In July of 1970, while working at the weather relay station at Elmendorf AFB Alaska, I was called into the supervisors office; and told that I was going to be going to a remote radar station TDY. I asked what TDY meant, and for how long I was going to be stationed there. What I found out was that I was going to be stationed at that site for at least 60 day's, and that TDY actually meant Temporary Duty Yonder. The whole mission was some what secretive as I didn't get any official orders, and my departure was somewhat obscure. The map below can give you some idea where I was stationed at for those 60 plus day's. Find Tin City, and you'll know where I was at. Some people have laughed at me when I tell them I was stationed at Tin City; They just don't want to believe me, well, there it is. Tin City was, and is, the closest American installation to the Russians. Only about 43 miles from Siberia. The information below states that the Radar system became operational on October 1, 1994; but I was there 24 years earlier when it was already a Radar Station.
I left Elmendorf AFB in the middle of June by Alaska Airlines. I had to go to the Anchorage airport and take a commercial flight, and from there I flew to Kotzebue which is just north east of Tin City AFS. I was intrigued with traveling over 1,000 miles over the Alaskan tundra; and I was beginning to feel like Nanuk of the North. It was a beautiful sunny day when we landed in Kotzebue; and being so far north, I didn't expect it to have such mild temperatures. As the map shows, Kotzebue is situated on the bering Sea; and it is actually known for good temperatures, moderate snow falls, and sunny day's. You don't expect this kind of weather in an area that is so far north, and on the bering sea.
I waited in the terminal with a Major and a Captain in the Air Force, and a private in the Army. A one propeller bi-plane was wheeled out on the tarmac, and maintenance was being performed on it. After about an hour and a half of waiting in the terminal, we were told to board the bi-plane sitting on the tarmac. I was thinking, "Oh no, they just finished changing the spark plugs on this thing. This plane looked like a plane that emilia Earhart would reject. It had to have been built in the early twenties; that would make it over 40 years old at that time.
After I heard the pilot yell, "contact," and saw one of the maintenance personal turn the propeller a couple of times; the engine started, and there it was just kind of vibrating on the tarmac. I got into the plane; strapped myself down, an the plane just vibrated in one place. The major and captain were sitting up front with the pilot, and the army private was sitting at my left. Apparently the pilot was giving it power because the plane just shook violently, all the while I was thinking, " Do I really want to do this? I don't think this sucker is going to get off the ground. To add insult to injury I looked out the window of the door on my right hand side, and I saw two maintenance personal behind the wing of the plane pushing. I looked out the window on my left, and there were two more maintenance people pushing that wing. We went down the runway with four maintenance people, two on each side, running along side of the plane pushing it in order for it to get enough lift to get it off the ground. I was thinking, "what is wrong with this picture." We finally got off the ground, with a little help from our four maintenance friends.
This plane went about 70 MPH at 100 feet off the ground. I looked down at the Alaskan tundra; and I saw herds of moose, elk, dear, a couple of polar bear's, and a few seals that looked like they were praying for us to get to our destination safely. The scenery was breath taking; we passed over a few mountains, or actually large hills, and in a couple of hours we were in Nome Alaska. The map below doesn't really show Nome, but it is just south east of Tin City AFS. I couldn't really understand why we just didn't go directly to Tin City from Kotzebue. I was finally told that the plane didn't have enough fuel to make it that far; figures, and that there was only one direction to land at Tin City. That was on the south side of the site, from the direction of Nome.
The Alaska Radar System. On October 1, 1994, PMC began operating the 20 U.S. Air Force facilities of the Alaska Radar System, a network of 16 long-range and three short-range radar sites that provide Alaska air space surveillance, intercept control, and navigational assistance to military and civilian aircraft. We staff, maintain, and manage these sites located strategically and remotely throughout Alaska. We operate and maintain electronic equipment, power generation equipment, utility systems, airfields, roads, trams, and electrical, mechanical, and fire systems. We also provide total logistics support for the sites. We manage this project jointly with Frontec of Canada. 
This site was definitely in the wild. First, it was situated only about 43 miles from Siberia on a stretch of barren land with no tree's and very little grass. I can remember going to upper camp; which was on the top of the mountain behind the main facility, and watching Russian sentries; through binoculars, patrolling Siberia.
There were Polar Bears and wild foxes there; the foxes were so tame that you could pet them, and they would eat out of your hand.
