Welcome Aboard The CGC Polar Star Reporting Aboard
The Polar Star departed Seattle on January 20th and we are just now catching up with her as she steams towards McMurdo Station, Antarctica to assist in icebreaking operations. All photos are credited: U.S. Coast Guard photograph by Petty Officer Second Class Mariana O'Leary.	The Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, homeported in Seattle, Washington.

The Journey So Far… The first week in February finds the crew of the USCGC Polar Star with well established sea legs and a long way from home. They said their goodbyes to family and friends January 20, and left their homeport of Seattle bound for the freezing continent of Antarctica.

Although final notice of the mission was short, the 134-person crew has been on a 48-hour standby since the beginning of the austral summer, in case it was needed for Antarctic support. After the Russian icebreaker Krasin, which has opened and partially groomed a channel into McMurdo Science and Research Station, experienced mechanical problems, the National Science Foundation took the prudent step of calling in the Polar Star for support, due to the Krasin's continued vulnerability.

A small window of time presents itself in the short Antarctic summer season, during which a vital shipping channel must be opened via icebreaker. For the past 50 years, Coast Guard icebreakers have deployed to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze, where ships have broken through as much as 84 nautical miles of ice to produce a navigable shipping channel into McMurdo Station.

In order for the McMurdo Station and South Pole Station to remain manned and operational throughout the harsh winter months, more than six million gallons of fuel and four thousand metric tons of cargo including food and other supplies must be delivered before winter sets in, and the ice gets too thick for even the Polar Star to break.

Now, more than six thousand miles south of Seattle, well past the equator and into the South Pacific, the ship's crew would like to welcome you aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, to experience the life of a sailor aboard one of the great red ships, fondly called Polar Rollers in the Coast Guard world.

As we approach southern latitudes equaling those of our Seattle home, my off hour thoughts turn to the big game. Tomorrow the Seahawks get their chance to wing the Steelers. To show the nation they are for real. To put a cap on a historic season. To win the championship that has eluded their grasp for thirty years.

Day after day I read about the unbeatable Steelers and their winning history. To listen to most prognosticators you would think the Steelers had already won the game. But, they haven't. They are not Terry Bradshaw's Steelers, just as we are not Jim Zorn's Seahawks. This game is not about how many titles these franchises won in the 1970s. This is about here and now. It's time to stop the hype so the Seahawks can shut the door on their losing past, exorcise the painful ghosts, and hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

The Seahawks are a fiery young group, which has the skill and mettle to bring home the big prize. They are ready to run, pass, and catch their way into the history books. Tomorrow they will sustain the excellence they exhibited all season long and throughout the playoffs.

We aboard POLAR STAR will listen closely to the game and will be cheering for the Hawks as they continue on their historic run. I will have my cap and game face (courtesy of OS1 Sharp) on. We are going to cheer so loud they will hear us in Detroit. Tomorrow is the day and I can't wait.

GO HAWKS!
Jason R. Hamilton, OPS

Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Wallin, a Marine Science Technician collects and treats samples of sea water from the South Pacific, Feb 4, 2006.

Lt.j.g Toby Kilbourn and Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Moon tie flies during down time, Feb. 4, 2006.

Damage Control training keeps hands busy while transiting the Pacific Ocean, Feb. 2, 2006.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Micah Corimao takes a last look at Seattle, January 20, 2006.

Seaman Ashley Palmes stand a lookout watch.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Drew Sinclair and Ensign Jessica Barbeau plot a course, Jan. 24, 2006.

Petty Officer 3rd Class William Staneart checks the seal of his mask during a fire drill, Jan. 25, 2006.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Joe Bryan and Petty Officer 2nd Class Nick Parsley, Electronics Technicians, trouble shoot a piece of equipment.

Seaman Apprentice Elijah Webb secures mooring lines as the ship heads into the Pacific, Jan. 25, 2006.

Senior Chief Petty Officer Edward Glasson accepts a Polar Starbucks card in payment for an early morning wakeup call from Petty Officer 2nd Class Erin Delacruz, Jan. 26, 2006.

Chief Warrant Officer Kenneth Stuber keeps the Captain up to date on Jan. 24, 2006.

Seaman Jesse Woodcock and Seaman Apprentice Kymberly Jackson take the controls in Aft Steering.

Master Chief Petty Officer Matthew Livezey brews an exceptional cup of Polar Starbucks coffee, while underway in the South Pacific, Feb. 4, 2006.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Shane Hunter, a Damage Controlman chases a leak in the engine room, Jan 25, 2006.