are no large carnivorous critters gadding about waiting to introduce you to the food chain. There are no large land predators in Antarctica. If there were, flightless fowl in formal wear would not choose to timeshare in the summer. Instead, there are gigantic water predators from your nightmares. Check out the below clip for an amazing encounter between a National Geographic photographer and a Leopard Seal who failed tape.


I think one of the stranger experiences would be looking at a completely new star field. Even half a world away in Afghanistan I could look at the same stars as back home. In Antarctica you can't see the North Star.

I hope you make it down there.

I do not often reward puns, but made an exception in your case Capt C.

Thanks for sharing that link, sir. That was cool - a bit funny too.

I'm with you, sir. I'm at pole 1, now