MSC Reservists Support Operation Deep Freeze 2026 Loadout
Photo By Sarah Cannon |
Cargo is loaded onto the Military Sealift Command chartered heavy lift ship......read moreread more
Photo By Sarah Cannon | Cargo is loaded onto the Military Sealift Command chartered heavy lift ship Plantijngracht, in preparation for delivery to the remote Antarctica outpost of McMurdo Station, in support of the annual resupply mission; Operation Deep Freeze 2026. Navy reservists from Military Sealift Command Pacific’s Expeditionary Port Unit (EPU) are supporting cargo operations by overseeing the loadout of 302 pieces of cargo being loaded onto the ship. The cargo will provide sustainment to personnel on the remote station for the coming year. see less
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MSC Reservists Support Operation Deep Freeze 2026 Loadout
Navy reservists from Military Sealift Command Pacific’s Expeditionary Port Unit (EPU) are supporting cargo operations in Port Hueneme, Calif. The team is overseeing the loadout of supplies and equipment being loaded onto the Military Sealift Command chartered heavy lift ship Plantijngracht, in preparation for delivery to the remote Antarctica outpost of McMurdo Station, in support of the annual resupply mission; Operation Deep Freeze 2026.
Serving as liaisons between Plantijngracht’s crew and Military Sealift Command, the EPU reservists are overseeing the loadout of 302 pieces of cargo consisting of containers filled with construction materials, construction equipment, parts for the ongoing barge project at McMurdo Station, as well as dry goods and supplies needed for the year’s survival on Antarctica. In addition to the containers of cargo, 24-foot pieces, that will make up a 65-ton floating Modular Causeway System (MCS) will also be loaded onto Plantijngracht. The causeway will replace the ice pier again this year, at McMurdo Station. Previously, an ice pier made up of rebar and frozen seawater, has been used for cargo offloads. Due to the size and weight of the cargo, the ice pier is unusable again this year. Once in Antarctica, the causeway will be assembled into sections on Plantijngracht’s deck and placed into the water and floated into place. The Sections will be attached to one another to form the final pier.
The four person EPU team began operations on Dec. 21, with a brief break for the holidays on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. As the “Eyes on the Pier”, the team is providing onsite observations for the onload of cargo. This includes staying engaged with Plantijngracht’s crew, the pier crews and serving as a reporting team to the MSC ODF team in San Diego.
While most people would think working, away from home at the holidays, would be a hardship, members of the MSCPAC team welcomed the opportunity to be a part of the unique ODF mission that is made up of different military branches and government organizations working together; something outside of their normal Navy supporting routine.
“This mission gives us a broader experience of what goes on on the logistics side of the Navy; most specifically with MSC and the way they do business,” explained Cmdr. Allan Phillips, EPU commanding officer. “For us as Reservists, it takes us away from the warships aspect of the Navy and focuses us on working with civilians and MSC.”
“For the enlisted members of the team, we get to see how this type of mission plays into the big picture of an operation,” said Hospital Corpsman First Class Marilyn Lazar, MSC EPU member.
Plantijngracht is scheduled to depart Port Hueneme, Jan. 8. Following a stop in Christchurch, New Zealand, where the ship will load additional cargo, it will travel to McMurdo Station; travelling approximately 8,040 nautical miles over nearly a month. Once in Antarctica, members of Navy Cargo Handling Battalion ONE will conduct the offload. Before departing McMurdo station, Plantijngracht will be loaded retrograde cargo will be loaded onto the ship for transportation off the continent. This includes 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 mission in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF). NSF is the 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. MSC-chartered ships have made the challenging voyage to Antarctica every year since the station and its resupply mission were established in 1955.
