By
Kayla Good, Navy Office of Community
Outreach
SAN DIEGO – A 1994 Martinsville High School
graduate and Martinsville, Virginia 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 1st Class Ashuntus Frye
is
a Navy career counselor
and a member of Commander, LCS Squadron One which supports both variants of littoral
combat ships based in San Diego.
A Navy career counselor is a human resource manager responsible for
leading, mentoring and training career counselors in supporting sailors’ career
goals.
“I love helping people make life changing decisions,”
said Frye. “I am a big people person so it is a rewarding field to work
in.”
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 love the LCS platform because it is a large command
which is very versatile,” said Frye. “Right now we are the newer ships, so we
get to learn a lot about the evolution of the new Navy.”
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, Frye 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.
“Serving in the Navy means
that I have given back to my community,” added Frye. “It has afforded me
opportunities that I would have never had if I wouldn't have joined. It has also
given me the opportunity to provide for my family.”
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.