News

Requests for tickets closed.  Due to overwhelming demand, the period for requesting invitations for the commissioning ceremony has now been closed.  Over 8,000 invitations have been mailed to the general public for this event, and requests for tickets are running very high.  Because we can  accomodate a  limited number of attendees, we can no longer accept requests for invitations.  For those who wished to attend but can not, we are offering a free display about USS Freedom at Discovery World Museum, 500 North Harbor Drive, Milwaukee.  The display will contain pictures of the ship under construction, during the launch at Marinett Marine shipyard, and of the ship underway in Lake Michigan.  Also on display will be a four-foot model of Freedom, courtesy of Lockheed Martin.  The display is expected to be available from late October through November.

USS Freedom featured in Navy League's SeaPower Magazine 

http://www.seapower-digital.com/seapower/seapower_sample/

USS Freedoom shows off its speed on YouTube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q98yrPKxmig

August 6, 2008. Marinette, WI.  Secretary of the Navy, Donald Winter, visits USS Freedom underway on Lake Michigan.

http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=62244 

 

July 28, 2008.  Marinette, WI.  USS Freedom, the first Littoral Combat Ship, puts to sea for the first time.  Click on links below.

http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=61888

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2008/072808_Nations_First_LCS.html

 July 18 - 19, 2008. Milwaukee, WI.  Crew members of USS Freedom made their first official visit to Milwaukee, the city selected for the commissioning of their ship later this year.  Members of the Blue Crew and Gold Crew, and their families, were first honored at the annual Sea Services Picnic, hosted by the Milwaukee Council, Navy League of the United States.  Sponsors of the picnic included the USO of Wisconsin and the Rotary Club.  Friday, the crews were guests of Festa Italiana for a beautiful evening on Milwaukee's lakefront Summerfest grounds.  They were welcomed onstage, where they were presented welcoming letters from County Executive Scott Walker and Mayor Tom Barrett.

After a leisurely Saturday morning breakfast at the DoubleTree Inn in downtown Milwaukee, the crews enjoyed a tour of the new Harley Davidson Museum.  Then it was on to Sprecher Brewing Company where they were shown how a Sailor's favorite brew is made (Root Beer, of course!).  Before the return trip to Marinette, the crews were treated to a delicious lunch at Boblitz Restaurant.

The USS Freedom Commissioning Committee provided bus transportation between Marinette and Milwaukee, as well as lodging for Friday night, discounted tickets to the HD Museum  and lunch on Saturday.  The Navy League's Milwaukee Council served as hosts for the visit, and provided the picnic on Friday afternoon.  VisitMilwaukee assisted with arrangements for lodging and tickets. 

January 14, 2008.   Marinette, WI.  Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Gary Roughead visits Freedom at Marinette Marine Shipyard -- expresses strong support for LCS program.

http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34384

December 3, 2007.  NAVY OFFICIALS JOIN STATE, LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS TO  CELEBRATE COMMISSIONING OF USS FREEDOM IN MILWAUKEE

Dignitaries Send “Freedom Rings” to Wisconsin Military Personnel in Iraq

MILWAUKEE -- Dec. 3, 2007 – The Pfister Hotel was gleaming with Navy brass and brimming with elected officials and business leaders Monday at a special breakfast to celebrate the Navy’s upcoming commissioning of Freedom, the first Littoral Combat Ship to be built for the U.S. Navy.  Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett joined about 200 local business and civic leaders as the Freedom Commander Mike Doran explained the significance of the Freedom and how it is expected to transform the way the Navy operates in littoral (coastal) regions. Commander Doran and Bobby Ferguson, president of the Northwest Great Lakes Area of the Navy League of the United States and chairman of the Navy League’s commissioning committee, also discussed the specifics of the time-honored ceremony as well as the event’s enormous positive impact on the community. The commissioning is scheduled for as early as the Fall of 2008 in the Milwaukee harbor. A special dedication to the Wisconsin Marines serving in Iraq took place when guests wrote personal messages and signed holiday cards that are attached to the small wreaths that were donated by The Pfister Hotel, the event’s sponsor. The Pfister Hotel’s General Manager Joe Kurth said the program was called “Freedom Rings” and was developed by the hotel to encourage the public to become involved in the celebration of the Freedom’s commissioning and recognize Wisconsin military personnel serving overseas during the holiday season.

