Naval Station Mayport, Fla. - A 2001 Derby High School graduate and Derby, Kansas, native is serving aboard the future USS Wichita, a littoral combat ship homeported in Mayport, Florida.
Chief Petty Officer Brian Tanner is an information systems technician responsible for voice and data communications aboard the ship.“The best part of being an information systems technician is knowing the ship cannot communicate without you,” said Tanner. "We are the unsung heroes of Navy warfighting."
Wichita is a Freedom variant littoral combat ship that is a resilient flexible warship, designed from the keel up to affordably take on new capabilities – from the most advanced sensors, to the latest missiles, to cutting-edge cyber 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.
Chief Tanner has carried lessons learned from his hometown into his military service.
“I love the fact I am serving on a ship that bares the same name as the area where I grew up,” he said. "It really gives you a sense of pride."
The Surface Force is focused on providing lethal, ready, well-trained, and logistically supported surface forces to fight today and in the future. The highly professional men and women serving aboard USS Wichita are some of our nation’s best and brightest, and are typical of the talented Sailors on duty in our Navy around the world today. They are prepared to go into harm’s way, properly trained, and ready to carry out orders in defense of our nation’s freedom.
“Chief Tanner has been a vital part of the crew,” said Cmdr. Nathan Rowan, Wichita’s commanding officer. “His resident knowledge of our communication suite was very instrumental in bringing a brand new ship to life. We would not have been successful in our mission and ultimately gotten the ship into Mayport safely, if it were not for his expertise. I am fortunate to have him onboard.”
Chief Tanner has military ties with family members who have previously served and is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“My grandfather served in the Army during WWII, and military service is something my family is very proud of,” said Tanner. “My family (parents specifically) still act as though I am a young kid in the Navy nearly 15 years of service later.”
Tanner’s proudest accomplishment was obtaining the rank of chief petty officer.
“A Navy chief is something that a lot of people strive for, but only a few actually reach,” he added. "The sense of heritage and tradition coupled with the additional responsibilities make it challenging and exciting."
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s high-tech and lethal surface combatant ships, Tanner and other Wichita Sailors are proud to be part of a warfighting team.
“Serving in the Navy means everything to me,” said Tanner. “It provides for my family and it has taken me to places I could have only dreamed of.”
The USS Wichita is the fourteenth littoral combat ship to enter the fleet and the seventh of the Freedom variant. It is the third Navy combat ship named after Wichita, the largest city in Kansas. The first USS Wichita (CA 45), a heavy cruiser, was commissioned in 1939 and served in World War II. The second, Wichita-class Replenishment Oiler (AOR-1) was commissioned in 1968 and served in the Vietnam War.
The warship will be officially placed into active service at a Jan. 12, 2019 commissioning ceremony at Naval Station Mayport, Florida – the ship’s assigned homeport. 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://usswichita.org/.