Photo By Lt. Anthony Junco | NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (Dec. 14, 2021) Sailors man the rails aboard the...... read more read more
NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (Dec. 14, 2021) - The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Milwaukee (LCS 5), along with the “Sea Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 22 Detachment 5 and embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment, departed from Naval Station Mayport Dec. 14, beginning its maiden deployment to support U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations.
Milwaukee will support counter-illicit trafficking in the Caribbean. Milwaukee’s operations will involve practical exercises and exchanges with partner nations, supporting U.S. 4th Fleet interoperability and reinforcing the U.S. position as the regional partner of choice.
Deploying an LCS to the region aims to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to international cooperation and regional security. The ship’s size, speed, and agility make LCS ideal for narcotics interdictions, partner engagements and port access.
“This crew is excited to take the ship on its maiden deployment to 4th Fleet. They have put in many hours to ensure the ship is ready to deploy and conduct a wide array of missions,” said Cmdr. Brian A. Forster, commanding officer of Milwaukee. “This will be the first deployment for many of my crew members who are eager to see the world and accomplish missions they have been training for. To say the crew is excited is an understatement and I am honored to be their commanding officer.”
Manned by over 100 Sailors, Milwaukee’s crew will consist of surface warfare mission-package personnel, a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment (LEDET), and an aviation detachment, who will operate the embarked MH-60S helicopter and MQ-8C Fire Scout.
“Milwaukee has trained countless crews for deployments in the past. Now it is our time to show what we are made of in a deployment aspect. I could not be more thrilled to deploy with this crew of hardworking, dedicated Sailors,” said Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Edward Kawczak.
LCS is a networked surface combatant, designed to operate in near-shore environments, while capable of open-ocean tasking and winning against 21st-century threats. The Littoral Combat Ship’s provide our Operational Commanders a versatile asset that can be employed in various AOR’s.
USS Milwaukee is operationally assigned to U.S. 2nd Fleet and is one of four littoral combat ships under Surface Division 21.
| Date Taken: | 12.14.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 12.15.2021 09:41 |
| Story ID: | 411150 |
| Location: | MAYPORT, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,231 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Littoral combat ship (LCS)
