Duty takes teen from the Raritan to the Arctic Hazlet resident finishing off a year on Air Force base in Greenland BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer A view of Thule Air Force Base in Greenland, where Hazlet native Artem Kamalov is stationed as part of his duties with the U.S. Air Force. In a few weeks, Kamalov will be stationed in Portugal. HAZLET - OK, so the early spring temperatures in this area have been a bit underwhelming, generally in the 40s. But for at least one native of the Bayshore area, those numbers would be a dream - even in July. Artem Kamalov, a 2005 Raritan High School graduate, has been stationed in Thule, Greenland, for the past 12 months as part of an assignment with the U.S. Air Force, which he has been a part of for the past 19 months. Kamalov is a native of the Ukraine, so spending time in one of the northernmost corners of the world hasn't been too much of a transition. "I moved to America with my parents when I was 4 years old and my reason for going into the Air Force was to try and give back to my country and my community," the 19-year-old Kamalov said on Friday. "I was in boot camp in Texas for about six months. I only have two more weeks left in Greenland and then I'm going to Portugal and the Netherlands after that." Hazlet native Artem Kamalov, who is currently stationed in Thule, Greenland, as a member of the U.S. Air Force. Kamalov's main responsibilities involve securing 254 square miles and to maintain law and order among the people of Greenland. He says many of the people he has encountered are of American, Canadian and Danish descent. "Because this is such a small base, the military members here are very close and consider each other to be family," Kamalov said. "The Danish and Greenlandic people are very nice and great to work with. Living here and learning the culture has been a great experience and something I will definitely cherish." While Kamalov has enjoyed his time in another country, there is still that issue of the temperature, or lack of it. He said the average winter temperatures range from 13 to 20 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit) and the summer temperatures are in the mid-30s to mid-40s most days. Thule Air Base is located some 700 miles north of the Arctic Circle, in the northwestern reaches of the world's largest island. Even with the frigid weather, Kamalov has managed to stay occupied, with most of his time being spent on his work with the Air Force and his schooling, in which he is "just a couple of credits away" from being done with classes at Lake Region Community College, located on the base. He is studying for an associate-level degree in criminal justice, with the intent of soon pursuing a business degree. "Any other spare time I have is spent being outdoors, going ice skating, snowboarding or skiing," Kamalov said. Kamalov said that while his base is very remote, the morale is very high. "I've been here for a year and this has been the most memorable one of my life," Kamalov said. "I've accomplished so many things since I've been in Greenland. I am really fortunate to have so many great people in my time here."