VXE-6

Antarctic Development Squadron Six
Insignia of Antarctic Development Squadron Six (VXE-6)
Active	17 January 1955 – 31 March 1999
Country	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Type	Test & Evaluation
Role	logistical support
Part of	Naval Air Systems Command
Garrison/HQ	Naval Air Station Point Mugu
Nickname(s)	"The Puckered Penguins"
Motto(s)	"Courage, Sacrifice, Devotion"
Colors	Tail code JD XD
Commanders
Commanding officers	CDR Edward M. Ward, 1955–57[1] CDR Vernon J. Coley, 1957–58[2] CAPT William H. Munson, 1959–61[3] CDR George R. Kelly, 1964[4] CDR F.S. Gallup Jr, 1965[5] CDR Daniel Balish, 1967[6] CDR Arthur F. Schneider, 1968[7]
Officer in Charge, winter detachment	CDR Gordon K. Ebbe, June 1955–June 1956[8] LCDR Charles J. McCarthy, Ellsworth Station detachment, 1957–58[9] LCDR John K. Allison, 1959[10] LCDR Louis L. Helms, 1961[11] LCDR John A. Morton, 1964[12] LCDR William E. Shockley, 1966[13] LCDR David B. Eldridge Jr., 1967[14]
Commanding officers	CDR Eugene W. Van Reeth, 1969[15] CDR Claude H. Nordhill, 1972[16] CDR John B. Dana, 1973[17] CDR Vernon W. Peters, 1974[18] CDR Fred C. Holt, 1975[19] CDR Daniel A. Desko, 1976[20] CDR James W. Jaeger, 1977 CDR William A. Morgan, 1978–1979[21] CDR Victor Louis Pesce, 1979–1980[22] CDR Paul R. Dykeman, 1980–1981[23] CDR Dwight D. Fisher, 1984–1985[24] CDR Paul Derocher, 1985–1986 CDR Joseph D. Mazza, 1986–1987[25] CDR Jack B. Rector, 1987–1988 CDR Jack Smith, 1988–1989 CDR Stephen Gardner, 1994–1995[26] CDR John Morin, 1995-96 CDR William Stedman, 1996-97 CDR William Warlick, 1997–1998 CDR Dave Jackson, 1998–1999
Aircraft flown
Reconnaissance	P2V-2 Neptune, DHC-3 Otter
Transport	R4D Dakota, R5D Skymaster, LC-130 Hercules

Antarctic Development Squadron Six (VXE-6 or ANTARCTIC DEVRON SIX, commonly referred to by its nickname, The Puckered Penguins) was a United States Navy air test and evaluation squadron based at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California with forward operating bases at Christchurch, New Zealand and McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

Established at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland on 17 January 1955 as Air Development Squadron Six (VX-6),^[27] the squadron's mission was to conduct operations in support of Operation Deep Freeze, the operational component of the United States Antarctic Program. The squadron relocated to Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island on 1 February 1956. On 1 January 1969, the squadron was redesignated Antarctic Development Squadron Six (VXE-6).^[28]

Following the closure of NAS Quonset Point in the 1970s, the squadron relocated to NAS Point Mugu. Using the tail codes XD (1955) and JD (1957), the squadron flew numerous aircraft throughout its existence—many of which were pioneering endeavors. For example, the first air link between Antarctica and New Zealand was established by men and aircraft of VX-6 in 1955. The following year, a ski-equipped R4D Dakota of VX-6 became the first aircraft to land at the South Pole. In 1961, the first emergency midwinter medical evacuation flight was conducted from Byrd Station to Christchurch. In 1963, an LC-130F Hercules of VX-6 made the longest flight in Antarctic history. In 1967, a United States Navy LC-130F of VX-6 completed the first scheduled winter flight to Antarctica, landing at Williams Field.

Following the closure of austral summer operations at Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station in February 1999, the squadron returned to Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California, where it was disestablished on 31 March 1999. Beginning in 1997, responsibility for long-range logistical support of Operation Deep Freeze had been transferred from the VXE-6 squadron to the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard (NYANG).