Capt. Keith Ropella, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) commanding officer, shakes hands with Petty Officer 1st Class Casey Connors, Regional Dive Locker West diver, aboard the Polar Star, after his underwater advancement to Petty Officer 1st Class, in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, Jan. 7, 2024. The Polar Star is enroute to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze, a joint service, interagency support operation for the National Science Foundation, which manages the United States Antarctic Program. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Graves)