Military bases in Antarctica?

Originally posted by cmdrkeenkid
A lot of the major powers of the world (UK, Australia, Russia, and I'm sure some others) all have bases on Antartica. All are scientific, and I'm pretty sure the American ones are run by the military. I know the McMurdo Base (American) is huge in comparison to all the others. I think it staffs a couple thousand people, too. It's all science though, no wars or anything being fought down there (though others may beg to differ.)

yeah, even germany has a base there:

Neuschwabenland - Lageskizze
Neuschwabenland ist ein etwa 600.000 km² großes Gebiet in der Antarktis. Es liegt zwischen 69° 10′ und 76° 30′ südlicher Breite sowie zwischen 11° 30′ westlicher und 20° 0′ östlicher Länge. Im Westen schließt sich das norwegische Coatsland und im Osten das ebenfalls zu Norwegen gehörende Königin-Maud-Land an. Neuschwabenland wurde von einer deutschen Antarktisexpedition im Januar und Februar 1939 erforscht. Der größte Teil des Landes ist mit ewigem Eis bedeckt. Zwischen diesen Eismassen gibt es auch einige eisfreie Flächen und heiße Quellen.

Neuschwabenland is an area, thats 600,000 square kilometers huge, is mostly full of ice, but has also areas that are free of ice, and have hot springs, it is also rich by minerals and other natural resources..




There is also a base of the federal republic of germany, its called Neumayer-Station, last year german government said, they want to build a new base, also in Neuschwabenland, called "Neumayer III"

here is a picture:

some pictures from inside the base:










more if anybody is interested in, I hope 5 pictures arent to much, dont wanna make problems for a 56k dude

Anyway my thoery is that the first civilization originated from there, and there is some very old ruins under the ice that scientists are trying to examin. Being able to see the root of humanity, will bear great fruit for humanity.

I'm not closed-minded to that idea that somehting could be down there, but we have to remember that whatever it is, it's under an unimaginable weight of ice, which if I remember correctly is flowing, not standing still.
If there was something down there, I don't think it would be an intact structure like in Aliens Versus Predator- it would probably be a mass of quarried stone that had been dragged and spread out across many miles over the course of thousands of years under the shifting ice. Unless of course there is something highly unexpected down there, such as an uncharted area of geothermal vents which remains icefree. We know there are thawed areas, but I think we also know there is nothing in those known areas right?

Originally posted by launchpad
The plane was loaded to the gills with high exposives and m-60 machine guns- susposidly going to fly non stop there aerial refeuling all the way. does make one wonder.

Thats very interesting. Do you know anything else about operations there? Why in the heck would they be shipping that stuff there? The explosives could somewhat be justified but the M-60’s. Those are like lawn mower guns. ;o)

Originally posted by The Vagabond
What in the bloody bloody hell do you need a rifle for in Antarctica?

Good question bro…who knows. I want to know now too.

Originally posted by Wodan
some pictures from inside the base:
more if anybody is interested in, I hope 5 pictures arent to much, dont wanna make problems for a 56k dude

Can you post some more of those nice pictures? Those are great. How did you get those?

Wow Wodan, those are amazing pics, its great to see among the babble that some real gems of posts are made.

In the last 6 months the Americans have been making a 1600 km road across antarctica
xmb.stuffucanuse.com...

They want to cut down the flights there, it will open up a lot of land for bases etc.

Originally posted by Netchicken
Wow Wodan, those are amazing pics, its great to see among the babble that some real gems of posts are made.

I'll second that, some really interesting pics. Did anyone notice the wierd clouds on the webcam pic? I went and looked at the site and it gets even wierder, that odd cloud was there for 4 hours without moving... maybe there really is some strange stuff going on down there?











Or then again... maybe it's just dirt on the lens.

Originally posted by The Vagabond
Americans it's illegal to just go to Antarctica? You have to file your travel plans with the government and go through their red tape.

Any proof for this claim ? Who told you that ?

Originally posted by wang
I will just say that all of the worlds major players have a big intrest in antartica which is odd as we are told its pretty much a ice wasteland. I think that antartica is a place of huge importance to the world, as all of the sceintific work getting done their.....there has to be a reason why.
There is another post on the same topic somewhere on ATS, a group of members were trying to form a expedition group to be able to get into antartica to find out for themselves what is going on down there.
Anyway my thoery is that the first civilization originated from there, and there is some very old ruins under the ice that scientists are trying to examin. Being able to see the root of humanity, will bear great fruit for humanity.

