USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10) crew members climb a Jacobs ladder from the cutter’s 38-foot Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) small boat after operating in the Ross Sea during Operation Deep Freeze 2026, Jan. 15, 2026. The U.S. is committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, one in which the U.S. National Science Foundation-sponsored research and science programs can be conducted for the betterment of all humanity. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Bokum)