Brim Frost/Jack Frost

kraigWY

CMP GSM MI
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Minuteman
Feb 10, 2006
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I didn't want to attache this to the other thread, but we need a Brim Frost/Jack Frost Thread.

Jack Frost being name before they started Brim Frost.

I paticapated in ever Jack/Brim Frost from 1973 to 1987. After that I took over the AK NG Marksmanship Unit and didn't get to play.

We nned Brim Frost stories, I'll dig out my 201 file and match the dates and units with my old memory.

I think they were the most fun, and enjoyable memories of my time in the Alaska National Guard. I got more "attaboy's" and "aw shits" then any other activitiy in my military career, including the Regular Army.
 
Re: Brim Frost/Jack Frost

Guess I'll start.

It had to be '81 or 82. We were to operate at Ft Greeley. Prior to Brim frost we jumped in to do a recon on our assigned AO. We jumped and started skiing around the drop zone when we stopped to fix a bit of coffee. I was wearing a sweater, gloves, and overpants. Skiing I wasn't cold. That is until my boss started talking about how cold it was. He checked the temp and it was already 40 below about 2 in the afternoon. I instantlay got cold and started dawning my parka. Later it turned cold. We burned down half of Ft Greeley with a fire we couldnt get close too. Fed the fire all night. Come morning it was 70 below. There I was standing near the fire in my Northface yellow sleeping bag, zipped up to my chin while my tm sgt. spood feed me oatmeal and coffee.

Nothing beats a goood Sgt.

The following Brim Frost got me more "aw shits" in a shorter time then any time in my career. Going from kidnapping a female medic and starting a riot in the Mess Hall at Eilson (maybe Wainright, cant remember now).
 
Re: Brim Frost/Jack Frost

Were you there for the A10 demo down at Greely? Man what a blast, the 500lb bombs were like "Thud", whereas the gatlings opened up on those containers and sank them in teh river after punching through 4 feet of ice!!


1989 BrimFrost.

Canadian C-130 comes in during Ice Fog - doing a combat landing - BAD BAD BAD idea. Hits the runway 12 feet short and about 4 feet into the ditch, breaks the aircraft apart, kills 11 soldiers.
I had the honor of explaining this to one of the sons of the killed as the Canadian govt covered it up - Pilot error.

Huey flies in, 55 below zero, took 8 hrs to warm her up with the air blower, comes back into a self-created white out- flips on it's side and spews rotors - somehow lands back rightside (?) - took that one out with a truck. I was about 100 yards away and because of the snow - barely heard it (In my tent).

Oh lots of stories of Brimfrosts!

Those AK NG soldiers can shoot -as previously mentioend - WATCHED them do offhand shooting at 600 yards, I was on an XM-21 scoped M14 zero'ing and they are STANDING there with M16A2's firing in the offhand position - phenomenal!!!


Some of these photos I have in a larger scanned size but they're not on my webserver at the moment - and many pictures I could not get because it was 67 below zero and my camera was frozen, so these were all towards the end of Brimfrost 1989.

C130 wreckage - MP's were on patrol but I snuck in and took 4 photographs.
c130a.jpg



The Icebridge to the Tanana, Ice road truckers! (me!)
icebridge2.jpg

icebridge1.jpg


And of course I earned this one!
50below.jpg
 
Re: Brim Frost/Jack Frost

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kraigWY</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I didn't want to attache this to the other thread, but we need a Brim Frost/Jack Frost Thread.

Jack Frost being name before they started Brim Frost.

I paticapated in ever Jack/Brim Frost from 1973 to 1987. After that I took over the AK NG Marksmanship Unit and didn't get to play.

We nned Brim Frost stories, I'll dig out my 201 file and match the dates and units with my old memory.

I think they were the most fun, and enjoyable memories of my time in the Alaska National Guard. I got more "attaboy's" and "aw shits" then any other activitiy in my military career, including the Regular Army. </div></div>

I dont kinow whats wrong with you two....did zombies eat your brains. When it goes below +70%F its time to be heading for Belize.
 
Re: Brim Frost/Jack Frost

A few non military pics from that same time frame, when it warmed up a tad:

40below.jpg


Frozen Steam - creates ice fog on the Rich Hwy.
icefog.jpg


My buddy Leon Hood, myself, and my lil bro, 1:30AM at the Arctic Circle:
ac2.jpg


Grizzly Bear on road to Arctic Circle:
bear.jpg


Stay off the icebergs (Portage bay)
iceberg.jpg


Halfway from Anchorage to Fairbanks - Interesting to note - the mountain in the rear - IMAGINE a C130 ride down the side of that mountain - and if you ever flew to Elmendorf in a C130 you have imagined it!

igloo.jpg


Probably the most beautiful spot in the world, somewhere close to the Arctic Circle (100 miles or so):
scenery.jpg


Last but never least, the best dog I have ever owned, Jesse-Dog:
jessedog.jpg
 
Re: Brim Frost/Jack Frost

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Those AK NG soldiers can shoot -as previously mentioend</div></div>

You bet they can. I remember thinking when those navy seals shot the guy pirate and rescued the capt.

