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USS Freedom (LCS 1)

USS FREEDOM was the lead ship of the FREEDOM - class of Littoral Combat Ships and the Lockheed Martin consortium's design for the Navy's littoral combat ship program. It was a monohull design and competed with General Dynamics's USS INDEPENDENCE (LCS 2) trimaran design. After decommissioned, the ship was towed to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash., where the FREEDOM is now laid up in a reserve status.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS FREEDOM. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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• Click here to see which USS FREEDOM memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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Accidents aboard USS FREEDOM:

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USS FREEDOM History:

USS FREEDOM originated in the Navy's 2000s push for modular, fast, shallow-draft combatants. The construction contract for the monohull "FREEDOM-variant" was awarded on December 15, 2004, to a Lockheed Martin team with Marinette Marine as builder. Her keel was laid at Marinette, Wisconsin, on June 2, 2005; she launched on September 23, 2006; was delivered to the Navy on September 18, 2008; and was commissioned at Veterans Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on November 8, 2008. The commissioning placed the lead ship into active service to begin trials and fleet introduction under LCS Squadron One.

Following post-delivery trials and early fleet workups, the Navy advanced FREEDOM's first operational employment by two years. She departed Naval Station Mayport, Florida, in mid-February 2010, for SOUTHCOM/4th Fleet waters on an initial counter-illicit-trafficking deployment with an embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment and a Surface Warfare mission package. Less than a week into the patrol, on February 22, she pursued a suspected smuggling craft off Colombia. The boat fled into coastal waters and FREEDOM's crew recovered dumped narcotics. Over the span of the deployment, FREEDOM interdicted multiple vessels carrying more than 5.5 tons of cocaine. On April 7, while operating in the Pacific, she accomplished the first refueling at sea by an LCS from an aircraft carrier, receiving fuel from USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70) during integrated operations.

FREEDOM entered the U.S. 3rd Fleet area on April 4 and reached her new homeport at Naval Base San Diego on April 23, 2010. That summer, she shifted swiftly to high-end fleet exercises: on June 16, she departed San Diego for RIMPAC 2010, joining the multinational force in the Hawaiian operating areas. During the remainder of 2010 she executed the first fleet ordnance operation for an LCS at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, conducted mission-module handling tests at Port Hueneme on September 14, and hosted MQ-8B FIRE SCOUT test flights embarked November 13-24. A Blue-to-Gold crew change of command occurred on July 31 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

In 2011, FREEDOM completed Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) acceptance trials May 22-24, then entered a four-month Post-Shakedown Availability at BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair on June 27 for upgrades and corrections typical of a new class. She emerged to continue Surface Warfare mission-module test and evaluation. A month-long dry-dock period began January 15, 2012, during which she received her distinctive "dazzle-inspired" gray/black/white hull paint scheme approved by a flag panel. She then completed further trials to clear the ship for forward operations.

On March 1, 2013, FREEDOM departed San Diego for the Western Pacific - the first LCS to deploy overseas - embarking an MH-60R detachment from HSM-73 and a Surface Warfare mission package. She called at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, March 11-14; Apra Harbor, Guam, March 29-April 3; and Manila, Philippines, April 9-13, then arrived Singapore on April 18 to begin a 7th Fleet rotational presence centered on Southeast Asia. While berthed at Changi Naval Base (from May 6), she took part in IMDEX Asia May 14-16 and sailed repeatedly from Singapore for regional work. In June, she operated off Kuantan, Malaysia (June 15-18 and June 22-23), and in mid-July and early August she cycled through Singapore logistics windows (July 4-19; July 31-August 8) to support exercises. In July she participated in the bilateral Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Singapore series alongside RSN units and U.S. forces including USS FITZGERALD (DDG 62) and USNS WASHINGTON CHAMBERS (T-AKE 11).

FREEDOM's 2013 deployment also illustrated the LCS maintenance and crew-swap concept: she adhered to a 25-day underway / 5-day preventative maintenance rhythm in Singapore with periodic longer intermediate checks, while rotating LCS crews in theater to sustain tempo. Despite several reliability incidents typical of a developmental first-of-class, availability remained within forward-deployed norms and the Navy and GAO treated the cruise as a data-gathering proof of concept.

