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Operation Deep Freeze: Airmen in Antarctica
By Senior Airman DominiC TYLeR
56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
In 1955, the United States began a series of continuous op- erations in support of the Nation- al Science Foundation mission in Antarctica. Operation Deep Freeze, an inter-continental mis- sion located in one of the coldest and most austere environments on the Earth, has been in place since the 1950s. Year after year, people travel to Antarctica in the name of science, exploration, and for a historically unique human experience.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Matthew Wimmer, 56th Operations Group flight surgeon, was selected for a temporary duty assignment in support of ODF.
“The medical personnel se- lected to deploy for ODF are the best of the best,” said Maj. Andrew Fisher, Joint Task Force- Support Forces Antarctica chief of medical services. “Maj. Wimmer’s extensive operational experience in providing care in austere envi- ronments was a big contributor to his selection.”
Wimmer aided in six emer- gency medical evacuations and provided medical assistance on the ground at two primary Ant- arctic research hubs—McMurdo Station and Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.
“Something you learn being out there on the ice for any amount of time, is that things can go very wrong, very quickly,” said Wimmer. “It’s an eight hour flight to the closest medevac station, so all the steps have to be thought out well in advance before we decide on the
best course of medical care.”
In the Austral Summer, from November to February, when the temperatures often drop into the teens at McMurdo, the Air Force provides intercontinental airlift with the LC-130 cargo planes. These aircraft are equipped with retractable skis and JATO rockets that allow the aircraft to take off and land on snow and ice, as well
as on conventional runways. “Working in that environment, [during Operation Deep Freeze] was a unique experience to say the least,” said Wimmer. “As a physician, I learned a lot about medical evacuations in unregu- lated areas. The weather is al- ways a factor when determining the course of action we take. Due to the remoteness of the deploy- ment, it’s all on our team includ- ing; our AE nurse and technician to stabilize the patient, decide on medical procedures and validate
them for transfer.”
According to the United States
Antarctic Program, Antarctica in the winter can be one of the windiest, coldest, driest, and most remote places on the planet, mak- ing it difficult for anyone to travel to and from the continent. Addi- tionally, at an elevation of 9,300 feet, the South Pole Station has an average monthly temperature in the austral summer of -18°F and -76°F in the austral winter.
Aside from the weather condi- tions, Wimmer noted the remote- ness of the continent being exten- sively noticeable, which limited his ability to communicate with the rest of the world.
“Social media and most civilian forms of email weren’t accessible because all internet bandwidth,
Courtesy photos
The McMurdo Station in Antarctica, in 2021. The research station is the logistics hub of the U.S. Ant- arctic Program, established by the National Science Foundation in December 1955.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Matthew Wimmer, (far left) 56th Operations Group flight surgeon, poses for a group photo with his medical team at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, in 2021. The research station is the logis- tics hub of the U.S. Antarctic Program, established by the National Science Foundation in December 1955.
Three LC-130 aircraft sit on the flightline during Operation Deep Freeze at McMurdo Research Station (Williams Field), Antarctica, in 2021. The LC-130 is equipped with retractable skis and JATO rock- ets that allow the aircraft to take off and land on snow and ice as well as on conventional runways. The U.S. Air Force has provided intercontinental airlift support to the National Science Foundation research stations in Antarctica since the 1950’s.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Matthew Wimmer, 56th Operations Group flight surgeon, poses for a photo in front of an LC-130 aircraft on the flightline of Amundson-Scott South Pole station, Antarctica, in 2021.
limited to less than that of a single cell phone stateside for the entire station is used to send es- sential research data from the continent,” said Wimmer. “In the military, we’re used to working with what we’ve got, but the isolation there was still unlike anything I’ve experienced.”
Though the conditions could seem uninhabitable to some, Wimmer spoke on many remark- able experiences to be had on the continent.
“One of the most exciting things for me was supporting world class research,” said Wimmer. “My team and I learned about various topics including microbiology, marine biology, astronomy, astrophysics, geology, volcanology and more during the National Science Foun- dation presentations given by the researchers.”
To add to his newfound knowl- edge of Antarctica, Wimmer also found the area offers amazing wildlife, great hiking, beautiful scenery, and a supportive com- munity unlike any other.
“The community at these re-
search bases have an exclusive perception of the planet,” said Wimmer. “Those that live there have built an incredible com- munity over the years that the majority of humanity have yet to lay eyes on.”