What are your thoughts on being the commanding officer of a ship named for the Twin Cities?
Cmdr. White: “Honestly, I feel incredibly fortunate and blessed. It’s an honor to serve as the commanding officer of any US Navy warship, but I couldn’t ask for a finer ship than the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul. Much like the Twin cities, LCS ships are manned by two crews. We’ve made it our mantra that both crews will train together, grow together and support each other in every regard to ensure we ultimately achieve operational success. Twin Cities, twin crews.”
What is your background?
Cmdr. White: “I was born and spent most of my youth in Milwaukee, Wis., before moving to a small-town east of Jackson called Morton, Miss. I enlisted in the Navy in 1995 out of Mississippi and entered the nuclear field program. I was submariner for approximately 7 and a half years until I was commissioned as an officer in 2004. I have mostly deployed to the Western Pacific, and this is my first East Coast tour.”
What is the significance behind the ship’s motto, “aut viam inveniam aut faciam?”
Cmdr. White: “Our motto translates to ‘I will either find a way or make one.’ I didn’t have a hand in selecting the motto, but I thought it was a perfect representation of how we’re looking to solve any challenges we may encounter.”
How are you and the crew preparing for the eventual commissioning of the ship? What sort of training does an LCS crew do when not aboard the ship? When will the crew join the ship?
Cmdr. White: We frequently utilize the Littoral Combat Ship Training Facility, an invaluable tool used to train crewmembers on how the ship handles and maneuvers. Crewmembers also train and are certified in certain warfare areas such as firefighting, damage control, and operating the ship’s weapons. The crew has to be proficient in all these things before taking the ship.
Can you educate a person with no Navy background on what kind of capability this ship will provide the Navy? Why is this important in today's environment?
Cmdr. White: The Freedom-variant LCS provides fast, agile, and lethal capabilities in the near-shore environment and ships like Minneapolis-Saint Paul enable the Navy to meet the threats and challenges of an increasingly complex security environment. The modular LCS design allows the ships to carry different mission packages to win against coastal threats such as mines and small craft when and where they are needed.”
Any closing words for the people of Minnesota?
Cmdr. White: We are inspired by the years and years of greatness for which the Twin Cities are renowned, and the Sailors aboard Minneapolis-Saint Paul are preparing for whatever will be asked of them. I’m very fortunate to be the CO of these many strong men and women who have dedicated themselves to a greater cause. As I said before, ‘we will either find a way or make one.’ We will overcome any challenges that may come our way, and in doing so, hope to make our namesake proud of us.”
