MAYPORT, Fla. (June 20, 2023) – The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) has sprung into a new season with an eventful second quarter. This quarter the MSP crew participated in Final Contractor Trials, a Change of Command, and ended the quarter with training fellow LCS crews.
Newly commissioned Naval vessels like Minneapolis-Saint Paul undergo a ship-wide evolution known as Final Contractor Trials (FCT). FCT is a post-delivery event requiring much coordination between the ship's crew, government assessors, and the program office PMS-501. The event serves as a final in-depth review of the ship, crew, and onboard systems. The crew and systems performed extraordinarily from start to finish. USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul was able to claim this successful completion as the crew pushed one step closer to becoming a deployable asset.
This spring season has brought a new chain of command for the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul crew. On May 12, 2023, Cmdr. Hiram Andreu passed on the ceremonial commanding officer pin to Cmdr. Justin Neff. Neff, Minneapolis-Saint Paul's newest commanding officer, served as the executive officer aboard USS Sioux City (LCS 11) Blue Crew.
"I am deeply humbled, honored, and excited to take command of such an outstanding crew and ship," said Neff. "I look forward to continuing to build the relationship with the Navy League Minnesota chapter and appreciate the outstanding support thus far."
Additionally, the Minneapolis-Saint Paul's executive officers turned over as well. A position previously held by Cmdr. Bryan Kemmitz was assumed by Lt. Cmdr. Steven Fresse. Before his arrival, Fresse served as officer-in-charge at Surface Warfare Schools Command (N77) Engineering Learning Site Mayport.
"It's an honor and a privilege to be USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul's executive officer," said Fresse. "I look forward to working with each and every Sailor aboard as we continue to refine our skills in preparation for future tasking."
The new duo is ready to keep setting the standard of success as Minneapolis-Saint Paul accomplishes their milestones toward deploying.
Finishing the quarter, the Minneapolis-Saint Paul spent the rest of May and the entirety of June training and supporting fellow LCS crews native to Naval Station Mayport.
The USS Indianapolis Blue Crew came aboard in May to show off their skills and complete their Advanced Phase certification events. Advanced Phase is the final large pre-requisite for a crew to deploy. For June, the Minneapolis-Saint Paul supported USS Saint Louis Blue and Gold crews as the crews conducted their Basic Phase certifying events.
The Minneapolis-Saint Paul crew is ready to continue their development towards deployment and is always excited to help fellow crews prepare.