I've hunted seals (the fury ones) on the Bering Sea. Just about all thats showing is their heads and you're in a small boat in choppy water. You had to kill them with head shots or they sink and the Natives starve.

I got a picture I'll scan (with some others) shooting caribou with a M1, off hand.
 
Re: Brim Frost/Jack Frost

This was the range we qual'd on, this particular photo - not sure HOW I got it, usually after 20 below my camera stopped working, it was 22 below this day so we went back a week later and requal'd:

FTWainwright_Range.jpg
 
Re: Brim Frost/Jack Frost

Damn, and I though I was experienced with dealing with the cold, Ft. Drum has nothing on you guys apparently, coldest I saw at Drum was 40 below, on the range calling in mortars.
 
Re: Brim Frost/Jack Frost

Beautiful photos, Artic. Thanks. I can appreciate what you see in that....not just the scenery, but the extremes. Ive never been in that deep a cold but Ive been in some really intense icestorms and have felt that power of nature. Its awe inspiring. Thanks for shareing.
 
Re: Brim Frost/Jack Frost

I never was on Jack or Brim but trapped that whole area for many years with dog team. It gets very cold but you get used to it I did many trips some by dog some by machine . I thought it was some of the best arctic training there was. Most men who had went tru it got hands on training for that type of ops. I use some army cold climate gear some was good some would give you frost bite.
 
Re: Brim Frost/Jack Frost

Ok, I gotta ask, when its -70 outside, how do you shit or piss? Cause it seems to me if you pull your pecker out to piss, its gonna be a popsicle as soon as it hits the air. And if you hang your ass out to shit, you would freeze your whole body. Or do you just piss/shit yourself?
 
Re: Brim Frost/Jack Frost

It ain't that bad. Geeesss.

While on the subject, as in any other enviorment, its important to keep "regular".

I'm not saying you're gonna set in a snow bank and read the daily paper, but the in few minutes it takes, your butt isn't gonna freeze.

It does such having to dig through 4 inches of clothing to find a 2 inch petter.

You want to do your duty before you turn in, cause it takes some effert to climb out of a sleeping bag when its that nippy out there.

Some guys would carry a special canteen to use, then throw it down the botton of their sleeping bag to warm their feet. I nevr tried that.

Main thing was to keep dry socks and change them often. You could hang them outside, then after a bit shake the frost off them and tuck them in your shirt.

Also you have to keep the inside of your boots dry. I couldnt wear bunny boots. I wore leather boots with felt linesr. I changed the liners every day (as with socks). At night I would heat up small rocks and put them in the boots leaving them over night. I never had problems with cold feet.

Even in my old age I can take the cold much better then I can take the heat.

Winter camping is really quite fun.
 
Re: Brim Frost/Jack Frost

You get ready in the tent, take off parka etc etc, find a tree, and run like hell, do your business and get back within 3 minutes...(Or less)

No pee does not freeze in mid air...just makes a nasty steamy smell.
 
Re: Brim Frost/Jack Frost

Yall send mailing addresses and Ill send ya a fresh pineapple from Panama in Febuary.
 
Re: Brim Frost/Jack Frost

This was in the mid 70s, had to be before 1976 when the 38th SF company, AK ARNG was disbanned.

We worked with and jumped out of one called the Black Bird that traveled with the spector, Back then you weren;t suppose to take pictures of it, but I think its safe to post now.

C130%20Spector.jpg
 
Re: Brim Frost/Jack Frost

This had to be take pre-1978 when I went to OCS. I'm the one on the right. Rego on the left was the Det Cmdr. and now my hunting buddy.

We both did pentence together with the 1/297 Inf out of Nome.
I volenteerly gave up my command of C company to be his XO of A Company, St Lawrence Island.

This is the guy you can count on if you ever get into trouble. He wont watch you go to jail, he wont bail you out, He'll be right there with you saying "did we have fun or what". He was old time SF, first tour in RVN as a E-6, second as a Captain.

Abn%20Det.jpg
 
Re: Brim Frost/Jack Frost

Right on!

Is that hill in the BG the microwave tower?

12th Grp brought an MC-130 into Greely when I worked with them - bad ass - couldn't let us behind the black curtain but we rode in the back. They came down, we threw a rope and ran to catch up - the bird never stopped.

Anyway - years ago one of those guys had an M40 or a Steyr - not sure, wood stocked sniper rifle and called my name, said he tagged me from the bottom of the hill while I was on top - roughly 700 or 800 yards...:)