USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10) crew members hold a ceremony to present the Antarctica Service Medal to crew members during Operation Deep Freeze 2026 as the cutter sits hove-to in the Ross Sea, Jan. 22, 2026. Operation Deep Freeze is one of the more challenging U.S. military peacetime missions due to the harsh environment in which it is conducted, and this year also commemorates the Polar Star’s 50th year of service. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Bokum)