A Brief History of
Naval Support Force Antarctica

For more than a century, ships have brought whalers and explorers to the icy waters of Antarctica. In 1820, Nathaniel B. Palmer explored the Antarctic Peninsula aboard the American sloop "Hero," a sailing vessel. Palmer may have been the first person to have seen Antarctica. Shortly after this early period of exploration, a scientific interest in Antarctica developed.

In 1838, there was substantial proof that Antarctica was truly a continent. Rear Admiral Charles Wilkes, an American explorer, was the first to recognize this phenomena after exploring much of Antarctica's coastline.

From 1841 through 1931 several other discoveries, which paved the way for further study on the continent, were made by famed British explorers Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Earnest Shackleton and Norwegian Roald Amundson. American Involvement in Antarctica took greater shape when Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, U.S. Navy, led five expeditions to Antarctica from 1928 to 1957.

Rear Admiral Byrd was one of the first to use aircraft during his expeditions. In 1928, he established Little America Station on the Ross Ice Shelf. Byrd conducted several aerial surveys and made new discoveries from this station. In November 1929, he made his first historic flight over the South Pole, which helped establish the modern role of the U.S. Navy in Antarctica.

The U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica, (NSFA) was established in 1954 by Rear Admiral George Dufek in Washington D. C. The support force was developed to establish a base of operations and logistics for American participation in the International Geophysical Year (IGY). The first summer support season lasted from October 1955 through February 1956. The IGY reopened on July 1, 1957 and lasted for 18 months.

With the modern aircraft provided by Air Development Squadron SIX (VX-6) and the skills of Navy aircrews and Sea Bees, scientists were able to research the continent's vast interior. On January 1, 1969, Air Development Squadron SIX, (VX- 6) was redesignated Antarctic Development Squadron SIX (VXE-6) and has continued to provide air support to and on the continent for NSFA and scientists.

The Sea Bees were an important part of the IGY in 1957, but an even earlier group of Navy Sea Bees had come to Antarctica in 1947 as part of Operation High Jump. The initial mission included building Little America IV on the Ross Ice Shelf. In later years, the Sea Bees constructed McMurdo Station and built the ice pier, ice roads and ice runways. An end to an era came for the Sea Bees in 1993 when their duties were assumed by civilian contractors.

Today, NSFA is home ported at the Naval Construction Battalion Center, Port Hueneme, California. The force continues to provide direct logistics support to the National Science Foundation, where the Office of Polar Programs directly manages the United States Antarctic Program.