By
Kayla Good, Navy Office of Community
Outreach
SAN DIEGO – A 2004 Woodland High School
graduate and Woodland, Washington 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 Ryan Dickinson
is
an information systems technician
and a member of Commander, LCS Squadron One which supports both variants of littoral
combat ships based in San Diego.
A Navy information systems technician is responsible for network
security and procedural compliance.
“My job is dynamic and no problem ever seems that it is
the same, it is always changing,” said Dickinson.
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.
“The people that I work with are very teamwork oriented
which makes working at the command manageable,” said Dickinson.
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, Dickinson 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.
“The Navy has offered me
the opportunity to travel outside of my small hometown and given me
independence,” added Dickinson.
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.