The 109th Airlift Wing, the New York Air National Guard LC-130H Ski-Herk squadron at Stratton ANGB in Scotia, began its twenty-eighth season in support of scientific research at the South Pole on 16 October 2015. By the end of the month, the wing’s Airmen and aircraft are expected to be in place at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, participating in Operation Deep Freeze, the military component of the US Antarctic Program that is managed by the National Science Foundation. Throughout the season, which runs through February, a total of seven LC-130 ski-equipped aircraft assigned to the 139th Airlift Squadron and about 500 Airmen are expected to deploy, with 330 missions planned. Approximately 120 Airmen will be deployed on the ice at any one time.
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