Pictures of the Day: Freedom Edition

Some random photos from my trip on USS Freedom (LCS 1) I thought were interesting enough to post on the blog. Captions below each picture.

Hard to tell, but that is the XO cleaning. There is a LT about 10 ft behind me with a Shop-Vac also cleaning the floor. 10 minutes later I walked by again and the LT was mopping that long hallway I've posted pictures of in the past, perhaps the most traveled hall in the ship (since it is one of the only hallways in the ship). You don't see officers doing this on a ship underway everyday, but the LCS isn't your average ship.

Middle mission module bay looking towards the rear mission module zone. Observe the hatch at the top. That hatch opens to the flight deck. Observe the crane system unique to the Lockheed Martin version. There is a lot of space in this mission zone.

The sailor closest on the right side is Chief Fox. I never spoke to her, but during these evolutions she basically ran the show from what I could tell. I asked a lot of questions about the crew because the hybrid sailor concept (which I still intend to discuss) stands out quickly as a unique dynamic of the LCS concept. It seemed like when I asked about individuals, her name kept popping up as someone who has a 'special' quality, you know, that person you always pick first for your team. Hard to tell by the picture, but these sailors are manually pulling the ship close to the side so a new pilot can come aboard for the next leg of the trip. The pilot who was getting off was a real asshole, the only pilot I didn't like and didn't bother to get his card.

When talking to the CSO, I asked if those angles were right. "I lasered them myself" was his response. Just an observation about hybrid sailors, while you have probably heard of "can do" in regards to the Navy, I would argue the hybrid sailor motto is "I do" because there is a lot of individual responsibility expectations among not only the officers, but the enlisted in that concept.

The only crane on the ship. Right above the elevator. Hmm.

The hatch on the flight deck.

LCDR Jarrett in manual control of the ship during our high speed run. Kind of like Wii, except with over 100,000 hp and 3000 tons.

A peek at the bridge during one of the locks. It is never nice to look out every window and see nothing but concrete.

On the left is LT Stephanie Smith, the EMO, and on the right is CDR Kris Doyle, the XO. CDR Doyle is set to become CO of USS Freedom (LCS 1) next year, and who I think will ultimately be the one who makes the most influence on the operational nature of LCS. She has an amphib background and I think is the right person for the task ahead. If your one of the folks uncomfortable with what the LCS is, or will be, she is who you want to talk to.