Do you have this forum link by chance? I searched for it but couldn't find it.

Originally posted by Schaden
Any proof for this claim ? Who told you that ?

Forgive me for not getting the source immediately. It hadn't occurred to me that in a certain light that did seem like a somewhat strange claim to make.
I learned it in the CIA World Factbook.

www.cia.gov... (under "legal system")

Public Law 95-541, the US Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, as amended in 1996, requires expeditions from the US to Antarctica to notify, in advance, the Office of Oceans, Room 5805, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520,

I’ve noticed that some things haven’t yet been mentioned in this thread, so here goes…

I recently did a rather exhaustive search online of all things related to Antarctica. It took me almost 3 weeks to get a complete picture, and I'm fairly sure I've still not seen everyone’s side of it.

I’ve read this entire thread, and so far everyone has been correct in what they were saying about legal issues, etc. Just stating this in case someone was waiting for me to say the opposite J

First, getting “behind the scenes’ info about the American Bases (the non-American bases that report things online are often in non-English format) is pretty damn hard. Raytheon is contracted by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to supply the bases with support personnel. These are the people who keep the stations running. These poor individuals sign lengthy contracts that forbid them from even sneezing while they are in Antarctica. This is an exaggeration to illustrate the extreme red tape the support personal have to go through. Once there, they have no privacy. And many of these people are there for 3-12 months at a time. Many of these people actually WANT to return to Antarctica, so they keep their mouths shut while back on their home turf.

These individuals do sometimes have weblogs, or personal sites detailing their time on The Ice. Alas, these support Polies (individuals who spend time on The Ice) rarely are allowed to leave their respective station. If they are leaving the station, there are a million rules to follow. They do occasionally leave to assist in field research, but I’ve read they have to sign even more paperwork that restricts them from reporting much about such trips.

Most of the data that comes out of Antarctica is scientific, and I’m not going to go into all the things that are being researched. It’s a long list of things, ranging from space research, ozone layer research, biology research, etc. The remaining information that comes out is through “official” channels, and is so PC in format it’s nauseating.

General speaking, the other main body of people that travel to Antarctica are scientists (or beakers, as they are usually called by others at the Antarctic bases). They often host personal websites where they post details about the research they are doing, along with pictures of their time on The Ice.

Naturally, the remaining bulk of people in the America bases are usually NSF staff and administrators, Government officials looking into grant requests, and sometimes, the odd displaced traveler.

Getting to/from Antarctica is VERY expensive. And travel to certain bases is impossible during the Antarctic winter. Life is very hard for people stationed in these bases. Supplies are limited, and often run out.

I’m mentioning these details to illustrate that while it’s possible that “something” is going on down in Antarctica, it would be so damn expensive and risky (the weather alone can kill you so fast you won’t know what hit you) to do something covert, that I believe it’s not likely at all. I can’t speak for other countries that have stations in Antarctica, but they would have the same issues the American bases do.

And if you happen to come across theories about Lake Vostok, or questions about why several people were being medvac’d out of Antarctica because of illness…please, take that information with several grains of salt.

If you’re interested in seeing what life is like in Antarctica, from a “regular Joe” perspective, do a keyword search on Google for Big Dead Place. I don’t want to link it here, as it’s not the kind of website NSF would likely approve of. Feh.

I also have a large list of Antarctica non-official websites I can share via U2U if anyone is interested.

-VW

VisionWithin:

While I agree with your good statement there, you and everyone, obviously don't know how determined, a government like the US's and their military and secret service branches are at keeping secrets, and how far they will go to accomplish something. Think about this from a strategic/tactical point of view:

1. Antarctica is the most isolated, remote place on Earth. Perfect for carrying out secret research in some remote military installation. The closest country to it is Australia, and trust me, most of us Aussie's don't know even believe in the fact that Area 51 exists, let alone of half of the crazy conspiracy theories on this site. (Sufficed to say, we Aussie's don't know jack about what the Americans get up to, and even if our government has some idea, I doubt they know any disconcerning information)

2. America easily has the resources to blow money on some secret base there and to supply and fund it well, (*AHEM* No big secret America is #1 for defence spending per capita in thw world), trust me, if the US wants a military installation in Antarctica, the US is GOING TO HAVE a military installation in Antarctica. And in regards to that Antarctic Treaty, the USA doesn't have a good track record of keeping promises, and besides I doubt anyone would find out about a base down there.

