Suppo Down Under (really down under)

[HeyJoe]

100209-N-0000X-001 MCMURDO STATION, Antarctica (Feb. 9, 2010) Cmdr. Scott Shackleton, a Military Sealift Command cargo officer, is at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, to oversee the offload of two Military Sealift Command ships, the tanker USNS Paul Buck (T-AOT 1122) and the chartered dry cargo ship MV American Tern (T-AK 4729). Shackleton is a distant relative of the famous Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, who never reached the pole despite three attempts. Each year, Military Sealift Command ships deliver 100 percent of the fuel and about 70 percent of the dry cargo needed to sustain personnel at the Antarctic scientific research post, on McMurdo Station, Antarctica, for an entire calendar year. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)

 

[PropStop]

Thta's a funny picture - it isn't McMurdo Station, it's the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Quite a long ways away from McMurdo!

Cool though.

 

[Catmando]

100209-N-0000X-001 MCMURDO STATION, Antarctica (Feb. 9, 2010) Cmdr. Scott Shackleton, a Military Sealift Command cargo officer, is at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, to oversee the offload of two Military Sealift Command ships, the tanker USNS Paul Buck (T-AOT 1122) and the chartered dry cargo ship MV American Tern (T-AK 4729). Shackleton is a distant relative of the famous Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, who never reached the pole despite three attempts. Each year, Military Sealift Command ships deliver 100 percent of the fuel and about 70 percent of the dry cargo needed to sustain personnel at the Antarctic scientific research post, on McMurdo Station, Antarctica, for an entire calendar year. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)

CDR Shackleton? An ironic and appropriate name. But probably no relation to the Captain of HMS Endurance, and the famous Shackleton Expedition to Antaritica nearly a century ago.

 

[scoolbubba]

Cat, did you read the caption?

 

[Catmando]

Cat, did you read the caption?

Quite obviously no, only the 1st sentence...... aperbag_ Sorry for such gross inattention.

(Note to self: Aviate before communicate; read ALL before reply.)

 

[scoolbubba]

That's ok, I was just going to BLOW IT UP A4s style to be sure an old guy could read it without his trifocals.

 

[Jim123]

That's ok, I was just going to BLOW IT UP A4s style to be sure an old guy could read it without his trifocals.

Daaaaaang... Did I miss the memo for "pick on old guys week?" (Checks calendar... nope...)

 

[BusyBee604]

Quite obviously no, only the 1st sentence......

Cat, considering that you only read the first sentence, that was a brilliant observation. I don't think more than one out of ten could have made that connection.:thumbup_1
BzB

 

[Boomhower]

I knew a guy that had orders to Antartica as a mech on the Ski-130's that would fly supplies in and out. He said it was the best duty station he ever had. I was amazed and pressed for further explanation. He said that for a single guy it was fantastic. Basically, the place is one giant orgy as soon as work ends for the day. Granted, this was some years ago and things may have changed.

I guess you have to have something to do down there and sex fits the bill.

Anybody else with Antarctic experience to back this up?

 

[Uncle Fester]

OpsO at the RAG when I was there first gig was flying Herks with VXE-6. Had some really mind-blowing stories about flying around Down South.

Peeped a book at school by another Herk guy about Antarctic flying (title was something like Flying Upside Down). The gist was that had the isolation of Boat flying, plus booze and civilian women and horrendous weather and unreliable navaids. This was in the pre-Tailhook era when Navy Air did not quite so much frown upon booze and loose wimmen. The XO was a non-functional alcoholic who locked himself in his room on multi-day benders whenever the weather clamped down. The Huey guys would load up the helos with civvie girls and medicinal liquor to go skinny dipping in the volcanic hot ponds. And then every so often they'd schlep off to New Zealand.

Rough gig.

 

[Cron]

Anybody else with Antarctic experience to back this up?

Here's a pretty fun article on Antarctic living (although from a civilian point of view):

http://www.somethingawful.com/d/comedy-goldmine/antarctica-living-working.php

 

[Flash]

We had a few former VXE-6 guys in VQ-1 (along with VRC-50 and VR-22 C-130 guys too, all the odds and ends), they didn't get a warfare qual flying LC-130's so they would have to get one after their first tour so a few ended up in EP-3's. They all had really good stories about not only Antarctica but also good times in New Zealand too. The flying was apparently pretty damn good too, a few showed some videos they took and it was like the Wild West, and this was well after Tailhook. The last Nav they took was in the class after mine and he went down for 6 months then went on to a P-3 squadron. I still regret not getting the chance to do that, sounded like a blast.

 

[Boomhower]

OpsO at the RAG when I was there first gig was flying Herks with VXE-6. Had some really mind-blowing stories about flying around Down South.

I remember that guy. Can't think of his name off-hand. He did have some great stories. I remember the one about flying very low over a huge group of penguins at a cliff's edge and and making them jump into the waiting mouths of the killer whales below. Good times, I'm sure.