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 8 of 18]
Motor Vessel Stena Polaris awaits in open water of the Ross Sea for the USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10) to arrive and begin an escort to McMurdo Station during Operation Deep Freeze 2026, Jan. 21, 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)