A 2000 Blue Ridge High School graduate and Greer, South Carolina, native is serving aboard the future USS Tulsa, a littoral combat ship homeported in San Diego.
Petty Officer 1st Class Steven S. Whitsitt is a mineman responsible for hunting and neutralizing mines for safe passage of other ships.“The fact that I’ve been able to work with people from all walks of life has made my Navy career enjoyable,” said Whitsitt. "The diversity in the Navy is so vast, it’s amazing that I’ve been able to rub elbows with people that I never would have had the chance to if it weren’t for the Navy."
Tulsa is an Independence variant littoral combat ship that is a resilient 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.
Whitsitt has carried lessons learned from his hometown into his military service.
“The lesson of family and friends first resonated with me,” Whitsitt said. "No matter where I’m stationed, there’s always the opportunity to build new friendships, where those you’re stationed with are like family. On the ship, we’re all we have while out to sea."
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!”
Whitsitt has military ties with family members who have previously served and is honored to carry on the family tradition.
“Both of my grandfathers served in World War II. One was in the Navy and the other in the Army,” said Whitsitt. “They both passed away before they could see me put on the uniform, but I know that they would be proud.”
Whitsitt’s proudest accomplishment is the family he has built and appreciates that his wife and kids are his biggest supporters.
“If it weren’t for them having my back, cheering me on and loving me, I would not have stayed in the Navy as long as I have,” Whitsitt stated. "When my kids tell their friends that their daddy is in the Navy and is on a long work trip, their understanding of what a deployment is, it makes me feel good that they appreciate what I do."
As a crew member aboard one of the U.S. Navy’s high-tech littoral combat ships, Whitsitt and other Tulsa sailors are proud to be part of a warfighting team.
“Serving in the Navy means that I am a part of protecting the freedoms that my family and friends and shipmates have,” said Whitsitt. “It means that when I’m an old man with grandchildren and they ask me about why they have freedom, why they can go to school and not be scared of bad guys, why they can do this or that, I can tell them that for a large portion of my life I sacrificed holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, etc., so that they can enjoy the life they have.”
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/.