USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10) escorts motor vessel Stena Polaris through the ice-covered Ross Sea to McMurdo Station during Operation Deep Freeze 2026 [Image 6 of 18]
A USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10) crew member watches a fuel tanker being escorted through the Ross Sea to McMurdo Station during Operation Deep Freeze 2026, Jan. 21, 2026. The U.S. military's support of U.S. Antarctic research began in 1955. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command proudly continues to lead the Joint Task Force-Support Forces Antarctica team in providing logistic support for the United States Antarctic Program. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Bokum)