What is life like for a single soldier in Alaska, Fort Wainwright? What is supply life like as well?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 18 Oct 2020 21:38:38 -0400

What is life like for a single soldier in Alaska, Fort Wainwright?
What is supply life like as well?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 19 at 2020 12:05 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 00:05:59 -0400

my first time there I was a PVT, I enjoyed the fishing and traveling the north, it is what you make it, if you sit in your room when youre off it'll be the darkest and boring tour ever, you have to get out specially in the winter when you only get so much sun light. I just arrived back for my second tour here and am excited to fish and drag my family to Barrow, Kodiak, Seward, and some of the other places I went to on my previous tour. But if you have time go to school, and get out.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 19 at 2020 8:45 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 08:45:50 -0400

Hit up the BOSS program if you like fishing and the outdoors. They do fishing trips down in Seward that people loved. You will be about an hour and a half from Denali Nation Park (military gets in free) and there are a bunch of great places to hike there. During the bumper seasons you can enter the park lottery and if you win you can drive the restricted roads. Birch hill is on base for skiing and tubing.

There are Alaska specific schools like Basic Mountaineering and. Cold Weather Leaders Course. (Earn you Arctic tab!)

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Oct 19 at 2020 4:23 PM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 16:23:43 -0400

Wainwright is adjacent to Fairbanks, AK, the second largest city in AK. It's in the Yukon valley just north of the Alaska Mountain Range, including Mt McKinley. It's colder in the winter and warmer in the summer than Anchorage where I lived. I flew in and out of Wainwright often to support the Army. We did air drops at DZs east of Wainwright.

Wainwright is on the edge of beautiful scenery and expansive recreational opportunities. Fishing, hunting, hiking, downhill and cross country skiing are popular sports. The Post should have recreational opportunities including tours to Denali National Park and to fish on local rivers. Take advantage of all the opportunities you can.

In my view, the Army in AK goes to the field a fair amount. They participate in cold weather training regularly as part of Army and Joint Service exercises. As a supply person, you'll be supporting the troops with Arctic gear, specialized fuels and lubricants, general supplies, and rations. The supply lines into Fairbanks remain open year around. Moving supplies forward from Wainwright may be by wheeled or tracked vehicles, helicopter, or aircraft. Some locations are only accessible by air.

Yes, it's dark in the winter. Fairbanks is just south of the Arctic Circle. You may get only 2 or 3 hours of daylight during mid-winter. The payoff is summer when it almost doesn't get dark. Develop a "Just do it" attitude about your duties and recreation year around. Brave the dark and cold and enjoy the "midnight sun."