Operation 'Boxtop' at Thule

Published Aug. 27, 2008
By Capt. Michael Balzotti
821st Support Squadron

THULE AIR BASE, Greenland -- More than 150 Canadian Forces inhabited Thule Aug. 5-22 to conduct Operation BOXTOP, a bi-annual resupply mission of Canadian Forces Station Alert.

Supplies for the operation, officially titled Operation BOXTOP II, arrived here via air and sea in the weeks before the operation began. Canadian C-17s and C-130 transport aircraft also brought in logistics personnel who transported cargo from the Canadian ship, Camilla Desgagne. Pallet upon pallet made its way by barge from ship to shore for inventory and then storage in two of Thule's massive, Cold War-era aircraft hangars.

Moving 267,000 imperial gallons of fuel and 738,000 pounds of dry goods to 83 degrees north latitude can be a challenging feat. Canadian forces relied on three Canadian CC-130s and one civilian C-130 to fly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, until all the supplies were delivered.

Aircrews battled stiff winds, low ceilings and slick runways as they headed 440 nautical miles north of Thule to Alert.

Nestled in Thule's Hangar 8, high-frequency radios, aircraft position reports and phone calls were some of the basic yet effective methods Canadian Maj. Slip Needham, Airlift Control Element Commander, and Canadian Capt. Wes Cromwell, Deputy Airlift Control Element Commander, used to track operations.

Accompanying them was George Stewart, director of logistics for the Department of National Defence/Canadian Forces Chief Information Management Group and longtime BOXTOP participant.

"Thule Air Base's support for BOXTOP and our weekly supply flights is outstanding," Mr. Stewart said. "If it wasn't for Thule, there probably wouldn't be Alert."

To maintain 24-hour operations, Canadian forces augmented Thule's control tower personnel by sending two air traffic controllers. Once trained on Thule air traffic control specifics, the Canadian air traffic controllers worked side-by-side with U.S. air traffic controllers, providing a seamless transition to everyday operations.

Representatives from Thule AB and CFS Alert carried on the tradition of the BOXTOP Olympics as they travelled between the sites, battling each other in mountain climbing, floor hockey, badminton, bowling, dodge ball and volleyball.

Thule's first sergeant, Master Sgt. Shawn Swidecki, cheered on Team Thule.
"I saw first-hand how the Canadian forces relied on home field advantage to win the last three events and ultimately win the BOXTOP Olympics," Sergeant Swidecki said.

When BOXTOP operations ceased Aug. 22, CFS Alert had enough fuel and supplies to last until March 2009 when Team Thule and the Canadian forces are projected to launch Operation BOXTOP once again.

Thule Air Base is the U.S. Air Force's northernmost and most remote location. CFS Alert is 440 nautical miles north of Thule; it is the northernmost permanently inhabited location on Earth.

Operation BOXTOP II/08 kicks off