On this page, you can read about our “adventure” of an Army assignment to Alaska. I will add things that come up that I think you may be interested in so scroll down to see each “event” as they happen!

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Orders in Hand!

Fort Leonard Wood, MO (Nov 18) We’ll be leaving soon for an assignment to Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks Alaska, less than 200 miles from the Arctic Circle…and we’re going in January, the coldest month of the year when temperatures average +1 to -17 degrees sometimes dipping to -60!

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Route Planned & Reservations Made

Lebanon, MO (27 Dec 18) Not wanting to get caught without a place to stay along the way, especially if bad weather hits, I made reservations at every stop, anticipating the Army-allowed driving day. I will leave early Sunday morning and arrive at Fort Wainwright almost two weeks later, spending three nights on the ferry (which saves me about 1500  miles of driving!).

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Truck Prepped for Sub-Zero Temperatures

Lebanon, MO (28 Dec 18) Preparing to move to Alaska included preparing our truck for the temperatures we could encounter. Since there is a possibility of the temperatures dipping to 70 degrees below zero, they recommend your vehicle be prepared for that temperature. That means getting thinner oil, thicker anti-freeze, warming pads for the transmission & oil pans and the battery, and an engine core heater. I also needed to get winter tires, instead of the all-season I had been using which wouldn’t cut it with the snow that is expected. Additionally, it is recommended to take along spare belts and hoses, but I just had them all replaced (since they hadn’t been in a while) instead of having the possibility of doing side-of-the-road mechanic work in really cold weather. Even with all of this preparation, it is also recommended to have a CB radio (that’s Citizen’s Band for you youngin’s) to be able to communicate when cell service isn’t available.

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Loaded and Ready to Go (Almost)!

Lebanon, MO (28 Dec 18, pm) Since we are doing a Personally Procured Move (PPM), what used to be called a DITY move (do it yourself), we got a topper for our pickup truck so I could take with me what I’ll need for the next few months until we sell our house and move everything up. Today was the day I planned to load, not realizing it was going to be the coldest day of the week!

As this day approached, the more I packed and planned, the more concerned I became that I would not have room for everything that I wanted to take. There is not only my clothes and uniforms but also my work files and books, and of course the resources for my hobby: chaplain memorabilia (used for my website The Chaplain Kit). But I loaded and packed tightly and was able to fit in everything I needed and just about everything I wanted. I’m sure that once I get there I will discover things that I wished that I would have brought with me on my first trip but fortunately (hopefully) it won’t be too long before I return for the rest of our things.

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Since I have an extended cab, the back seat will get a few boxes as well as my luggage. Fortunately, I don’t have any passengers this trip or it would really be tight! Since we’re doing a PPM, I had to get the truck weighed empty and loaded. 1400 lbs. Yes, my back aches a little!

The next day I added more stuff from home…340 lbs of more stuff bringing my total to 1740 lbs of cargo! (I hope I didn’t forget anything!)

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