The team also established new control stations using MX-1502 doppler satellite receivers. The new stations were on thenorth and south ends of Coulman Island, the north end ofFranklin Island, the north and south ends of Beaufort Island,and at Cape McCormick, Helm Point, Cape Hallett, Cape Adare,Ross Island, Minna Bluff, and White Island. The team alsoestablished two doppler satellite stations on the proposed Pe-gasus runway near McMurdo Station, which will be reoccupiedin following field seasons to monitor the direction and move-ment of this lobe of the Ross Ice Shelf.

Global positioning system data were also collected at McMurdoStation to evaluate the system's capabilities for establishinggeodetic mapping control in Antarctica and to investigate itspotential for use in determining ice movement on the continentand crustal movement between Antarctica and Australia, NewZealand, Africa, and other global stations. Station CAMP AREAat McMurdo Station was used as a primary site to collect datacontinuously from 13 January to 23 January 1990. During thissame period, global positioning system stations were occupiedin New Zealand and at two locations in Australia. The coop-erative effort was coordinated by the Australian Surveying andInformation Group (AUSLIG). A similar test is planned for the1990-1991 season in preparation for a major campaign duringthe 1991-1992 season involving many nations.

The USGS continued work on a series of 1:50,000-scale top-ographic maps in the McMurdo Dry Valleys area. The mapsare being compiled in cooperation with the New Zealand De-partment of Surveys and Land Information (NZDOSLI). JointU.S./New Zealand geodetic field teams obtain the geodeticcontrol, and the USGS acquires the aerial photography andcompletes the aerotriangulation. The NZDOSLI then compilesthe maps and the USGS prints and distributes the maps. Five

maps are in the final edit stage and are scheduled for printingin early 1991. Seven additional maps have the aerial photog-raphy and aerotriangulation completed and are in the mapcompilation stage. Additional maps in this series, includingRoss Island, are in the planning stage contingent on acquisitionof additional aerial photography.

For the eighteenth consecutive year, a USGS winter-overteam continued the USGS work in support of satellite trackingand seismology at the South Pole Station. This year's teamconsisted of Michelle R. Rogan and Ray W. Sliter. In additionto satellite tracking, the team operated a USGS seismometer.Because of its remote location, the South Pole Station providesessential azimuth control for many epicenter solutions thatoccur in the southern latitudes and is a vital link in the World-wide Standardized Seismological Network.

The USGS also maintains the U.S. Scientific Committee onAntarctic Research Library for Geodetic and Geographic In -formation. The library's collection contains U.S. holdings ofcartographic materials including aerial photographs, satelliteimages, geodetic control, and antarctic maps prepared by theU.S. Geological Survey and other countries. The aerial pho-tography film negatives are stored at the U.S. Geological Sur-vey's EROS Data Center at Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Thelibrary's collection is available for use by scientists, cartogra-phers, antarctic researchers, and others in the scientific com-munity and is open during normal working hours. Libraryinformation and assistance are available by calling (703) 648-6010 or visiting the U.S. Geological Survey at 12201 SunriseValley Drive, Reston, Virginia 22092.

These programs were funded by National Science Founda-tion grant DPP 85-12516.

U.S. Naval Support Force,Antarctica: McMurdo Station

operations, 1989-1990

MARGARET REED, LCDR, USN,MICHAEL MORGAN ACC, SCOTT BERRY RM2,

and KEITH FORMAN, LIEUTENANT

U.S. Naval Support Force, AntarcticaPort Hueneme, California 93043

Operating the United States Antarctic Program each seasonis a complex task, demanding a constant supply of materialand human resources. The parent U.S. military contingent,U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica (NSFA), is organized intonine departments (administration, communications, opera-tions, supply, public works, medical, terminal operations, mo-rale/welfare/recreation, and safety/training) to ensure that theobjectives of the program are met. This article outlines theresponsibilities of each NSFA department and highlights someof the events from the 1989-1990 field season.

Administration. Daily functions of the administration de-partment can range from the publishing of official instructions(see figure 1) and directives to the movement of large amountsof equipment and personnel.

An attorney was added to the NSFA Legal Office during the1989-1990 season to provide guidance in areas of foreign crim-inal jurisdiction and environmental law.

Communications. Consisting of three divisions (radio, elec-tronic communications, and data processing), the communi-cations department serves McMurdo Station's technical needsby handling incoming and outgoing messages, as well as sat-ellite and radio systems communications, and as available,personal communications, a feature which contributes muchto morale at the station.

The satellite communications system provides McMurdoStation with voice communications between McMurdo Stationand the rest of the world via a Land Earth Satellite. MARS isa system of radio communications which relies on volunteermilitary and civilian ham radio operators and is designed as aback-up military communications system. As a way of keepingoperator skills sharp in peacetime, this network provides "tele-phone" service for military and civilian participants of the U.S.Antarctic Program. Phone calls originating in Antarctica are"patched" into the shortwave radio transmitter, broadcast to

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Figure 1. McMurdo Station's television studio serves as an official military information outlet and a morale-enhancing vehicle for theresidents of the station. (Official U.S. Navy photograph by PH3 Craig Peterson.)161

a receiving MARS operator in the United States and then patchedback into the phone system as a collect call. The number ofcompleted phone patches during the 1989-1990 austral sum-mer season was 797.

Another MARS service is the "MARS Gram"—short letterstransmitted by ham radio from the MARS operator at one endto the other. The recipient operator then mails the letter throughthe regular postal service. This system cuts days off the regularantarctic mail service and provides personnel with another wayto communicate back home. During the 1989-1990 austral sum-mer, 467 MARS Grams were sent, and 523 were received.

