NAVY SHUTS DOWN LONGTIME ANTARCTIC RESEARCH OPERATION.

Byline: David Greenberg Daily News Staff Writer

A 42-year-old U.S. Navy program providing exploration and logistical support in Antarctica for the National Science Foundation has become the latest military program to dissolve under President Clinton's defense spending cutbacks.

Operation Deep Freeze, stationed the last 23 years at the Naval Construction Battalion Center, staged its ceremonial closing Wednesday while its remaining 20 personnel retired or received transfer assignments.

``It's closing a chapter in naval history,'' said Thomas Streeter, a master at arms, first class. ``I am very sad to see it go. It's truly an adventure, and it epitomizes the heart and the soul of the Navy.''

The program has been flying daily missions to Antarctica assisting civilian scientists and researchers from around the world in the study of marine life, physics, geography, geology and astronomy during the austral summers, which run from October through February.

The program employed as many as 80 Navy personnel in 1995, according to Jacqueline Kiel, chief petty officer.

It originated at a Rhode Island base and shifted to Port Hueneme in 1975 when the original site closed down, she said.

During the austral summer, explorers brave frigid temperatures while basking in the glow of sunlight 24 hours a day.

``It's an incredible array of scientific research,'' said Streeter, who was deployed to the southernmost continent three times in three years.

Although he and other Navy officials stopped short of attributing the program's closure to Clinton's military cuts, the Naval Support Force Antarctica is one of many military operations that have been downsized or closed since the president took office.

The exploration program during that time period has shifted toward civilian operations.

The Naval Support Force provided communications, medical and legal services, food, housing, air traffic control and maintenance to government-sponsored researchers, who generally came from universities and private science foundations.

Although termination of Operation Deep Freeze marks the end of an era, the Navy will maintain a presence in Antarctica for one more austral season.

The Antarctica Development Squadron 6 stationed at the Point Mugu Naval Air Weapons Station will conduct flight operations with the New York National Guard during the 1998-99 austral summer.

That deployment group is scheduled to dissolve in April 1999.

The U.S. Air Force became the military's overseeing outfit for the program as of Wednesday.

``What's going to happen is that over the next month, (Naval Support Force) people are going to be filtering out - transferring, retiring,'' Kiel said. ``But basically we're gone.''

Kiel will leave for London on March 25. She flew three missions to the icy continent that is large enough to contain the United States and Mexico.

``The interesting thing is that during the winter, it can double in area because of the ice that grows around it,'' she said.

The Navy's history in the Antarctic began when Lt. Charles Wilkes explored much of the continent's coastline in 1839.

Rear Adm. Richard Byrd began his historic expeditions in the area in 1928 and a year later became the first person to fly over the South Pole.

The Navy's most aggressive expedition, called Operation Highway, began in 1946 and involved more than 4,700 men, 13 ships and about 25 aircraft.

The first Operation Deep Freeze began in 1955 when Navy construction battalions built seven science and support stations on the continent in support of the 18-month International Geophysical Year, which began July 1, 1957.

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Photo

PHOTO This aircraft, photographed about 1960, flew to Antarctica. Dogs hauled equipment to stations.

Frank Kazukaitis/U.S. Navy