Homepage / Technology / Engineering / Architecture / The World's 18 Strangest Military Bases

The World's 18 Strangest Military Bases

The world's hodgepodge of military bases run the gamut from hazardous mountaintop forts
to seemingly impenetrable underground bunkers. Then there are bases on remote islands
tracking objects in deep space and high-tech laboratories probing the most lethal microbes
in existence. The design of a base needs to address the immediate needs of a military while
still being versatile enough to remain useful as threats and technology evolve. We tracked
down some of the most interesting active military facilities and spoke with Brad Schulz, vice
president of federal architecture at HNTB, about why they're notable.

BY CHRIS SWEENEY

Thule Air Base

Qaasuitsup, Greenland:

Background: Thule Air Base sits within 800 miles of the Arctic Circle, making it the
northernmost U.S. military installation. Among the many challenges posed by the region's
climate is that the base's port is only accessible for three months each year, so major supplies
need to be shipped during the summer. The base may be frozen and remote, but the 12th
Space Warning Squadron operates an early warning system for Intercontinental Ballistic
Missiles from Thule, while the 21st Space Wing is in charge of space surveillance operations.
How It's Unique: Brad Schulz, vice president of federal architecture at HNTB, who recently
worked on a dormitory replacement project at Thule, explains that construction crews
essentially need to build on the most stable layer of permafrost they can get to. With
temperatures dropping below minus-60 F, keeping troops warm is crucial. One of the more
interesting weather-specific features is that all of the utilities are above ground, because it
would be too hard to quickly access them if something went awry. "You don't bury any
waterlines, communication lines or even sanitary lines," Schulz says. "They're all insulated
and triple-heat-taped." Schulz also notes that all the buildings on the base are equipped with
so-called arctic vestibules, which provide 24/7 access to shelter while ensuring the buildings
remain secure.
PHOTO CREDIT: (PHOTO BY PETERSON AIRFORCE BASE PHOTOS)

TAGS: engineering, architecture, 18_Strangest, military, Army, Air Force, Navy, Iraq,
Afghanistan, United States, England
 The World's Strangest Engineering
 10 Foreign Policy Questions We Want at First Presidential Debate
 Pentagon Turns to Engineers for Troop Transport Fix in Iraq: Analysis (With 6
Next-Gen Chopper Designs!)
 The World's 18 Strangest Buildings And Why We Love Them
 What a War Between China and the United States Would Look Like
 Defending America

ADVERTISEMENT

4 comments / Post a comment

1

Diego Garcia04:00:53 AM
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Posted by: corluy Report Abuse
Sadly enough, what makes Diego Garcia (# 3 on the list) so unique is not its remoteness, but the
fact that to build the base, and have no one peaking in, the 2000 inhabitants of the entire archipelago were
forcibly removed in the late sixties / early seventies and dumped in some slums in nearby Mauritius. To read
about their plight, just look up "Diego Garcia" on Wikipedia, or see
the documentary "Stealing a Nation" by John Pilger which is online and can be watched for free.
Every dirty trick in the book seems to have been used; neither the parliament of the UK, nor the US congress was
ever informed about what was going on. The story continues even today: in 2010, the UK government has
declared the entire archipelago - except for the base, of course - a natural reserve thereby implicitly denying the
Chagossians the right to visit their former homes, let alone to return there.

stargate8:13:32 PM
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Posted by: ArenSilver1 Report Abuse
just to add to cdcarch's correction, stargate, though sometimes involving travel through time (for example
"moebius" or "1969") is primarily about space travel.

Stargate12:33:40 AM
Monday, June 21, 2010
Posted by: cdcarch Report Abuse
In the Stargate franchise (beginning with the movie), Cheyanne mountain was always the HQ of the American
"stargate" program. This program consisted of Cosmic SPACE Travel though, not TIME travel.

Keep Secrets4:18:39 PM
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Posted by: nealr1965 Report Abuse
What about RAF Menwith Hill UK.