USS Freedom to Conduct Maiden Deployment to the Asia-Pacific

[Sherman A1]

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- The U.S. Pacific Fleet announced today that the Navy's first littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) will depart her homeport of San Diego on March 1 and deploy to the Asia-Pacific region.

Making good on a pledge made initially by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at the 2011 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Freedom will deploy to Southeast Asia and Singapore for approximately eight months. Marking the first of many planned rotational deployments to the Western Pacific for the new LCS platform, Freedom will conduct maritime security operations with regional partners and allies.

'Freedom's maiden deployment is another clear signal of the Navy's enduring commitment to maintain security and stability in the vital Asia-Pacific region,' said Adm. Cecil Haney, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. 'Rotationally deploying our new littoral combat ships improves our warfighting capability and directly supports the Navy's rebalance strategy to the Asia-Pacific.

'Even in the face of potential budget cuts, there should be no doubt that the U.S. Pacific Fleet remains on watch and that we will continue to deploy our most capable units forward to operate with our allies and partners.'

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2013/02/mil-130227-nns01.htm

[Kolesar]

1. They can go get Colonel Kurtz

Ok, it's not a riverboat, I know.