178 mph gusts batter Aleutian Coast Guard outpost

ADN ^ | 2 Dec 09 | JAMES HALPIN

[TYVets]

There are 20 active-duty personnel based at the station on year-long assignments.

Capt. Obvious says "It would be a veeeeeery long year".

[The Working Man]

When I was in the Coast Guard I had the chance to visit Attu. As places go it wasn’t to bad. The worst part of it is that you were FORBIDDEN to leave the confines of the station or the Runway.

Mind you it was for your own good. The damn place is crazy dangerous with WWII explosives and munitions from both the Japanese occupation and our bombing the place.

I’ve heard but am unable to confirm that some of the EOD people are sent there as a graduation exercise to clean up and acre or so at a time.

And as far as a bad place to go as in having a detailer mad at you? Well I always thought that French Frigate Shoals was by far much worse.

[Anoreth]

Oh, yes. That station is on my list. Apparently there's another 378 in Kodiak, so I intend to put that one at the top. The Munroe. Big ships are cool, and, also, you get much street cred in the Guard from doing time on one or two. Plus, now that I consider it, being at a boat station sounds extremely boring. You don't go anywhere or even do much. I like being underway. You go cool places, and also, have opportunity to sleep when not on watch. I don't get to sleep much in port. I have no desire to go to an ISU. I might go insane from boredom.

[Tax-chick]

What’s an ISU? And what are you going to do if a 175 mph typhoon blows you all the way to Vladivostok? You don’t speak a word of Russian!

[Tax-chick]

Anyway, the article says there are only 20 personnel there. Do you really want to be posted someplace with 19 people who think you’re nuts?

[Anoreth]

Well, I’m already here with 175 people who are of similar opinion. Aside from four or five who actually read things, and a few officers. Most of the Seamen and Fireman think I’m nuts. The JO’s don’t. Maybe it’s because I only talk to them occasionally.

[Tax-chick]

Actually, you might have a better chance of running into several serious readers in a post like Attu. It would be the kind of place where there’s not much else to do. Almost like being on a fire-watch tower, only colder and not *quite* as solitary.