A 2009 Goshen High School graduate and Cincinnati native is serving aboard the future USS Tulsa, a littoral combat ship homeported in San Diego.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Williams is a logistics specialist responsible for ordering, loading, stowing, and maintaining of all parts and supplies aboard the ship. He is also responsible for maintaining the budget for purchasing needed supplies. “I love my job. I love knowing the fact that I am the person behind the scenes ensuring the parts needed to fix the equipment aboard the ship are properly ordered and delivered,” said Williams. “The personal gratification and satisfaction of knowing you are the primary reason for why the ship gets fixed is honestly beyond words. The thing I absolutely love the most about the Navy is the friendships you make. Knowing that you have friends who are like family to you while you’re away from home is an amazing feeling.”
Tulsa is an Independence variant littoral combat ship - a resilient and flexible warship, designed from the keel up to affordably take on new capabilities – from advanced core weapons systems to the latest in trimaran hull design and propulsion systems. Its speed, strength and versatility make it a critical tool to help our sailors achieve the mission.
Littoral combat ships are a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, while capable of open-ocean tasking, and win against 21st-century coastal threats such as submarines, mines, and swarming small craft.
Williams has carried lessons learned from his hometown into his military service.
“I grew up in a small town where just about everyone knows and assists each other and in the Navy you help out your shipmates,” Williams said. “I also grew up working multiple jobs before I enlisted. Serving aboard an LCS platform, that’s exactly what you do. Crew members on a minimally manned crew have to know how to do multiple jobs or as we say in the Navy, ‘wearing many hats.’”
Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard Tulsa. Increased automation equals a smaller crew. In the case of LCS 16, that is a core of 70 men and women who keep all parts of the ship running smoothly. Minimally manned crews place high demands on Sailors. Each crew member performs a number of tasks outside of their traditional job or area of expertise.
“On any given day Tulsa sailors are asked to perform the duties of two or more Sailors on any other surface ship,” said Cmdr. Drew Borovies, the future USS Tulsa’s commanding officer. “Tulsa’s successes to date are a testament to her sailors’ in depth technical training, willingness to put in long hours to get the job done, and commitment to taking care of their ship and each other. They truly are the best that the Surface Navy has to offer!”
Williams has military ties with family members who have previously served and is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“My grandpa served in the Army, as well as both of my great grandpas. I also had four uncles serve; one in the Marines, one in the Air Force, and two in the Navy. My sister is currently in the Navy, one cousin is a Marine, and one cousin is in the Air Force.” said Williams. “My family has a long line of military service and I can honestly say with pleasure, that I looked up to every one of them and am proud to say that they’re the reason why I am where I’m at today.”
Williams’ proudest accomplishment is the day he was promoted.
“The day I found out I made the rank of E-5, I immediately called my grandpa and told him,” Williams said. “He had told me he was proud of me for making rank and for passing him in rank.”
As a crew member aboard one of the U.S. Navy’s high-tech littoral combat ships, Williams and other Tulsa sailors are proud to be part of a warfighting team.
“Serving in the Navy means fighting and protecting the rights and freedoms for my family and the people of this nation,” Williams said. “Being a part of something bigger than just myself is extremely gratifying to me.”
Tulsa is the fifteenth littoral combat ship to enter the fleet and the eighth of the Independence variant. It will be the second ship to be named to honor the city and citizens of Tulsa – Oklahoma’s second largest city. During its February 16, 2019 commissioning ceremony in San Francisco, the warship will be officially placed into active service. The ceremony includes “bringing the ship to life” and other orders rooted in centuries old naval tradition.
For information about the commissioning ceremony, visit https://www.usstulsa.org/.