3. The clandestine operation of all the scientific bases there, the fact that the US Navy and Rayethon operate there and such, the red tape and extensive legal work people have to go through to work there, it all adds up, think about it, it sounds alot like Groom Lake, and Antarctica's remoteness, and vast unused land is perfect for an operation like this, no public attention, very little communication with other bases, extremely desolate, heck, who would suspect a secret military base in Antarctica?

What I'm trying to say here is there's no place more perfect for a secret US military base than Antarctica, and chances are, our fears are probably true. Think about it, 10 years ago who believed Area 51 was REAL? Hardly a soul, nowadays it's common knowledge, and even though we know about it, we still have no friggin' clue what goes on there. Same with Antarctica, it's highly possible that a military base exists there, we just need more proof, and even if we do find out about its existence, we won't even come close to finding out what goes on there (Hell, the only thing that could know what goes on there is the polar bears, I'll bet even they have to sign an oath of silence ) . Considering what we know now, it seems were on the tip of the iceberg, we just need more evidence that's all.

Don't stop the music guys!

The only thing that bugs me here is CLIMATE! Now I may sound like I'm contradicting myself here, but has anyone else thought about this? I mean where's the sense in building a secrect military in sub-zero conditions? Think about construction, labour, the workforce and such it would be hard to operate, and suppose they did some secret weapons research and testing there, I'm sure 7 months of darkness and constant -60 and below conditions would have some hampering effect on any type of weaponary or high-tech gizmo's stored down there. Plus, it wouldn't be that easy just transporting all necessary materials for construction of base and any secret weapons and personnel such down there, without arousing some suspicion, seeing how satellite imaging can already locate almost all KNOWN bases down there, shouldn't we have pictures of such a base by now?

Anyway, consider that...

quoting from: The Godfather

“Determined, a government like the US's and their military and secret service branches are at keeping secrets, and how far they will go to accomplish something.”

In an attempt to balance my belief in US conspiracy, I choose to base my beliefs based on information I have had hand. No, I haven’t BEEN to Antarctica, but I’ve been in communication (recently) with those that had. I’m sure there are secret government bases all over the world. Just, perhaps, not in Antarctica.

”1. Antarctica is the most isolated, remote place on Earth. Perfect for carrying out secret research in some remote military installation. The closest country to it is Australia, and trust me, most of us Aussie's don't know even believe in the fact that Area 51 exists, let alone of half of the crazy conspiracy theories on this site.”

Why would an average Australian individual believe in Area 51? It’s much easier for most people to believe in things that are in their own backyards. However, it’s a big planet, and in the end, it’s everyone’s back yard. Not to say that ANYONE must believe in Area 51, should they not wish to.

”2. America easily has the resources to blow money on some secret base there and to supply and fund it well, (*AHEM* No big secret America is #1 for defense spending per capita in the world), trust me, if the US wants a military installation in Antarctica, the US is GOING TO HAVE a military installation in Antarctica.”

Let’s suppose, for a moment, that Antarctica was a more temperate region. If that would the case, then I would easily agree that the US would have placed several secret bases in Antarctica, well away from the other stations. No biggie. But Antarctica is not a temperate place. During certain times of the year, aircraft can’t land. (Although it’s possible someone has come up with an aircraft that can deal with –70 temperatures. Ships supply several bases, and if a ship can’t break through the Ice (this happened less then 3 years ago, and we had to schmooze with Russia to get the job done), then no supplies arrive.

”3. The clandestine operation of all the scientific bases there, the fact that the US Navy and Raytheon operate there and such, the red tape and extensive legal work people have to go through to work there, it all adds up, think about it.”

While clandestine operations are much more likely then secret stations, I would like to point out that a LOT of research is indeed coming out of Antartica. But yes, it’s such a hassle getting there. Even from Christchurch, in New Zealand. So part of the reason Raytheon and NSF put all the red tape out is to keep folks away who wouldn’t last the season. Furthermore, the bases do speak to each other. Not only speak, but also visit. Apparently the bar at Scott base is very cozy, and folks from McMurdo (or Palmer, I don’t recall), will head over to the Scott base if invited. Americans visiting Scott base have been pleased by the Aussie reception they always receive. Communication between all the other bases happens all year round. Communication is necessary from a logistics point of view. And during the winter on The Ice, social communication between the bases does occur.

