Predeployment

Getting to Antarctica is hard, you either need to be really rich or have some sort of needed skill. The rich can afford to take cruises, mainly around the Antarctic peninsula. Unfortunately I don't fall into that category so instead I went the skilled labor route.
Getting onto the ice has been a life long dream. The question was how to do it. It all starts off with applying for a job through Raytheon Polar Services Company (RPSC) I applied for 20 different positions ranging from Mechanics Helper to Logistics supervisor. The compition is fierce with doctors and lawyers taking jobs as cooks and bus boys just for a chance at the experience.
Several weeks after applying I received a call to interview as a mechanics helper. The interview went well and several weeks later I received an email and phone call from a recruiter offering me a position as a utility mechanic which was a nice upgrade.

Getting the position was just the first hurdle. Since Antarctica is so remote they have to ensure the people going there for work are healthy. The medical facilities are limited to basic primary care. If there were a serious problem a person would have at least a 12 hour wait to get to any sort of real hospital. So since dying on the ice is nastily inconvienent for all involved all candidates go through extensive medical testing. These include blood tests, an EKG, and full physical and dental exams.

After spending a few days getting to know the doctors the paperwork is sent off for RPSC to review. This is known as personnel qualification (PQ) Once the doctors review your files they then send a nice little note saying you either are or are not fit enough to work for the company.

Stay tuned for the next installment. "purchasing and packing for 5 months of frigidity"