Posted on Apr 27, 2014
What is the smallest unit, remotist location, long term hardship military assignement?
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DEW line? Mountaintops in far away places? Underground bunkers? Keyword: Ice breakers? AGB-5 for example.
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Responses: 77
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I only had one remote assignment. I was stationed at Araxos Air Base, Greece in 1981-82. If you had to go on a remote, there were certainly a lot of worse places. We had our own beach right outside the back gate, and a tourist hotel less than a half mile away that allowed us to use their pool. The base itself was a pit, and there wasn't much in the immediate area. But we were allowed to take military vans on MWR trips on our days off, so we got to see a lot of historic sites in Greece.
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First assignment Shemya, AK one of the last Islands in the Aleutian chain. We had the first radio and TV station this side of tomorrow. We sent guys to Attu for R&R. Shemya was a flat rock. 2 mile wide by 4 miles long with an average year round temperature of 18 degrees. It was a one year tour with a girl behind every tree. Hint: how many trees grow in Tundra!
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Fiver Finger Lighthouse SE Alaska. A 4 man unit in the interior passage. Caught rainwater for household use. Got a logistics run every 2 weeks, weather dependent, via air drop, mail, NMPX 16mm movies, and fresh food, 110 miles from anyone!
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PO2 James Oliphant
I've been to Shemya as a fuel stop leaving Adak, AK. you're right, it's about as remote as you can get.
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SSgt Edward Miller
Did my 1 year there. 11.5 square miles of nothing. The only 2 trees on the island were held up by T posts.
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Ft. Greely Alaska, 100 miles from Fairbanks. Best duty I every did. Second Smallest was Munster Germany, Nato Site 111.
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Never been there but Eareckson As, Shemya Alaska....When planes actually blew off runway....that's harsh.
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USCG Naval Engineering Suport Unit Seattle (NESU), Detachment Kodiak, AK.
We are a small unit consisting of only three people that do a 3 or 4 year tour. An MKC (E-7), EM1 (E-6), and myself MK1 (E-6). Three people to take care of a 378ft high endurance cutter, a 282ft medium endurance cutter, and a 225ft buoy tender that are all home ported here. Along with various other cutters and ships (Navy and Army) that visit or AOR, and assisting other local shore based units. It's a very rewarding job that I would highly recommend. The job requires us to be technicians along with all the administrative work and collateral jobs with come with running any other unit.
We are a small unit consisting of only three people that do a 3 or 4 year tour. An MKC (E-7), EM1 (E-6), and myself MK1 (E-6). Three people to take care of a 378ft high endurance cutter, a 282ft medium endurance cutter, and a 225ft buoy tender that are all home ported here. Along with various other cutters and ships (Navy and Army) that visit or AOR, and assisting other local shore based units. It's a very rewarding job that I would highly recommend. The job requires us to be technicians along with all the administrative work and collateral jobs with come with running any other unit.
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CPT Aaron Kletzing
Great photo and story, thanks for sharing! I feel cold just looking at the photo and thinking of Alaska. I had no idea the USCG had a footprint there, very cool!
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