”What I'm trying to say here is there's no place more perfect for a secret US military base than Antarctica, and chances are, our fears are probably true.“

I agree that there is no better place, because of its innate remoteness. I do however, suggest that we look at the bases we do know about (there are at least 13), and concentrate on them. Would it not be more likely that clandestine research is being done in the existing bases, with no one the wiser? McMurdo could be the obvious choice for this, as it’s by and far the largest base in Antarctica.

“Same with Antarctica, it's highly possible that a military base exists there, we just need more proof, and even if we do find out about its existence, we won't even come close to finding out what goes on there.”

If by a military base, you mean one that is not on any of the maps, I would guess. And sure, while it’s possible, it makes much more sense to use the resources of the existing bases.

“Hell, the only thing that could know what goes on there is the polar bears, I'll bet even they have to sign an oath of silence “

Polar bears are not indigenous to Antarctica. Penguins are, but only in very specific regions. Heh. That’s why some refer to Antarctica is the Big Dead Place. Some people go there and never see a single living thing beside themselves.

”The only thing that bugs me here is CLIMATE! Now I may sound like I'm contradicting myself here, but has anyone else thought about this? I mean where's the sense in building a secret military in sub-zero conditions?”

It doesn’t make a lot of sense. Unless you’re a paranoid country who feels geopolitical inclined to put people on the Ice. Even then, it’s dumb. Even now, I still find older papers online about the fact that Britain was annoyed they didn’t get there first. Sheesh.

“Think about construction, labour, the workforce and such it would be hard to operate, and suppose they did some secret weapons research and testing there, I'm sure 7 months of darkness and constant -60 and below conditions would have some hampering effect on any type of weaponry or high-tech gizmo's stored down there.”

You totally on target. The climate is hell on equipment. Doing any work out in the open is difficult to nigh impossible, during deep winter. Even depending on satellite feeds is wishful thinking. Certain bases are not able to send/receive satellite signals 24/7.


“Plus, it wouldn't be that easy just transporting all necessary materials for construction of base and any secret weapons and personnel such down there, without arousing some suspicion, seeing how satellite imaging can already locate almost all KNOWN bases down there, shouldn't we have pictures of such a base by now?”

It’s very difficult to get anything to Antarctica. As I mentioned earlier, Russia ended up sending an ice breaker to the area a couple years back, to help us poor Americans out. So if you can’t get an icebreaker (should it be needed), or a regular ship, plus aircraft, into the base area, the base is toast.

If there were a secret base, it would have to well away from all the other cluster of bases (I don’t have a base map handy to refer to), and probably be primarily underground. This way, no obvious proof via satellite, and other bases wouldn’t see the aircraft coming into land on the secret base.

Now I noticed that Wodan posted some information about one of the German bases earlier in this thread. Perhaps this user could share insight about that base?

And Netchicken mentioned the road. Yep, a road. I’ve not bothered to read much about this road, but yes, it’s real. This road is likely being put in for reasons beyond those that have been announced. Hmmm.

Just food for thought

-VW


[edit on 7-3-2005 by VisionWithin]

VisionWithin:

Nice posting, I agree with most of what you said, and I can see how building a base down there and operating can be troublesome. I'm going to try and find a map of all registered bases down and see what I can dig up...

[edit on 8/3/05 by The Godfather of Conspira]

Originally posted by The Godfather of Conspira
VisionWithin:

Nice posting, I agree with most of what you said, and I can see how building a base down there and operating can be troublesome. I'm going to try and find a map of all registered bases down and see what I can dig up...

I'm glad my typing was not in vain. Heh. And further, for your edification, a list of links, with commentary.

Here's a selection of URL's about The Ice. Most contain pictures, commentary, maps, etc. This list is culled from a larger list I had after finishing my research. It took me 3 weeks to go through the links below, as well as about 15 others. Certain pages are not listed here, as they are SO very PC and corporate, I feel there is no point. Some of the portal sites have links to the corporate sites. PC, btw, means "Politically Correct". Need I explain that further?

