Keflavik Naval Air Station (Marines, enlisted, best, houses)

[NEMstrodamus]

Originally Posted by charolastra00

Was just wondering if anyone was stationed here in the past?

The US pulled out of Iceland about 2 years ago and Iceland is in the process of converting some of the buildings for use. I'm in a student group spending the week in one of the buildings which are set up sort of like suites.

It's sort of eerie here because many areas are like they were when the base was occupied. There are still US military bus schedules in the bus stops (one is still in use for the public bus to Reykjavik) and even in our "dorm", there are military names on the message boards.

I was just wondering if anyone was stationed here and if they could talk about what it was like when it was actually in use. Right now, it's all but completely abandoned and the fence is still up so we can't even really do much exploring without hiking all the way out of the base. Is there anything interesting to see on the base that would be accessible just by walking around?

I see this post is quite old, so I don't know if this reply will et anywhere.

I was stationed at Keflavik when it was a huge, and thriving base. I was there from late 1957 to 1958. I was part of the 1971st AACS Squadron. I was a radio operator.

I remember buying cartons of cigarettes on base for 80 cents a pack. Jewelry and cameras were dirt cheap.

The Iclanders were not very friendly to us and we were limited in the time we could go off base into Reykjavik. We had to be off the streets at a certain time (midnight I believe) and we were only allowed to stay overnight one night a week. I think it was Wednesdays.

Went up to Akureryi (sp) and Gulfoss one day. But, for the most part, we stayed on base.

Spent a lot of time at the Viking Service Club.

Lots more will come back to me.

Of course, the best day of all was when I got my FIGMO ribbon. (F it, I got my orders)

[CARMINE ZINNO]

I was stationed there 1968-69 with the navy. Navy was the main service at the time. I went all over the island. It was hard because of the regulations. I was an e-3 and had no priveleges. the girls were like nothing else on earth.
i had a girlfriend , i believe her name was osk.
But for the most part stayed drunk for my entire tour.......
I look back and realize i was in "mchale's navy" !!!!!!!!

[kathygail]

Hey Carmine - we must have been in Iceland about the same time - my dad was a cook (chief) so at some time you probably ate something he cooked! I think my older brother would agree with you about the girls, I'm trying to rememberhis girlfriend's name, I think it was Svandis - oh well, it's fun to reminisce!

[Andrew1248]

I was stationed at NSGA Keflavik from 1978-1979. I was wounded by a enemy patrol in late march of 79. But that still a secret. No Purple Heart but I got the scar. Me and the Marine guard have the nightmares....

[lisdol]

You know, someone with some pull should convince them to reopen the base - Iceland might be able to use a boost to its economy, and there are a lot of us who enjoyed it there, despite the rolling dumpsters and travel condition "2"s and the occasional blizzard that stranded people wherever they happened to be the minute it rolled in.

[WIHS2006]

Originally Posted by lisdol

You know, someone with some pull should convince them to reopen the base - Iceland might be able to use a boost to its economy, and there are a lot of us who enjoyed it there, despite the rolling dumpsters and travel condition "2"s and the occasional blizzard that stranded people wherever they happened to be the minute it rolled in.

Don't we still have some units stationed there for intelligence and radar purposes?

It's also my understanding that Iceland is in the process of looking to create their own armed forces and thus the need for us to defend them is unnecessary. IIRC they are already halfway there with the Icelandic Coast Guard and the Icelandic Crisis Response Unit - both of which qualify as military forces in my book.

[Tymberwulf]

I was stationed there from May of 91 to May of 92, didn't really enjoy it mostly due to my wife being pregnant at the time and not allowed to travel with me (medical difficulty plus she was AF medical and base clinic was navy). I liked it some, but decided that I never wanted to live in such harsh winter conditions again, so of course the AF stationed my wife at Elmendorf about 10 years later.

[d4g4m]

I was stationed at Kef from Jul 66 to Jul 67 Why I was sent there only the Naval personnel assigning people to duties knows. I was in training to become a jet engine mechanic. My first three months there I was assigned to mess duties. It sucked big time. As a reward for my culinary arts of mashing potatoes and making scrambled eggs, I was reassigned to Air Freight. No jet engines to repair there. But plenty of big planes that needed loading and unloading. C-141, C-130, C-124, C-47. Brannif 727 in the most brutle weather. It sucked big time.
During the 60's, the Iceland parliment was majority communist. They made it as difficult as possible for enlisted men with strict rules to leave the base and mingle with the civilains.
It was called a Naval Air Staion but the Air Force ran the show. ????
And had the best barracks and equipment.
It was the worst year of my life. It sucked big time.

[Fisher2737]

Hello folks. I was stationed in Iceland from Feb 1957 to Aug 1958 I was also a radio operator/trick chief after only being there a short while. I also did shifts at the "DF" ( direction finding ) site which was located off base, at a distance from the main runway. It was there just in case weather had closed in and inbound aircraft could use us to get him perfectly lined up with the runway. My room was on the second floor, same side of the road as the Service Club. Spent much time over there , especially playing pool. I liked the weather because it never got over 72 degrees, even in summer. I went on leave for Christmas of 1957 and flew back in around the 2nd or 3rd of january a great storm began to blow later that evening, and by next morning winds were howling in excess of 100 mph It was a wild time. I also got in a band with a few guys that were Air Force musicians. Their piano player got transferred back to the US, so i got the job, and was very busy, playing 6 gigs a week, making more than i was getting paid in the service. Officer's club, NCO club, E7 club, Civilian club, and eM club is where we played. Yes i was very busy and was constantly on the go. Hop in a cab after playing the job, to the barracks for a quick change, then back into the cab and up to the radio station ( a little late for the shift but we had plenty guys to cover ) Overall, i enjoyed being there, and actually got to sit in the Co-Pilot's seat and said goodbye to the guys in the radio station as we were on our way home. I remember coordinates such as 59 North, 45 West, which was a common point for inbound and outbound aircraft either entering or leaving our control. Actually, one evening in the winter, i accidentally picked up a voice saying "This is kwajalein" I was in Iceland, that was in the South Pacific, an atoll there. I gave it a try and called Kwajelein, and we read each other 5-square, meaning clear as a bell. It was strange but fun. After graduation school in Biloxi, they offered me a chance to stay and go to "Intercept school", which i should have taken, but i was eager to get home. Bad choice but oh well. Anyone that wants to contact me can do so at Fisher2737@aol.com Good luck to you all

[Balad1]

I did a Northern Viking exercise there in the late 90s with the Army. Interesting place to visit in July.

With the financial problems Iceland now has I'm sure they wish the Americans were still there. Many of the locals worked on the base.