In November 2013, as Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda devastated the central Philippines (November 6-9), FREEDOM shifted to humanitarian assistance under Operation Damayan. Departing Singapore for the final time on November 16, she refueled and loaded supplies at Brunei on November 18, then positioned offshore Leyte to use her own MH-60R helicopter - augmented by a second Seahawk from USS COWPENS (CG 63) - to deliver ten pallets (five medical, five hygiene) to Tacloban's Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport on November 24. FREEDOM subsequently headed east, pausing at Pearl Harbor on December 13, and returned to San Diego on December 23, 2013, completing the LCS program's first overseas rotation.

In spring 2014, the ship supported development of manned-unmanned aviation CONOPS for LCS. From April 25 to May 16 she embarked one MH-60R and one MQ-8B FIRE SCOUT to practice integrated Surface Warfare mission-package employment and deck/air coordination - work that fed subsequent WESTPAC rotations by sister ship USS FORT WORTH (LCS 3).

In March 2015, FREEDOM executed seakeeping and structural-loads "Rough Water Trials" off Oregon, operating for eleven days in Sea States 5-6 to capture performance data from dead stop to flank across an octagonal track. The machinery and auxiliaries performed as intended, validating aspects of the variant's seakeeping envelope.

In mid-2016, with an Expeditionary Mine Countermeasures (Ex-MCM) unit embarked, FREEDOM conducted proof-of-concept MCM testing associated with the 2016 RIMPAC cycle in the Southern California operating areas. The Ex-MCM team exceeded detection rates of legacy MCM platforms during the events. While underway, the ship suffered a casualty to a main propulsion diesel engine. The crew kept her operational to complete objectives, after which FREEDOM entered an emergent dry-docking period for major propulsion and electrical repairs.

After further readiness work, FREEDOM completed a first-of-class underway Material Inspection (MATL) with INSURV embarked on July 19, 2019, then progressed through Basic Phase certification and a Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) period into 2020 with Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center participation. She earned the Battle Efficiency "E" for calendar year 2020.

FREEDOM sailed on her final deployment on January 11, 2021, to the U.S. 4th Fleet / Joint Interagency Task Force-South construct, conducting counter-illicit-trafficking operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific with a Coast Guard LEDET. Over the patrol she disrupted more than 2,000 kilograms of cocaine and 3,895 pounds of marijuana, including a late-deployment interdiction of more than 1,500 kilograms of cocaine on April 7 off Mexico. She returned to San Diego on April 12, 2021, stood down for inactivation, completed decommissioning INSURV in June, and was decommissioned at Naval Base San Diego on September 29, 2021. The inactivation supported fleet recapitalization and followed the Navy's decision to place the first four LCS in reserve due to cost-effectiveness and modernization considerations.

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USS FREEDOM Image Gallery:

The photo below was taken by me and shows the USS FREEDOM at the Colonna Shipyard, Norfolk, Va., undergoing post-delivery maintenance and tests on February 2, 2009.

The photos below were taken by me on September 29, 2011, and show the USS FREEDOM at BAE Ship Repair, San Diego, Calif., undergoing regularly scheduled maintenance. The ship entered drydock on June 27.

The photo below was taken by me and shows the USS FREEDOM at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on March 15, 2012.

The photos below were taken by me and show the USS FREEDOM at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on May 10, 2012.

The photo below was taken by me and shows the USS FREEDOM at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 3, 2012.

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the USS FREEDOM at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on December 27, 2014. This paint scheme was applied in early 2013 and was designed by FREEDOM's blue crew.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the USS FREEDOM at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 2, 2015.

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the USS FREEDOM at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on April 18, 2016.

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the USS FREEDOM at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 6, 2016.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the USS FREEDOM at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 11, 2017. Note the new paint scheme.

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the USS FREEDOM at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on September 28, 2018.

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the decommissioned FREEDOM laid up at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash., on June 12, 2022.

The photo below was taken by me and shows the decommissioned FREEDOM laid up at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash., on July 15, 2024.

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