Military Sealift Command-chartered ships concluded cargo operations April 2 in Port Hueneme, Calif., for Operation Deep Freeze, the annual Joint Task Force Support for Antarctica.
MSC-chartered container ship MV Ocean Giant arrived in Port Hueneme March 27 and began offloading more than 500 pieces of cargo.
The cargo included containers filled with retrograde materials such as trash and recyclable materials for disposal and rolling stock equipment removed from the remote scientific outpost at McMurdo Station Antarctica. In addition to the retrograde materials, ice-core samples were delivered for future use by scientists who study the global climate.
Reserve Sailors from Expeditionary Port Unit 114 served as the pierside liaison between the ship, cargo handlers and the National Science Foundation personnel during the offload.
“Operation Deep Freeze is a mission of teamwork; teamwork between the personnel and the climate,” said Larry Larsson, an MSC military transportation specialist. “This season we achieved uncommon results, in a very challenging location. It was a fantastic effort by all who supported ODF and a true example of our motto, MSC delivers,” he said.
One of two MSC-chartered ships supporting this year’s ODF operations, Ocean Giant was accompanied in Antarctica by MSC-charted ship MV Maersk Perry. Perry provided 100 percent of the diesel fuel, jet fuel and gasoline needed for the sustainment of the station through the harsh winter period. The Perry also provided fuel for the National Science Foundation’s chartered scientific research ship R/V Nathanial B. Palmer and the ice-breaker I/B Vladimir Ignatyuk.
An MSC-chartered cargo ship and tanker have made the challenging voyage to Antarctica every year since the station was established in 1955.
MSC operates approximately 110 non-combatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, April 4, 2013; Image: