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USS Beloit (LCS 29)

USS BELOIT is the 15th FREEDOM-variant hull, the 29th ship of the overall littoral combat ship program, and the first commissioned U.S. Navy warship named for the city of Beloit, Wisconsin.

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Crew List:

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

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USS BELOIT History:

USS BELOIT's acquisition milestones began during the late-2010s period in which the Navy was still procuring Littoral Combat Ships while the class was evolving in parallel with changing fleet employment concepts and sustainment lessons. On September 18, 2018, the Navy awarded a contract modification for the future LCS 29 to the Lockheed Martin-led team, with construction planned at Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wisconsin. On October 9, 2018, the Secretary of the Navy publicly announced the ship would be named USS BELOIT (LCS 29).

On July 22, 2020, the keel authentication ceremony for the future USS BELOIT was held at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin, marking the transition from contract and design activity to a clearly defined construction phase. On May 7, 2022, the pre-commissioning unit was christened and launched at Marinette; retired Army Maj. Gen. Marcia M. Anderson served as sponsor.

After launch, BELOIT continued through the standard sequence of completion and test activity culminating in trials on Lake Michigan. On June 29, 2024, the PCU returned to Marinette after a two-day underway associated with builder's (Alpha) trials. The ship got underway again from July 15, 2024, to July 17, 2024. As the acceptance process matured, the ship completed Acceptance Trials in August 2024, including an underway period documented on August 21, 2024, and also conducted a day-long underway on September 9, 2024, in the final run-up to delivery. During Acceptance Trials, the Navy tested major functional areas needed for at-sea performance, including combat systems, main propulsion, auxiliaries, and electrical systems, and the ship was noted as incorporating the FREEDOM-class combining gear correction intended to address a class-wide issue identified as more FREEDOM-variant ships deployed.

On September 30, 2024, the U.S. Navy accepted delivery of the PCU at Marinette, an inflection point after which post-delivery certifications and qualifications would continue toward fleet readiness. With delivery complete, BELOIT transitioned from shipyard focus to the ceremonial and operational steps of joining the fleet. Commanded during this period by Cmdr. Le Andra N. Kissinger, the ship departed Marinette, Wisconsin, for the last time on November 16, 2024, en route to its homeport assignment at Naval Station Mayport, Florida, and moored at McKinley Marina on Milwaukee's lakefront (Veterans Park) from November 17, 2024, to November 25, 2024. On November 23, 2024, USS BELOIT was commissioned during a ceremony in Milwaukee. Public reporting on the event noted senior civilian and uniformed participation, including remarks by Wisconsin officials and Navy leadership.

Immediately after commissioning week, the ship began the long repositioning transit from the Great Lakes to Florida - an operationally unusual passage for a newly commissioned warship that required locks, canals, and multiple international and U.S. port interactions. On November 26, 2024, USS BELOIT transited the Strait of Mackinac eastbound; on November 27, 2024, it transited the Detroit River southbound; from November 28, 2024, to December 1, 2024, it moored at Dock 28W in Cleveland, Ohio; and just before midnight on December 2, 2024, it completed the northbound transit of the Welland Canal, clearing the last major barrier between the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence route to the Atlantic. On December 5, 2024, the ship moored at Wharf 21 in Quebec City, Canada, for a three-day visit; from December 11, 2024, to December 13, 2024, it moored at HMC Dockyard Jetty NB3 at Canadian Forces Base Halifax, Nova Scotia; on December 15, 2024, it anchored at Lynnhaven Anchorage "C", roughly three nautical miles off the coast near Little Creek, Virginia; and on December 16, 2024, it moored briefly at Pier 17N at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. Navy reporting summarized this overall journey as more than 2,500 nautical miles, with four Great Lakes, 15 locks, and three port visits before the ship reached the Atlantic and continued south, underscoring the logistical complexity and binational waterway coordination involved.

On December 19, 2024, USS BELOIT moored at Naval Station Mayport for the first time, completing the headline relocation from the Great Lakes to its East Coast operating base. On December 30, 2024, it shifted berthing within Mayport to Wharf E3, outboard USS INDIANAPOLIS (LCS 17).

Early 2025 reflected the administrative and readiness-building rhythm typical for a newly commissioned ship settling into its squadron structure. On January 24, 2025, Cmdr. Gary J. Bickel relieved Cmdr. Le Andra N. Kissinger as the second commanding officer of USS BELOIT. Within Mayport, the ship continued pier moves as part of routine base operations and berthing management. On March 21, 2025, USS BELOIT moved from Echo Wharf to Wharf D3, outboard USS WICHITA (LCS 13), and on August 1, 2025, it moved to Wharf E2.

On May 6, 2025, the U.S. Navy announced the issuance of a Certificate of Alternate Compliance for USS BELOIT, reflecting the legal/technical reality that certain naval ship designs may not fully align with all navigation-light provisions of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea without interfering with their specialized function.

As USS BELOIT integrated more deeply into the Mayport-based littoral combat ship enterprise, it also served as a venue for squadron-level leadership events. On September 12, 2025, Capt. Wade K. Smith relieved Capt. Mark W. Haney as commander, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 2, during a change-of-command ceremony held aboard USS BELOIT. By late 2025, the ship's local operating pattern still reflected a measured build toward sustained operations. On December 3, 2025, USS BELOIT moved from Echo Wharf to Wharf D2, outboard USS MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL (LCS 21). After being pierside for roughly twelve months following the completion of its commissioning transit and early homeport arrival, USS BELOIT got underway in the Jacksonville operating area from December 8, 2025, to December 12, 2025, marking a notable resumption of at-sea activity as the ship continued progressing through the certifications, qualifications, and readiness steps that bridge commissioning to routine fleet employment.

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USS BELOIT Image Gallery:

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show PCU BELOIT during fitting-out at Marinette Marine, Marinette, Wis., on October 9, 2024.

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