Happy New Year, From the North

ak49er

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Messages
3
Location
Big Lake, Alaska
Hello and thank-you for allowing me to be a guest in your house.

Lifelong Alaska here, fairly well traveled yet still adventurous.

I am a Civilian, who became enamored with all things covert after having the run of the NSA/Naval Security Group Activity Area on Adak Island summer of 2000 and researching the bases' history for a planned book. (Not a lot to do on the Island)

I had a high school friend go SF and have not heard from him since, and always wondered what his job/life must be like, and a little looking here and there led me to SOFREP. While reading the comments section of a post, there was a link to this forum. After a week or so of "lurking" I had a few questions that could not be answered by "Googling" so I joined.

At 9/11 I was 21 y.o old and simmering with fury and rearing to join-up to do my part, which my girlfriend sensed I'm sure. So she/we saddled us with a sex-prize and I felt the need to stay in my current job and support her and my new son.

My other friends served their time in the Armed Forces and have continued on to civilian life.
In that time I have become a Maintenance Technician at a power plant and have honed skills that allow me to really tinker with all things mechanical, including Electrical, Instrument and Control, CAD, CAM, CNC and Conventional Machining &Manufacturing. In short I if can dream it, I can usually build it, then fix it when I break it.

The power plant I work at is in a remote, sea and air-accessible only location 30 miles West of Anchorage. It is in a "world class" fishing and hunting area, and features a certified "Trap Range" and Standard 500 yd rifle range, which I use every week the weather allows.

I work week-on/week-off which is of course a 7/12 shift, seven days, 12 hours a day, which gives me a minimum of 6 months off a year, I have lot of free time.

In that time I have managed to convert a car and truck to run flawlessly on Waste Vegetable Oil, a 1983 Mercedes Benz 300SD Turbo-Diesel and a 2005 Ford F-250 SD. I also live in a rural area, where Home Heating Oil is the norm for most homes, so I went ahead and converted my boiler to run on WVO as well. A generator is next.

Aside from Alternative Fuels I have another eccentric hobby, I build Cockpit Flight Simulators. That is to say, flight simulators that resemble general types, if not specific aircraft. In my room at the work camp, I have full scale 737-800 cockpit, hand built, running on a Linux OS. In the camp day room I have modeled a generic Twin-turboprop for general use, as most the guys out here are private pilots anyway.

But at home, I have an actual UH-1 Huey in my garage. Cut-off just behind the "B-Pillar" (behind the pilots seats. Each side is configure differently. Left side has OV-22 type controls, as well as Boeing style for Osprey and 737 simulation. and the right side is set up for helicopter with cyclic, collective and rudder pedals. Each type includes accurate instrument simulation via flat screens and actual C-130 Instrument panel, and feature Low-Frequency Sound effects and outside visuals. This hobby I hope to turn into a business very soon.

I immensely respect the men and women who have served and do feel guilt and shame for being an able bodied person who did not.

I am, for the moment ,extremely interested in Arctic Warfare TTP and materiel.

I would also like to contribute to this community if I can (as I do on all forums) and would welcome any questions anyone would have about anything I may know.

I am aware of whose house I am in and will act accordingly.

Thank-you.
 
Welcome to the site. Born and raised in the Last Frontier. First part in Anchorage, and then 8th grade through leaving for the service in Wasilla. Still have family and friends in the Mat-Su Valley.
 
Thank-you for the warm welcome.

Regarding Big Lake VFD, I have always wanted to join, as I have family that has served in the executive level of the AFD, but their Joint Training night is on Tuesdays, which is my travel day to and from work. I recently switched to a Wednesday change-out, and that still limits me two training only two out of four days a month. But as mentioned above, I am trying to become self employed via a Simulator Center, whch would have me home year round. To that end I have taken advantage of the OJT here at the plant, and have just started ETT training.

I too was raised in Anchorage, but moved to the "Valley" for the ease of access to the outdoors. I can literally ride my snowmachine out of my garage, and then track on SW for about 80 miles and ride to work, not that I do that much, but at least two times a year, depending on snow conditions. The wife and I literally live to ride sleds in the winter, averaging 1400 miles in the backcountry a season, These are true mountain miles, not trail miles like is expereinced East of the Rockies.

In the summer we take a trip to the high-mountian desert areas on the CONTUS to ride mountain bikes, inclding Moab, UT, Grand Junction, CO and Bend, OR.

I worked for spell as a contractor for the 3rd CES on Elmendorf and a little at Ft. Richardson, which is now of course JBER. I managed to "Alert" the F-15 Ready Squadron one day, but that is another stoy for another time, but a good one involving the Base Commander, MP's and a really scared 20 y.o. on a Back-hoe.

But Adak was where I really had some fun, being on the Environmental Crew, I had a clearance that others did not, and when I say I had the run of the NSGA Area I mean it, it was mine, as well as the Underwater Signals Listening Station. There was alot of really interesting Cold-War NSA activities going on there, and just seeing the remnants was quite the experience. I was able to gain entry and photograph areas that my Uncle was escorted at gun point from in the '70s, as the base was decomissioned in the '90s.

I never understood why the DOD didn't keep that whole Island and base as one extremely large and uniqe "shoot house." I always considered it a great training area, for Land, Air and Sea Assault/Defense MOUT course. It had everything; harbors, airfields, mountains, fields, bunkers, and residiential areas. I really feel somone missed the mark letting that base go.

Once again , thank-you for the hospitality.
 
I am unfamiliar with this format of a Forum page, and have not figured out how to edit my posts, but I would like to add that I was referencing Naval Air Station Adak, I shouldn't assume that everyone knows all the bases in Alaska.
 
I am unfamiliar with this format of a Forum page, and have not figured out how to edit my posts, but I would like to add that I was referencing Naval Air Station Adak, I shouldn't assume that everyone knows all the bases in Alaska.

You might be able to edit your posts now, give it a try.
 
I am unfamiliar with this format of a Forum page, and have not figured out how to edit my posts, but I would like to add that I was referencing Naval Air Station Adak, I shouldn't assume that everyone knows all the bases in Alaska.


Those that know, know... and those that don't, don't worry about :D 2 outa 4 days is still showing up, never mind showing up for calls. They need good people and it's a fun time most of the time.

Also, I'm jealous of your simpits. I assume you're running Xflight since FSX doesn't work well on linux...
 
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