The “Juggernauts” of Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Crew 104 are one step closer to commissioning the US Navy’s newest warship, the future USS Milwaukee (LCS 5), after moving on board Oct. 18.
The crew is currently preparing for the ship’s commissioning, scheduled Nov. 21 at Milwaukee Veterans Park. USS Coronado (LCS 4) was commissioned in its namesake city in April 2014, but Milwaukee’s commissioning will make her the only LCS to not only be commissioned in her namesake city, but also in the state where she was built and among the people that built her.
Crew 104 spent much of the year in Wisconsin, working to prepare the ship for its future service. During their time in Wisconsin, the San Diego-based crew developed a strong bond with the citizens of Milwaukee.
Unlike previous crews of commissioning littoral combat ships, LCS Crew 104 is already an operationally experienced crew.
Deployed on USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) to Singapore last November, the crew gained significant experience during operations, which included assisting in the search and recovery efforts of AirAsia Flight 8501, which crashed during a storm in the Java Sea.
After returning from deployment aboard Fort Worth in February, the crew underwent rapid refresh training using the latest in shore-based training simulators to prepare them for taking delivery of Milwaukee.
Following the commissioning ceremony, Milwaukee will begin her journey out of the Great Lakes and into the Atlantic Ocean to embark on her expected 25 years or more of service.
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Image: Lockheed Martin