Lt. Cmdr. Sarah Schmid, a physician’s assistant temporarily assigned to Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10), and Lt. j.g. Kevin Holmes, auxiliary engineering officer on Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10), walk across the fast ice during ice liberty in the McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, Jan. 2, 2023. They deployed in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2023, one of the more challenging U.S. military peacetime missions due to the harsh environment in which it is conducted. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Aidan Cooney)