More than 79,000 messages were broadcast over three radiocircuits (US-14, US-18, and USed19) that are used to passteletype, facsimile, weather, and administrative messages toand from McMurdo Station, Christchurch, ships, and outlyingstations.

Operations. One of the most essential links in the NSFA in-terdepartmental system is the operations department and itsair traffic control division. The air traffic control division main-tains McMurdo Center and provides personnel for WilliamsField, the sea-ice runway, and the South Pole. McMurdo Cen-ter, assisted by other antarctic stations, is responsible for pro-viding en route flight-following for air-traffic control, separationof aircraft, and search-and-rescue. These services are providedby high-frequency voice radio for aircraft operating south of60°S. For flights between antarctic stations and New Zealand,McMurdo Center coordinates with Auckland Radio. The pointfor transfer of control and responsibility between McMurdoCenter and Auckland Radio is 60°S.

During Operation DEEP FREEZE 1990, McMurdo Centerhandled 3,187 LC-130 flight hours and 1,558 UH-1N helicopterflight hours. The LC-130s carried a total of 2,985 passengersto and around Antarctica and delivered 2,951,676 pounds of

cargo, 92,001 pounds of mail, 36,344 gallons of jet petroleumfuel, and 208,559 gallons of diesel fuel arctic. A total of 5,444,364pounds was moved.

Supply. The supply department provides logistics supportfor the following areas: repair part/consumable item receiptand issue, food service, ship's store retail outlet, bulk aviationand ground fuel issue and storage, and military barracks man-agement. During this season, the supply department issued4,802 line items of stock, served 150,234 meals, sold $414,369.71of ship's store retail stock, issued approximately 4.5 milliongallons of fuel, and provided berthing to 669 NSFA and VXE-6 military personnel.

Public works. NSFA's public works department resuppliedthe Marble Point camp with food, equipment, and fuel at thebeginning of the season via motorized traverses across the RossIce Shelf. Located approximately 60 miles from McMurdo Sta-tion, Marble Point is manned by three Navy personnel: anaerographer, a construction mechanic, and a utilitiesman. Theylive and work at this isolated site and in addition to theirregular tasks of weather-observation, maintenance, andplumbing, they share responsibilities for cooking, cleaning,and laundry.

Public works was responsible for building the 10,000-footrunway near McMurdo during September 1989. This runwaywas used in October to land a C-513 Galaxy airplane.

Medical. NSFA provided medical care for personnel at De-tachment Christchurch, McMurdo Station, Williams Field, andfield camps. (See figure 2.) The clinic at McMurdo Stationprovides everything from daily medical. and dental sick call toemergency care. It also houses a four-bed medical ward andX-ray services.

From a total of 3,248 sick calls processed by the clinic fromMcMurdo and field camps during the 1989-1990 season, there

1990 REVIEW 293

Figure 2. Routine medical services are provided at McMurdo Sta-tion, Byrd Surface Camp, Palmer Station, and Amundsen-Scott SouthPole Station. Specialty care is referred to New Zealand and/or theUnited States. (Official U.S. Navy photograph by Stephen Barret.)

were 34 minor surgeries and 13 medical evacuations fromMcMurdo Station.

Terminal operations. The landing of the C-513 Galaxy cargoairplane on 4 October was an historic event and began theyear dramatically for the terminal operations department. TheC-513 was the first airplane of its class ever to land in Antarcticaand the largest ever to land on the sea-ice runway. (See figure3.) This event was the result of an entire summer of planningand coordination. The U.S. Air Force provided the plane as atraining flight at no expense to the U.S. Antarctic Program.

The average allowable cargo load for each C-5 flight was167,891 pounds. By the end of the 1989-1990 season, terminaloperations had overseen the movement of more than 23,000tons of shipborne cargo and 1,374,527 pounds of airborne cargo.

Morale/welfare/recreation. "Scott's Hut Race," the largest rec-reational event of the season, had approximately 300 partici-pants this year. The first "Ice Hole Pines" golf tournamentreceived such a positive response that another tournament isplanned for next season.

The Force Chaplain conducts the protestant service and co-ordinates the use of the "Chapel of the Snows" for RomanCatholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Church of the Latter DaySaints. Koinca and discipleship studies were added to the weeklyBible studies in McMurdo this year. At Williams Field and theSouth Pole, services were held under guidance from the ForceChaplain.

The Master-At-Arms coordinates and conducts securitywatches and investigations, enforcing the legal policies uniqueto Antarctica.

Safety/training. At the request of Gary Staffo, National Sci-ence Foundation Safety, Environmental, and Health Officer,an industrial hygiene team from the public works department,Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, assisted by the safety and training de-partment, conducted an asbestos inspection at the South PoleStation. The inspection included sampling, monitoring, andremoval of asbestos material.

Naval Support Force, Antarctica, serves as the primary sup-port system for scientific research efforts on the continent. Asan integral extension of the National Science Foundation's Di-vision of Polar Programs, this unit's mission continues to beshaped by the ever-changing needs of a bustling science com-munity on the world's last continent.

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Figure 3. A U.S. Air Force C-513 Galaxy cargo plane comes In for a landing at the Ice runway at McMurdo Station. The October 1989 landingof this airplane was the first landing of an airplane of Its class or size In Antarctica. (Offical U.S. Navy photograph by JOl Dan Simon.)

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