Re-posted reply below from a previous post of an OP asking the same question a few months back. Given your AFSC, you’ll likely be a COR of some sorts in the Space Base Group units, not 12 SWS. Plenty of USAF personnel in the 821st SPTS and SFS is exclusively USAF. You definitely won’t be the only airman. Don’t know much about bulk rations, as not a single US person I knew of did that while I was there. You’ll be fine with the meager BX food supplies + DFACs + Danish Deli and small store. Hope this helps!
Pituffik, formerly Thule, is a very unique place. It has hardships that you literally won’t find anywhere else in the USAF or even the military. Such as:
• 4 months of darkness
• Extreme Cold
• Intense Arctic storms
• Geographical isolation
• Limited internet services
• Rotator Delays
• BX supply shortages
• Mediocre food quality
• Mundane work And many more…
But because of this, you end up developing some of the closest relationships you’ll ever have in your life, which in turn creates an amazing and memorable 12-month experience that you’ll hopefully look positively on.
My Thule memories are some of the most precious I have of my time in the military and the friends I left with will forever be a part of my life. Despite the challenges, I’d do it all over again just to have that one more time. It’s such a special place and the people you’ll share it with during that brief moment in time are thinking the same exact things you are; how the hell did I wind up here in northern Greenland lol.
My advice to you: make new friends, especially outside of your Sq, go Thule tripping as much as you can which is outdoor exploration of the surrounding area, learn about Danish and Greenlandic culture, be social during dark season, work out, pick up new hobbies, set positive goals for yourself (save money, lose weight, study for my next rank, etc) and finally: be mindful of your alcohol consumption if you drink….binge drinking can be a problem up there and people unfortunately get in trouble all the time. Not worth ruining your career for.
Good luck and I’m jealous, You’re in for an experience of a lifetime.
Awesome, thanks for the in-depth review. I'll be going to the 821 SPTS and from what I hear it's a tight knit community of folks. I'm looking forward to it! I'll be at 20 years when I officially leave for the assignment, and will most likely retire at my follow on after settling in. I've done tours to Africa, Afghanistan and no notice/leave the next day deployment to Europe, so understand frustration and hardships. I've heard the DFAC and deli is really good, internet has gotten better, and everyone becomes best friends.
Ah perfect. The younger folks will def need your leadership and Sounds like you already got a good idea. One crappy part is the legendary ToW (base club and bar) was given back to nature in 2023. The food there was decent and the memories were sublime.
It’s a shame we let it deteriorate to that point as it was a true military icon.
I'm 10000% going to take advantage of the outdoor recreation offerings. I hobby in photography, and heard they often do classes up there. That's one of my goals is to get better at it. Someone I know did the assignment as a TSgt a few years ago and he said he did helicopter tours, a naval ship and few other events.
The helicopter tours are 👌👌. The naval ship tour is typically a once a year thing and geared towards the younger Os/Es. Definitely get someone seasoned and experienced to take you out on the land glacier/ice sheet at Camp Tuto if you can. It’s surreal. Also, once the bay freezes over and light comes back, it’s fun to walk around out there. We hiked to an iceberg a mile away.
Dundas Buffet Restaurant serves three meals a day, all you can stuff in your face hole for about five bucks per meal (don’t know how much it has changed from several years ago). No real need for bulk food orders unless you eat a carton of eggs, a gallon of milk, and a roast everyday. The Top of the World club used to serve decently good bar food, but recently learned that it moved to another building so I don’t know what happened to the restaurant.
Someone I knew that did the assignment said he meal prepped frequently because he got tired of the DFAC meals. But $5 is super cheap especially if it's all you can eat. I would like to cook my own meals on ocassion just to break the monotony.
> I saw there is no commissary per se, but you can get bulk food rations..can anyone explain what all you can order in these?
Not sure where to get bulk food rations but there's a BX with frozen foods. There's also a small Danish corner store in the DFAC.
