By
Petty Officer 3rd Class Abigail Rader, Navy
Office of Community Outreach
SAN DIEGO – A 2003 Washington High School
graduate and Los Angeles native is serving in the U.S.
Navy as part of a team supporting one of the country’s most versatile combat
ships.
Petty
Officer 2nd Class Dominique Arline
is
a personnel specialist and
a member of Commander, LCS Squadron One
which supports
both variants of littoral combat ships
based in San Diego.
A Navy personnel specialist is responsible for human
resources and accounting.
“I love helping people and not letting them worry about
their personnel or pay issues,” said Arline. “I enjoy helping them focus on
what they came here to do.”
The LCS platform has a unique manning 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, littoral combat ships are a bold departure from traditional
Navy shipbuilding programs. The LCS sustainment strategy was developed to take
into account the unique design and manning of LCS and its associated mission
modules.
“I’ve only been at
this command since January but it’s a close-knit community,” said Arline. “I
like being able to speak with everyone and help them by performing my job.”
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 service
member supporting the LCS mission, Arline explained they are building a legacy
that will last beyond their lifetimes. Sailors know how important it is for the
Navy to develop new war fighting capabilities to continue their success on the
world’s oceans.
“You get to own what you
do and own who you are in the Navy,” added Arline. “You gain some kind of
respect for everything that you do for your people that you serve with.”
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.