Coast Guardsmen on Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10), stand by while launching the Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel for small boat operations in Antarctica, Jan. 17, 2023. The Polar Star conducted small boat operations for personnel training in the McMurdo Sound during Operation Deep Freeze 2023. Operation Deep Freeze is one of the more challenging U.S. military peacetime missions due to the harsh environment in which it is conducted. U.S. military service members are trained and ready to support this vital mission despite the austere environment. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Aidan Cooney)