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SAN DIEGO -- Employees at DLA Distribution San Diego, Calif., at Port Hueneme are doing their part to ensure members of the National Science Foundation located at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, receive supplies by dedicating their service to the mission year round.
“At Port Hueneme, we have approximately 17 personnel comprised of packers and woodworkers that consistently work on the ‘Deep Freeze’ mission,” Port Hueneme Site Director John Crandall said. “Starting in August, employees begin receiving large pieces and volume cargo destined for the once-a-year resupply via ship. We receive, pack and load items in 20-foot containers to await the arrival of the ship at Port Hueneme.”
This year’s ship, the USNS Green Wave, arrived before Christmas and began loading Dec. 26 to meet its scheduled departure the second week in January.
The ship, scheduled to arrive in Antarctica in early February when the ice is thinnest, was loaded with more than 15,000 items of general cargo prior to its Jan. 10 departure. In total, more than 450 20-foot containers were packed and loaded, nearly 6,000 fiberboard boxes manufactured, and more than 1,800 wooden pallets assembled in support of the mission.
Immediately post-departure, employees began packing items that are scheduled to be flown into the station. This phase of the operation, known as WINFLY, moves items via all means, commercial and military. The phase will last until the resupply ship arrives in the U.S. in December 2012.
Operation Deep Freeze is unlike any other U.S. military operation. It is possibly the military's most difficult peacetime mission due to the harsh Antarctic environment. The U.S. military is uniquely equipped and trained to operate in such an austere environment and has provided support to the U.S. Antarctic Program since 1955.
Located on Ross Island “under” New Zealand, McMurdo is the largest station on the continent with an austral summer population of 1,100 and a winter population of around 200. It is the logistical hub for most of the scientific research conducted by the United States on the continent.
The National Science Foundation operates three permanent research stations on the continent including McMurdo, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station and Palmer Station. In addition, the National Science Foundation supports two research ships, including the Laurence M. Gould and the Nathanial B. Palmer.
| Date Taken: | 01.26.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 01.26.2012 15:04 |
| Story ID: | 82870 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 115 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Port Hueneme DLA employees support annual Antarctic resupply, by Emily Tsambiras, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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