By Navy Office of Community Outreach
Public Affairs
SAN DIEGO – A 2010 Liberty High School
graduate and Issaquah, Washington native is serving
in the U.S. Navy as part of a crew working aboard one of the country’s most
versatile combat ships.
Ensign Nicholas Antonio is a surface warfare officer and
a member of Crew 104, also known as the Juggernauts, which serve aboard
littoral combat ships based in San Diego.
As a Navy surface warfare officer
he is the first
lieutenant responsible for all the deck equipment, leading sailors who get the
ship underway.
“The best part
of this job is the
experience of leadership I have received,” said Antonio.
Antonio is part of a 53-person
crew, one of several crews that rotate between USS Freedom and USS
Fort Worth, as part of a unique crewing concept called “3-2-1,” where three
crews serve aboard two different littoral combat ships, one of which is
deployed. This innovative manning
concept allows the LCS to spend
more time forward deployed without overtaxing the crew, according to Navy
officials.
Designed to
defeat threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft,
the Freedom variant of littoral
combat ships are 388 feet
long and weigh nearly 3,400 tons fully loaded. Twin gas-turbine engines push
the ship through the water at more than 40 mph.
“Everybody I work with is an expert in what they do,”
said Antonio. “They know exactly what their job is and how to perform it at the
highest efficiency.”
According to
Navy officials, the path to becoming an LCS sailor is a long one. Following an 18-month training pipeline, sailors
have to qualify on a simulator that is nearly identical to the ship. This intense and realistic training pipeline
allows sailors to execute their roles and responsibilities immediately upon
stepping onboard.
"Sailors that work aboard this platform are expected to
be capable of performing a variety of tasks to assist in the completion of the
LCS mission," said Capt. Warren R Buller, Commander, LCS Squadron One.
"The training that is required of our sailors is rigorous and difficult.
This ensures that they are mission ready to defend and protect America at all
times."
As a crewmember
aboard one of the Navy’s newest ships, Antonio explained they are
building a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes. Crewmembers know how
important it is for the Navy to develop new war fighting capabilities to
continue their success on the world’s oceans.
“Serving in the Navy gives me the chance to give back using my skills to protect and defend this country,”
added Antonio.
Through
innovative planning, the design of systems, and crew requirements, the LCS
platform allows the fleet to increase forward presence and optimize its personnel,
improving the ability of the Navy to be where it matters, when it matters.