Anybody from McMurdo Station or some where down in the frozen Antarctic?

**Dan** · 12-07-2011, 04:54 AM

Probably a long shot. If you are on the ICE or once were, say hello and tell everybody about your experiences there. To the Old Antarctic Explorers. Merry Christmas!

OAE 92-96

**Airborneguy** · 12-07-2011, 11:14 AM

I've never been, but I was so obsessed with it at one point that I applied for a job as a cleaner for 6-8 months just so I could get down there! I even got a callback, but the police academy date I was waiting for was moved up, so I had to let it go.

**Dan** · 12-07-2011, 04:36 PM

I was lucky to go there. I was in a Navy squadron called Antarctic Exploration Squadron Six. We did most of the logsitical support for the continent using ski equipped LC-130's and HH-1s. Sadly that squadron decommisioned near the turn of the century because it wasn't cost effective for the Navy since it was the only C-130 squadron left. Now I believe the New York Air National Guard takes care of the Ice.

There were a lot of civilians on the Ice that took jobs as van drivers, cleaners, cooks etc. Once in a lifetime opportunity. We were even lucky enough at Willy field (a small "town" of a hundred or so people) to have a world class chef at our little chow hall. Sunday dinners were always something special. The cargo yard workers lived at Willy too, I think they might have accidentally diverted some of the best food our way.