Northern latitudes acquired strategic importance during the Cold War owing to their being the shortest path between the Soviet Union and the United States for bombers and missiles.

In 1953, a team of Army scientists visited Greenland to consider the specific problem areas for construction of camps on the ice cap.

Field investigations began in 1954 at Site II (designated "Fistclench"), located 220 miles (350 km) east of Thule Air Force Base at an elevation of 6,800 feet on the ice cap.

The large amount of fuel needed to operate Fist Clench influenced the choice to use a nuclear reactor at Camp Century.

[4] In 1957, a group of scientists came to Camp Fistclench to observe sunspot activity as a part of the International Geophysical Year studies.