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    MSC Reservists Support Operation Deep Freeze 2022 Loadout

    UNITED STATES

    12.31.2021

    Story by Sarah Cannon 

    Military Sealift Command Pacific

    Since December 26, five Navy reservists from Military Sealift Command Pacific’s Expeditionary Port Unit (EPU) 114 have been conducting cargo operations in Port Hueneme, Calif., overseeing the loadout of supplies and equipment are being loaded onto the Military Sealift Command charter ship MV Ocean Giant in preparation for delivery to the remote Antarctica outpost of McMurdo Station, in support of the annual resupply mission; Operation Deep Freeze 2022.

    Serving as liaisons between the Navy and the crew of the ship and the stevedores on the pier, the EPU 114 reservists have been coordinating all aspects of the loadout of nearly 7 million pounds of cargo. The cargo consists of 503 pieces of cargo that include containers filled with mechanical parts, vehicles, construction materials, office supplies and electronics equipment, and also a mobile home; 80 percent of the supplies needed the year’s survival at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

    Loading cargo into the 560-foot Ocean Giant requires advanced planning. Weight differences in cargo, as well as the types of cargo loaded and the storage issues they have, require a specific load order, which is followed to the letter to ensure an on time departure. Because of this, the reservists have worked with members of the MSCPAC Operations team as well as Ocean Giant’s crew, port workers, stevedores and members of the National Science Foundation.

    According to Lt. Commander Adam Rozell, officer-in-charge of the EPU-114 detachment, operations such as this provide the reservists with a unique opportunity to learn valuable skills they can carry forward in their careers.

    “Most people in the Navy reservists don’t get to do a mission like this. They do mostly ship handling operations,” explained Rozell. “This operation gives us the chance to do a big logistics move and to see how that comes together, from the planning stage to the execution. It is extremely good professional development for all of us involved.”

    ODF is a unique mission, as it involves different military branches and government organizations working together. Because of this, everyone involved learn to work across the agencies, understanding their differences and similarities and interacting through the challenges to complete the mission. In Port Hueneme the EPU 114 Reservists have found the same scenario as they get to know the local players such as the port operations staff, the ship’s crew, as well as the layout of the port, staging areas, their sizes and locations, and area accommodations needed for personnel participating in mission.
    “The Ocean Giant’s crew and the longshoremen we are working with are true professionals. They really understand and know how to execute these kinds of operations,” said Rozell. “We spend a lot of time working with the ship’s crew, and we get along great with them. We have similar backgrounds, so that makes it easy to connect with them. They have definitely brought a lot of knowledge with them, and we have learned so much from working with them.”

    Most of the EPU 114 reservists arrived in Port Hueneme before Christmas. While most people would think working, away from home at Christmas time would be a hardship, the EPU 114 reservists welcomed the opportunity.

    “I didn’t mind working during Christmas. In fact it was the perfect time!” said Rozell. “We are all students, so it was great being able to take a break, and jump on some orders and do a mission. The fact that this operation happens during the holidays means none of us had to sacrifice our class schedules or our studies to be here.”
    Ocean Giant will depart Port Hueneme later in the week. Following a stop in Christchurch, New Zealand, where the ship will load additional cargo, it will travel to the ice-pier at McMurdo Station, where members of Navy Cargo Handling Battalion ONE will conduct the offload. Before departing McMurdo station, Ocean Giant will be loaded with ice core samples that will be stored on the ship in sub-zero freezer containers. The ice core samples will be delivered to the United States for scientific study. In addition, retrograde cargo will be loaded onto the ship for transportation off the continent. These include trash and recyclable materials for disposal and equipment no longer required on the station.

    Operation Deep Freeze is a joint service, on-going Defense Support to Civilian Authorities activity in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), lead agency for the United States Antarctic Program. Mission support consists of active duty, Guard and Reserve personnel from the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Army, and Coast Guard as well as Department of Defense civilians and attached non-DOD civilians. ODF operates from two primary locations situated at Christchurch, New Zealand and McMurdo Station, Antarctica. 2022 marks MSC’s return to support of ODF which was paused in 2021 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. An MSC-chartered cargo ship and tanker have made the challenging voyage to Antarctica every year since the station and its resupply mission were established in 1955.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 12.31.2021
    Date Posted: 12.31.2021 14:19
    Story ID: 412275
    Location: US

    Web Views: 488
    Downloads: 0

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