Editor’s note: Chief Steward Karl Meyer, assisted by fellow crew members, submitted this article and the accompanying photos.Once again, the USNS Lawrence H. Gianella, operated by Ocean Ships Inc. for the U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC), participated in Operation Deep Freeze 2009. This is an annual resupply mission to the National Science Foundation’s facility at McMurdo Station Antarctica.
The SIU-crewed Gianella delivered more than 9 million gallons of fuel needed for the coming year to operate the base’s aircraft, vehicles and power plant. Departing the West Coast in early October, stops included Pearl Harbor; Ulsan, Korea; Guam; Singapore; Diego Garcia; Souda Bay, Crete, Greece. The vessel arrived in the Ross Sea from Fremantle, Australia, on Jan. 22 and was assisted by the Swedish icebreaker Oden through the shelf ice and ice channel into McMurdo.
Prior to Fremantle, the ship also had on board a 12-person U.S. Navy “embarked security team” (EST), They provided 24-hour armed security for the vessel during its transit through the pirate-infested waters of the Gulf of Aden and also during its two transits of the Suez Canal. The vessel returned to Diego Garcia and the EST disembarked just after Christmas for their next assignment.
The steward department showed their can-do spirit and attitude, feeding the expanded crew of 38 including the EST plus an SIU apprentice and two cadets. They also had the privilege of preparing a meal for U.S. TRANSCOM Commander Gen. Duncan McNabb and his staff, who were hosted by the ship’s master, Capt. William Taylor, for a tour and dinner while pier side in McMurdo.
The members of the engine department used some down time to perform scheduled maintenance on the main engine and while monitoring the offload also had the opportunity to transfer some much-needed fuel to the icebreaker Oden as it was tied up alongside.
Crew members also took advantage of the sub-freezing weather to empty and clean out the ship’s freezer. All departments pitched in for this endeavor.
On a lighter note, AB Jeff Pearce literally took the plunge when he braved the frigid waters and joined the annual “Polar Plunge” hosted by the New Zealand-operated Scott Base (located nearby). Also, there was ample time to buy some souvenirs, hike up to Observation Hill, and visit the Discovery Hut, also known as Scott’s Hut, which was built in 1901 and is as preserved today as it was then.
After departing the ice on the 26th of January, the Gianella stopped in Gladstone, Australia, for bunkers and provisions before heading back to the Gulf Coast to complete its five-month journey to the Antarctic.
SIU members sailing aboard the Gianella during the voyage to McMurdo Station included the following: Bosun Mark Mahoney, ABs Jay Aki, Clifford Cronan, Jason Devine, Bernard Essiful and Pearce; QMEDs Austin Parker and James Summer; Pumpman Darrell McDonald; DEUs Rodolfo Caldo and Vicente Ordonez; GSUs Budiman Chandra and Luis Valerio; Chief Steward Meyer; Chief Cook Mario Fernandez and UA Jesus Sifuentes.
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