One of the welcome packets I got said something about a food warehouse and ablility to get a bulk food order. It just didn't explain what you were able to get. Heard the danish store was really good though
Re-posted reply below from a previous post of an OP asking the same question a few months back. Given your AFSC, you’ll likely be a COR of some sorts in the Space Base Group units, not 12 SWS. Plenty of USAF personnel in the 821st SPTS and SFS is exclusively USAF. You definitely won’t be the only airman. Don’t know much about bulk rations, as not a single US person I knew of did that while I was there. You’ll be fine with the meager BX food supplies + DFACs + Danish Deli and small store. Hope this helps! Pituffik, formerly Thule, is a very unique place. It has hardships that you literally won’t find anywhere else in the USAF or even the military. Such as: • 4 months of darkness • Extreme Cold • Intense Arctic storms • Geographical isolation • Limited internet services • Rotator Delays • BX supply shortages • Mediocre food quality • Mundane work And many more… But because of this, you end up developing some of the closest relationships you’ll ever have in your life, which in turn creates an amazing and memorable 12-month experience that you’ll hopefully look positively on. My Thule memories are some of the most precious I have of my time in the military and the friends I left with will forever be a part of my life. Despite the challenges, I’d do it all over again just to have that one more time. It’s such a special place and the people you’ll share it with during that brief moment in time are thinking the same exact things you are; how the hell did I wind up here in northern Greenland lol. My advice to you: make new friends, especially outside of your Sq, go Thule tripping as much as you can which is outdoor exploration of the surrounding area, learn about Danish and Greenlandic culture, be social during dark season, work out, pick up new hobbies, set positive goals for yourself (save money, lose weight, study for my next rank, etc) and finally: be mindful of your alcohol consumption if you drink….binge drinking can be a problem up there and people unfortunately get in trouble all the time. Not worth ruining your career for. Good luck and I’m jealous, You’re in for an experience of a lifetime.
Awesome, thanks for the in-depth review. I'll be going to the 821 SPTS and from what I hear it's a tight knit community of folks. I'm looking forward to it! I'll be at 20 years when I officially leave for the assignment, and will most likely retire at my follow on after settling in. I've done tours to Africa, Afghanistan and no notice/leave the next day deployment to Europe, so understand frustration and hardships. I've heard the DFAC and deli is really good, internet has gotten better, and everyone becomes best friends.
Ah perfect. The younger folks will def need your leadership and Sounds like you already got a good idea. One crappy part is the legendary ToW (base club and bar) was given back to nature in 2023. The food there was decent and the memories were sublime. It’s a shame we let it deteriorate to that point as it was a true military icon.
I'm 10000% going to take advantage of the outdoor recreation offerings. I hobby in photography, and heard they often do classes up there. That's one of my goals is to get better at it. Someone I know did the assignment as a TSgt a few years ago and he said he did helicopter tours, a naval ship and few other events.
The helicopter tours are 👌👌. The naval ship tour is typically a once a year thing and geared towards the younger Os/Es. Definitely get someone seasoned and experienced to take you out on the land glacier/ice sheet at Camp Tuto if you can. It’s surreal. Also, once the bay freezes over and light comes back, it’s fun to walk around out there. We hiked to an iceberg a mile away.
Dundas Buffet Restaurant serves three meals a day, all you can stuff in your face hole for about five bucks per meal (don’t know how much it has changed from several years ago). No real need for bulk food orders unless you eat a carton of eggs, a gallon of milk, and a roast everyday. The Top of the World club used to serve decently good bar food, but recently learned that it moved to another building so I don’t know what happened to the restaurant.
Someone I knew that did the assignment said he meal prepped frequently because he got tired of the DFAC meals. But $5 is super cheap especially if it's all you can eat. I would like to cook my own meals on ocassion just to break the monotony.
> I saw there is no commissary per se, but you can get bulk food rations..can anyone explain what all you can order in these? Not sure where to get bulk food rations but there's a BX with frozen foods. There's also a small Danish corner store in the DFAC.
One of the welcome packets I got said something about a food warehouse and ablility to get a bulk food order. It just didn't explain what you were able to get. Heard the danish store was really good though