 

Kurth said the The Pfister’s lobby will be open to anyone who wishes to send a personalized message along with a “Freedom Ring” to Wisconsin military personnel stationed in Iraq. The Navy League of the United States will assist The Pfister in shipping the 500  Freedom Rings to Iraq later in the month. Business leaders were invited to the breakfast event to learn how they could become involved in the commissioning ceremonies and events. In the week leading up to the commissioning, numerous activities will take place to commemorate the historic event and foster community pride and awareness. Locally-based companies were invited to future discussions to determine participation opportunities during the week-long celebration. Ferguson said that the commissioning is expected to attract between 5,000-8,000 visitors to Milwaukee.“It's not every day when a city, especially one on the Great Lakes, wins a prestigious ship commissioning ceremony,” said Doug Neilson, president & CEO, VISIT Milwaukee. “An event of this magnitude not only brings national media exposure to the city, but the thousands of guests that will attend will pour millions of dollars into the local economy. As the tourism marketing arm for the city, this gets us really excited.”

The Freedom is being built in Marinette, Wis., and will arrive in the Milwaukee harbor one week before her commissioning.

About the LCS and USS Freedom

The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a transformational new class of surface combatants. A fast, agile and networked warship, LCS will execute focused missions to defeat shallow-water threats such as mines, diesel-electric submarines and fast surface craft. The Freedom (LCS-1)  was designed by Lockheed Martin and will be homeported in San Diego, Calif., following its commissioning.

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October 11, 2007.  Marinette, WI.  Freedom demonstrates key mission package Launch and Recovery System.  http://www.lmlcsteam.com/news.html

September 18, 2007.  LCS Mine Mission Warfare Packages.   http://www.news.navy.mil/management/videodb/player/video.aspx?id=9898

July 19, 2007.  Milwaukee, WI.  At the July 19, 2007 Commissioning Committee meeting, CDR Gabrielson gave a brief report on the progress of USS Freedom.  He reported that it looks like a ship inside and out, but there is still a lot of work to be done.  It is about 80% complete at this time.  There are some emerging issues that must be dealt with to keep completion on schedule.  The next major goal is to perform a propulsion test before the Menominee River freezes over for the winter – that would be a stretch to achieve.  His most wildly optimistic estimate for a commissioning date would be September 2008.

CDR Doran reported on the crews – 40 of Gold and 30 of Blue – are in San Diego undergoing training.  The Navy now has a virtual representation of the bridge and mission control (fka CIC) in San Diego that allows the crew to simulate real world scenarios.  This is the only one of its kind training facility in the Navy.  Crews also get underway on other ships to experience at-sea evolutions such as replenishments.

September 29, 2006.  Marinette, Wisconsin.  CDR Mike Doran, PCO (Gold) and CDR Don Gabrielson, PCO (Blue) explain how LCS will change the way the Navy conducts littoral combat.  http://www.news.navy.mil/management/videodb/player/video.aspx?id=7942

September 23, 2006. Marinette, Wisconsin.   View launch video of USS Freedom.  http://peoships.crane.navy.mil/lcs/video/LCS-christening.wmv?story_id=25737

July 5, 2006.  Marinette, Wisconsin.  Future Littoral Combat Ship.  http://www.news.navy.mil/management/videodb/player/video.aspx?id=7398

June 30, 2006.  Washington, DC.  USS Freedom -- Future Littoral Combat Ship.  http://www.navy.mil/management/videodb/player/video.aspx?id=7370 

January 17, 2006. Washington, DC.  USS Freedom -- Sailors Train New Way.  http://www.navy.mil/management/videodb/player/video.aspx?id=6330

June 11, 2005.  Admiral Vern Clark, CNO, at keel laying for USS Freedom. http://www.news.navy.mil/management/videodb/player/video.aspx?id=4965