Public Site - This is not a PC site. This is also the first site you should visit, if you haven't already been there.
BDG


Portal Site - Appears to be run by an individual - VERY PC Site
Cool Antartica

Personal Site - by Gene, a member of the DASI Group who was on The Ice during 1999-2000. Amusing account, not always PC. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.
Genes Account

Another portal site, this one run by a group. Fairly PC Site.
Antartic Connection

Portal Site - Appears to be run by an individual. This one is not as PC as most portal sites.
70 South

Personal / Portal Site - Run by a couple, has some good info, but is mostly PC.
Ice People

News Site - The only newspaper in town. So to speak. Usually PC, but not always. Nice archive of newspapers.
Antartic Sun

Personal Site - By Jon Barry, a beaker. Lot's of info, pics, and links. Alas, the layout sucks. Fairly PC.
South Pole Station

Personal Site - By Sarah Kaye. This young lady has been to The Ice several times. She is well liked by others who's sites I've seen. Fairly PC, but some funny pictures.
Sarah

Science Site - The Amanda/ICECUBE Project. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.
Amanda Project

Personal Blog - This individual has been to The ICE many times. Will respond to polite email. Fairly PC.
Frozen Dishes

Personal Site - Not sure who this is, but he's got some nice pics. Generally, but not always, PC.
Penguin Central

Polies Web Forum - This forum is for people who work on The Ice, and those interested in The Ice. Not a lot of traffic, but worth a look. They do respond to polite questions.
Ice Board






[edit on 8-3-2005 by VisionWithin]

And here are a few "conspiracy about Antarctica" sites I found. I wanted to put these into a separate list/post.


@lantisTV Denies Conspiracy Charges-Smells of PR to me
@tlantis TV

A Secret U.S. Post Office operated in Antarctica 1946-1948
Oleana

Utter Nonsense, but amusing
Grassy Knoll Theory

Something for the Reptilian Enthusiast
TRA

Lake Vostok-Facts and Theories
LV

VisionWithin:

Thanks for the links you posted there, I'll be sure to check them out sooner or later. As for my own research, I have been trying to find out alot about each individual US base there (especially McMurdo, largest base, and Amundsen-Scott, most remote), and what they do. But so far this information has been very hard to come by, almost all the official or government websites say US Bases in Antarctica are of a scientific nature and study weather patterns and such (yeah right :lol, and the few other sites I could find about US Bases in Antarctica (private/research/conspiracy ones) seem to have no clue either! I mean if all research carried out down there was scientific or, seemingly innocent, why is the information so hard to come by? Especially with regards to photos, ANY pictures of US Bases in Antartcia are very hard to come by. All in all, everyone has piece of Antarctica from Argentina, New Zealand, Russia even India has a base there ! But still information is hard to obtain, I will however still try researching the matter, Antartica seems highly auspicious to me, definately some America would take up on!

P.S. Take another look at Amundsen-Scott, it's one of the most remote bases, right in the MIDDLE OF FRICKIN' Antarctica near the South Pole. Seems unlikely some country would put a base there and maintain it, don't you think? It would be impossible to supply and I'm sure the weather there isn't too good, and the closest base is like 1000km away, could be a good location for something else, eh?

And that link about Lake Vostok is very interesting, does sound like something weird is going on...

[edit on 8/3/05 by The Godfather of Conspira]

Originally posted by The Godfather of Conspira

I have been trying to find out alot about each individual US base there (especially McMurdo, largest base, and Amundsen-Scott, most remote), and what they do.

Before you read the rest of this post, do yourself a BIG favor. Visit BDG.
BDG Really. Right now. I don't think anyone who has any kind of interest in The Ice should start their research on any other site.

Believe it or not, the first set of links I posted have more pictures then you can possibly want. Of several stations, mostly Palmer, McMurdo, and Scott. McMurdo is the largest, Scott has a shiny new station, and Palmer is the smallest of those 3. While those are all the stations, they do seem to be the ones that most people who work in either a support or scientific role (and who post about the experience )end up at.

I should note that I really did spend all of my personal time, over a 3-week period, looking into Antarctica. This time period ended 3 weeks ago, and a lot of things I read/saw are still fresh. However! I read sooo much, and saw sooo many pictures, on sooo many sites, it's very hard to recall just where I saw what. I did this because I'm considering the possiblity of working a season there myself, before I'm too old. Hence, the research.

But so far this information has been very hard to come by, almost all the official or government websites say US Bases in Antarctica are of a scientific nature and study weather patterns and such (yeah right :lol

, and the few other sites I could find about US Bases in Antarctica (private/research/conspiracy ones) seem to have no clue either!

