Antarctica - Winter 2014

[SSMAN]

Dark the whole time and cold as shit? You sir are batshit crazy. LOL

[talisman]

I'm so jealous.

[Mike K]

That's cool, how did you get on that gig? I'd kinda be interested in doing something like that at least once.

Like I said, I was down there in 2007, so I have kept in touch with a couple people.

thats nuts man! i can barely deal with north texas winters! have fun, be safe. the last flight out for months thing is crazy. please post up pics of your adventure

god bless.

That is why we have to go through an extensive medical and dental review. They don't want any surprises because it is hell to get you out if you get hurt. The psych eval is also needed for winter for obvious reasons.

Are there any greenhorn jobs or something that doesn't require special training? I'll be a damn janitor if it pays okay, I just want to go to Antarctica... Seriously though.

Back when Raytheon had the contract they had plenty of those positions: housekeeping, general laborers, etc. A lot of people would go down there and get their significant other a job as general labor so they could both be down there. However, now that PAE has won the contract, along with general government cutbacks, I hear they have gotten rid of a lot of those positions.

Can't wait for updates. I heard volunteering for duty there looks very good on a resume. I used to work with a guy that had served in the Army and later the Navy that spent some time there.

For the longest time the Navy would go down to help unload the yearly cargo ship in January. I have heard that they no longer provide support and even the Air Force is cutting back with flights.

Badass! Are penguins scared of humans or do they come right up to you and whatnot?

They have no natural predators on land and will walk right up to you.

So what kind of vehicles do you repair?

I am a contract whore, so I will work on whatever you pay me to work on , but I work on heavy equipment. They have mostly Ford ass haulers (E350 vans and F350 trucks) and a ton of Caterpillar heavy equipment (dozers, graders, bucket loaders, backhoes, snow blowers, forklifts, etc). They have equipment from every decade since the 50s. You might work on a 1956 D8 dozer, then on a brand new MT865B Challenger. They also have some Antarctica specific equipment.

Have fun. I am staying in Afghanistan...where we rarely see below zero.

Something to consider: we don't fall under General Order 1 down there.

Looks neat. I would love to go as a "bucket list" item, but screw that cold and months of darkness.

That has been my plan the whole time. I said that when I leave Afghanistan that I wanted to do a winter in Antarctica, then I was going home for good.

Take some hand warmers!

We get them for free!

is that ice on your fucking eyelashes in the middle of summer!!!!!! lol

Yeah, I took that picture when I was doing the Antarctic Survival Class where we do 2 days and 1 night outside. They teach you about how to keep warm, what to eat (read: EVERYTHING), how to build a tent, etc. It got down to -50 ambient and -75 with the wind chill.

Our camp site:

What project is that on? I had a chance to go a few years back, but saw the pay and said fuck that!

We are there to support the National Science Foundation (NSF). Raytheon had the contract, but PAE (under Lockheed Martin) won the contract about a year ago.

Not as good as you would expect? Shit, I would think it's afghan prices.

Obviously the pay varies with the job, but I will be making just under $60k a year, which is more than half of what you can make in Afghanistan. But even Afghanistan is taking a hit. With all of the contracts going away the companies are starting to lower the pay. Some companies are paying their people $80k a year to work over there.

But something to consider: contracting in war zones is a pain in the ass. People are over there to make money, that is it! It makes for a pretty hostile work environment and somebody is always looking to stab you int he back, especially with contracts slowly downsizing. In Antarctica, the pay isn't that great, but that means you get people down there who WANT to be down there and do it for the experience. It makes for a great environment to work.

[Mike K]

Dark the whole time and cold as shit? You sir are batshit crazy. LOL

This is what I get to look forward to all winter.

[KBScobravert]

Go to Sharana KB, 8000' elevation, -25 for the low, 5 for the high in the month of Feb lol. I'd still go just to be able to say I've been!

I spent 2 years hubed out of FOB Sharana and traveled all over Paktika and Paktia provinces. Highest I ever got, was our highest altitude base at Gardez (FOB Goode) at 7,800'. Sharana was at 6,500-ish. Winter there all over was stupid cold. I think MikeK was at Sharana too for a year back in 2009.

[Mike K]

I was only there a week for some training. Everything is uphill.

*EDIT* I was at Shank for a year and a half though.

[dsrtuckteezy]

is there alcohol to drink down there??

[yellowstang]

is there alcohol to drink down there??

Frozen margarita's every day!

[dsrtuckteezy]

Frozen margarita's every day!

literally. frozen solid haha

[KBScobravert]

Something to consider: we don't fall under General Order 1 down there.



That has been my plan the whole time. I said that when I leave Afghanistan that I wanted to do a winter in Antarctica, then I was going home for good.


Obviously the pay varies with the job, but I will be making just under $60k a year, which is more than half of what you can make in Afghanistan. But even Afghanistan is taking a hit. With all of the contracts going away the companies are starting to lower the pay. Some companies are paying their people $80k a year to work over there.

But something to consider: contracting in war zones is a pain in the ass. People are over there to make money, that is it! It makes for a pretty hostile work environment and somebody is always looking to stab you int he back, especially with contracts slowly downsizing. In Antarctica, the pay isn't that great, but that means you get people down there who WANT to be down there and do it for the experience. It makes for a great environment to work.

Meh, I can get around the need for a drink, or drugs. The visitation clauses in the GO1 suck but I am married anyways. I just wished my wife had a job with us so we could live together. Then again, as the Security Manager for all our employees on BAF, GO1 is a great tool for me.

[Mike K]

is there alcohol to drink down there??

Yeah, there is a small store where you can buy beer or alcohol. Your limit is a case of beer (24 cans) or one bottle (fifth?) of alcohol per day. Also, there are 2 bars (one smoking and one non) and one coffee and wine place. I think they only keep one bar open for winter though. There is also a bowling alley.

[KBScobravert]

I was only there a week for some training. Everything is uphill.

*EDIT* I was at Shank for a year and a half though.

I thought you were there longer at Sharana. My mistake.

Shank now has a Phalanx linked to their C-RAM. They have been shooting the IDF out of the sky.

Last night on BAF they were testing a Phalanx at about 4 this morning. Hopefully we can start knocking them down too.

[Mike K]

About damn time! Hell we have one foot out of the door and we just now get this technology running?

[dsrtuckteezy]

Yeah, there is a small store where you can buy beer or alcohol. Your limit is a case of beer (24 cans) or one bottle (fifth?) of alcohol per day. Also, there are 2 bars (one smoking and one non) and one coffee and wine place. I think they only keep one bar open for winter though. There is also a bowling alley.

hell yea, that's what's up!!

[Pokulski-Blatz]

Damn, that looks really interesting. Jealous for sure.