Reykjavík Grapevine - 04.03.2016, Qupperneq 15

FRI
It's Raining Men
Why The US Invading
Iceland Will Be Better
This Time
By YORK UNDERWOOD
In 1940, the British invaded Iceland, in
an operation called "Operation Fork."
The British, followed by the Americans
and Canadians, were an exotic import to
Iceland. They wore uniforms, showered,
listened to jazz and were overly friendly
and courteous—intriguing young Ice-
landic women. This was known as "The
Situation." Women were ostracized for
hanging out with "the boys." Actually,
ostracized isn't a strong enough word…
persecuted, women were persecuted.
Luckily, there have been big changes
since then! Iceland rates highest in the
world for gender equality (by no means
an indication of being great, simply
less bad). Also, Icelanders, some would
argue, are bit more refined and dress
fancier than their American counter-
parts. Hell, Iceland is better at creating
American-sounding sanitised pop music
(looking at you Of Monsters and Men).
But the biggest change, the most impor-
tant change, is that the American mili-
tary repealed Bill Clinton's ridiculous
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and finally
gave homosexuals the right to die for
America's various military interventions
around the world while being open about
their identity! *Slow Clap*
Why is this going to be better? Well,
I asked comedian Jono Duffy, Iceland's
only gay comedian from Australia, and
he, for one, welcomes the new meat to
the market. "We need more gay guys in
Iceland," said Jono. "After a while, you've
basically met or slept with everyone."
We finally have a successful market-
ing ploy for the unmarketable Keflavík
area. For too long, Keflavík has been the
butt of jokes and the bane of the judicial
system. It will no longer be a place peo-
ple are embarrassed to come from, but a
place people are excited to go to. Kefla-
vík should become Iceland's Gay Club,
"The Gay Situation."
Kiki (Reykjavík's Gay Club) is great,
probably one of the best clubs in Reykja-
vík, but it's too far from the base. Iceland
likes to be a leader in the world (per cap-
ita). This could be a town of mostly gay
bars. Right next to a military base! Ice-
land could become the dream station for
gay military men. Cute, crew-cut men in
tank tops and uniforms heading off-base
for a wild night in Keflavík. Think about
it, developers. You have a real opportu-
nity here.
I realize this is one-sided and ex-
cludes the various other genders and
orientations, but this is America we are
talking about. We need to ease them in.
Of course, these bars are for everyone.
We are all human, after all. The Ameri-
can military still openly bars transgen-
der people from joining. America is no
longer exotic and refined. It has fallen
behind. They are re-invading and we
need to be ready. If we don't help them
move more bravely into the 21st century,
we might have a situation on our hands.
SHARE: gpv.is/rainmen
Witnessing The
End Of An Era
Neville Young worked
on the Keflavík air base
until its 2006 closure
By JOHN ROGERS
Even modest deployments of the vast
US military leave a large footprint. In a
country the size of Iceland, and a town
the size of Keflavík, the economic and
cultural impact of their presence is still
evident today, ten years after they with-
drew. Local residents built their lives
and careers around working in the US
military installation, and when the base
was decommissioned, the effects on the
community were difficult.
Neville Young came to Iceland in 1971,
and worked on the base from the mid 80s
until its closure in 2006. We asked him
a few questions about his career on the
base.
When did you move to Keflavík?
I moved to Keflavík in 1971 and didn’t
know much about the base, but it was
a big thing around here. A lot of locals
were working on the base. The Iceland-
ers would pick up the American televi-
sion station, so the people who lived in
the town liked it for that. They’d also
have American music groups coming
onto the base to play in the clubs. The
Icelanders could only get onto the base if
somebody invited you.
What was your job on the base?
"I was a fire inspector on the base for
twenty years, working for the Keflvavík
fire department that was situated on the
base. We had about 120 people working for
us: firemen, snow removal, and also the
arresting gear—that’s to slow down F15s
if their brakes fail, they drop a hook onto a
cable to stop them, like they do on aircraft
carriers. We handled the cargo as well.
How was it to be around when the
base closed, and the US left?
Everybody said it would be dramatic
when the base left, with regards to work.
But they seemed to get over it quite fast.
Most of the buildings on the base are
used for other things now. There were a
tough few years, but it wasn’t as bad as peo-
ple thought it was going to be. I think about
65% of the people who worked on the base
were actually from Hafnarfjörður, Reyk-
javík and Kópavogur, so it didn’t really
hit this community as badly as everyone
thought. But obviously it had some reper-
cussions, with them all leaving.
Have you heard about the US com-
ing back?
I heard about it through the news media,
but they haven’t really taken much notice
of it. I had a conversation with someone I
know who still works in the military, and
he said they’d probably just have relief
squads up here, like they have been do-
ing. They send squads up here for about
month just to practice, and they think
they might do it that way instead of mov-
ing back in. Just having relief squads
from different NATO countries.
Could you imagine the US returning
in similar numbers to the 80s and
90s deployment?
There’d be no way. They don’t have the
facilities, now. All the apartments on the
base have been rented out to university
students and other people. A lot of the
other buildings have been sold off or
rented out—there’s a college up there.
The gymnasium and all that, they’re all
being used now. I don’t know how they
would do that. They’d have to make some
kind of agreement to use the facilities
that they left behind. There are two han-
gars left—hangar 831, that the helicopter
guys have been using, then there’s 885.
That’s the biggest hangar—it’s enor-
mous, you can see it from the road. That
one’s falling to bits. They’ve been talking
about demolishing it because it’s unsafe.
SHARE: gpv.is/neville
“They don’t
have the
facilities
to return in
a big way,
now. All the
apartments
on the base
have been
rented out
to university
students
and other
people.
There’s a
college
there.”
"After a
while, you've
basically
met or
slept with
everyone."