The "corporate" sites won't tell you anything. The first set of lists I posted all have redeeming qualities, though not really from a conspircy perspective. What I was really after I found: What it's like to spend a season there. The Pro's and Con's of doing such a life-changing job, and lastly.....and still a big question...why do people go back? Plus, based on the information I did read, I firmly believe that it's entirely possible that things are going in these stations we don't know about. Hence, again the list of sites I first posted..many of them give you ways to interact with current or past Polies...Good idea, eh?

I mean if all research carried out down there was scientific or, seemingly innocent, why is the information so hard to come by? Especially with regards to photos, ANY pictures of US Bases in Antarctica are very hard to come by.

Not true, say I!. Honest. In fact, there are tons of photo's, taken by beakers and support people. Most of the Personal sites I listed in my first post list have tons of pics. The portal pages usually have several station pics each. In fact, that's where my search started. I got tired of seeing pictures of penguins. To support this idea, here's a sample. Scott Base's new station is WEIRD looking. But after reading about WHY it was built that way, I understood why it's weird looking. McMurdo looks like an old Alaskan mining or fishing town. It's ugly, unorganized, and apparently, horribly muddy during a certain season every year. Palmer station is so average and boring looking, I don't recall details. The pictures are out there

All in all, everyone has piece of Antarctica from Argentina, New Zealand, Russia even India has a base there

! But still information is hard to obtain, I will however still try researching the matter, Antartica seems highly auspicious to me, definately some America would take up on!

That's right, I had forgotten. Why not look into your own countries station? I'm kicking myself right now, that I don't recall which station of the 6 it is, that I know the most about.

P.S. Take another look at Amundsen-Scott, it's one of the most remote bases, right in the MIDDLE OF FRICKIN' Antarctica near the South Pole. Seems unlikely some country would put a base there and maintain it, don't you think? It would be impossible to supply and I'm sure the weather there isn't too good, and the closest base is like 1000km away, could be a good location for something else, eh?

In fact, that's my favorite station (although it's tough to get stationed there, most people get sent to McMurdo first, and Scott is a harsher place all things considered). American tax money went into building the new Scott station, and it's pretty damn cool. No pun intended. A lot of the research done there is done because of it's location. Cleanest air on the planet, for one thing. Also, there is a science section on Scott devoted to keeping an eye on our ozone layer. I believe this, as one of the sites I looked at long and hard was run by a beaker who works on that project, and has been there more then once.
Alas, Scott is, I belive, the station that's the most hard to get to, and has the worst Winter-Over winter possible.

And that link about Lake Vostok is very interesting, does sound like something weird is going on...

Piffle! I've read about this, and have one thing to say. With the little I know about science, it is absolutely vital that we do not contaminate that lake. By drilling into it, we contaminate it. Currently, scientists are working on this problem, but I've not heard of a solution yet. So far, it's REALLY that simple. There are no realistic grounds for suspicious theories...yet.

Lastly, you and I have sort of taken over this thread. Should you wish to, U2U me, and I will be more then happy to answer any questions, or offer information up freely. I’ll admit to a certain amount of smugness that I feel about this topic. I really think that I’m probably one of the most informed citizen of the US about the place, from the perspective that most US people don’t even know we have ONE station there. I’d rather give this information to someone, rather then have it rot away, unused.

-VW



[edit on 8-3-2005 by VisionWithin]

Yeah, I know this has probably already been said before, but I didn't read the thread....

Yes, there are bases in Antarctica. Special Forces does some training down there and there are weather and science stations from all branches.

You can get a medal for working there. The Antarctic Service Medal. One of three medals I never hoped to have. The other two being the Purple Heart, and the Prisoner of War medal.

For whatever it's worth, then there with it....

Originally posted by DeltaChaos
Yeah, I know this has probably already been said before, but I didn't read the thread....

Yes, there are bases in Antarctica. Special Forces does some training down there and there are weather and science stations from all branches.

You can get a medal for working there. The Antarctic Service Medal. One of three medals I never hoped to have. The other two being the Purple Heart, and the Prisoner of War medal.

For whatever it's worth, then there with it....

Delta, forgive me. I don't mean to sound invasive, but just what are you trying to say?

1. That there is nothing of interest in Antarctica?
   
2. That it's not worth being there anyways, for various reasons?
   
3. That (somewhat like I have been saying), all the things happening there are not worthy of ATS audiance attention?
   

-VW