SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The U.S. Navy announced Thursday sailors aboard the USS Charleston returned to their homeport in San Diego after a lengthy, 26-month deployment.
The independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) had left from San Diego for its maiden deployment on April 7, 2021, with an embarked detachment from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 21 (HSC). During the deployment, the ship completed missions for both the U.S. 3rd and U.S. 7th Fleet Areas of Operation, the Navy says.
Some of these tasks included patrolling the East and South China Seas, training for contested maritime resupply tasking and operating with an Amphibious Ready Group.
The Charleston was the first LCS to complete mine countermeasure training outside of U.S. waters, according to the Navy's press release. It's also the first commissioned U.S. Navy ship since 2019 to enter the port of Manilla, Philippines.
Cmdr. Matthew Knuth, the commanding officer of Charleston Gold crew, says he's proud of his crew for embarking on the longest LCS deployment to date.
"“Our work over-the-horizon would not have been possible without the dedication of each and every Sailor of both Charleston crews and all the entities that supported us out there," he says.
Sailors aboard the Charleston participated in the following military exercises while under the operational control of Destroyer Squadron Seven:
- Cooperation Afloat Readiness Training
- Brunei, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Timor Leste
- Exercise Kakadu 2022
- Integrated Operation Noble Vanguard 22
- Operation Loaded Stingray
- Operation La Perouse
- Super Garuda Shield
The Charleston, HSC 21 and a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement unit teamed up to protect resource security and sovereignty for Pacific Island nations during a Secretary of Defense Oceania Maritime Security Initiative mission, the press release says.
Sailors aboard the ship also conducted cooperative naval operations with ally countries, such as Japan, France, New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
The purpose of the Charleston's patrols in the East and South China Seas was to provide "a forward presence to deter aggression and maintain an open and free Indo-Pacific region."
Cmdr. Nellie Wang, the commanding officer of Charleston Blue crew, says their presence in the Indo-Pacific strengthened partnerships, developed relationships and increased the Fleet's lethality.
“I could not be more honored to have been a part of this deployment’s Charleston team," he says.
Typically, an LCS' Blue and Gold crews alternate between being "on-hull" aboard the ship and "off-hull" conducting training in its homeport; however, both crews left San Diego for the entire 26-month period.
According to the release, the Charleston managed to stay away from its homeport for so long because of both crews' work and the help from Maintenance Execution Teams that met the ship in Guam, Hawaii and Singapore.
“From the days of COVID seclusion in Guam to return to normal operations in Singapore, the mighty Charleston was there answering the call for every type of tasking imaginable,” said Cmdr. John Actkinson, who was aboard Charleston Gold crew as both executive officer and commanding officer during the deployment. “Most noteworthy to me was after we were the first LCS to pull into Sasebo, Japan, we were tasked to take 45 pallets of goods out into the Philippine Sea to replenish a destroyer that couldn’t come into port.”
The Charleston was also the site of multiple distinguished visitor meetings. Crews met the following international military leaders aboard the ship:
- German Minister of Defense, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
- Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force Vice Adm. Fukuda Tatsuya, commander of Fleet Escort Force
- Japanese Rear Adm. Shimizu Hitoshi, commander of Escort Flotilla Two
- Chief of U.S. Naval Operations, Admiral Mike Gilday
Although the Charleston has arrived back in San Diego, there are currently three ships of its kind deployed in waters near and far to continue naval missions: maritime security, sea control and deterrence.
The Charleston is part of Mine Division Twelve and LCS Squadron One.
"LCS are versatile, mission-focused platforms designed to operate in near- shore environments and win against 21st-century coastal threats," the Navy says.
