SYDNEY – The Navy’s Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship, the future USS Canberra (LCS 30), will be commissioned, July 22 at the Royal Australian Naval Base Garden Island, in Sydney Harbor — a rare commissioning abroad for the U.S. Navy. Behind the scenes, an all-civilian committee of Navy League members have worked for months to support the ship and its crew ahead of this historic event that both celebrates and exemplifies the strong relationship between the two nations. “We have begun another important in the relationship between these two great nations. The new USS Canberra (LCS 30) demonstrates the strong alliance between the United States and Australia,” said Ward Cook, Commissioning Committee Chairman in Kansas City.
Quoting Alfred Thayer Mahan who said, “navies are instruments of international relations,” Commissioning Committee member Patricia Du Mont in Fort Lauderdale, Florida underscored the importance of the relationship, stating, “As the first U.S. Navy international ship commissioning, the commissioning of USS Canberra (LCS 30) in Sydney, Australia, exemplifies people-to-people diplomacy.”
The Navy League of the United States, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia whose mission is to advocate, educate, and support the sea services, is routinely involved in the commissioning process of U.S. Navy ships. President and CEO of the Hampton Roads, Virginia Navy League Council, Maryellen Baldwin explained that her council has commissioned 28 ships to date and stated, “Navy League-provided ship enhancements add character and context to a warship, which exerts its presence through port visits and other peacetime pursuits [while also] improving quality of life for those aboard.”
The USS Canberra Commissioning Committee, made up of eleven individuals from across the United States, have extensive experience bringing new ships to life. With more than 50 combined ship commissioning between them, these individuals came together 20 weeks ago to support the crew and families of the future USS Canberra (LCS 30).
When the Navy receives delivery of a ship from the contractor, the ship is only given the bare essentials to conduct business at sea. The civilian Commissioning Committee raises funds to support the crew’s additional needs while on board the ship. There are important morale items that need to be purchased for the crew to use during their down time on board, such as media like books and TVs, and gym equipment This critical support for the ship and her crew are an important part of any ship commissioning effort, but this unique international commissioning this some both challenges and great opportunities.
“Working with on the commissioning of the USS Canberra has been the most challenging yet rewarding experience. Dealing with the women and men from around the globe to not only make all the events leading up to the commissioning happen, but being able to support the crew and their families in many ways will always make this a memorable experience for me,” said Commissioning Committee member Ronald Spence in the Rocky Mountain region, who has worked on multiple commissioning committees.
It will be up to the ship’s crew, its sponsor, the commissioning committee, and the City of Canberra to strengthen the relationship between the ship and its namesake for the life of the ship. The ship’s sponsor is Australian Senator, the Honourable Marise Payne, the former Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs. The commissioning ceremony will be highlighted by a time-honored Navy tradition when Ms. Payne will give the first order to “man our ship and bring her to life!”
Built by Austal USA, LCS 30 will be the twenty sixth littoral combat ship to enter the fleet and the fifteenth of the Independence variant. Former Austal employee and Commissioning Committee member Jenny Beam Klein of Mobile, Alabama said, “it was an honor to witness the construction of future USS Canberra (LCS 30) for the past five years here in Mobile, Alabama.” She discussed the importance of the relationship with Austal, stating, “It has been a privilege to be part of the LCS 30 Commissioning Committee under the leadership of Mr. Ward Cook and Mr. Ernie Conner and we are thrilled to watch her join the U.S. Navy fleet this weekend on the other side of the world. This ship and ceremony are creating stronger ties between our Gulf Coast shipbuilding community, the Navy and Australia. Congratulations to the Officers and the Crew!”
Austal is also hosting watch party for the event at their facility in San Diego to, “keep the families involved,” said Commissioning Committee member CWO4 David Miller, USN (Ret.) of Kansas City, Missouri. “What an honor to be part of this challenging, but highly rewarding event, planning and conducting the commissioning of a ship in Sydney,” he said.
This will be the first US Navy ship in an allied port, and the second US Navy Combat ship named after Australian’s capitol city. Independence-variant LCS pride themselves on being fast, optimally manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. LCS integrates with joint, combined, manned and unmanned teams to support forward-presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe.
USS CANBERRA (LCS 30) will be homeported in San Diego, California. The ceremony will be live streamed at: http://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/32033. The link will become active approximately five minutes prior to the event (Friday, July 21st 8:55 p.m. EST). Please contact Editor-in-Chief of Seapower magazine, Ann Tropea with questions: [email protected]
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of Seapower Magazine, bringing extensive experience as an
editor, attorney, and communications professional with 20+
years of experience leading teams across industries and
organizations.
As a defense litigation attorney in New Orleans, Ann drafted
both federal and state legal arguments as well as publishing
legal articles in professional journals. She is also the former
managing editor of the online news website TheLatest.com,
where, in addition to managing the editorial staff and
contributing writers, she was the regular food and lifestyle
section writer.
Additional writing and publishing experience include: editing and self-publishing a community
cookbook for the (now former) U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem, serving as the managing
editor of the Law Journal for the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, the editor-in-chief
of the magazine for the New York University Department of Culture and Communication, and
the associate publisher for the New York City lifestyle publication GO Magazine.
Ann is also an experienced public speaker, including for the University of Maryland’s business
school, the annual Women Officer Leadership conference for AcademyWomen, and American
Councils for International Education.
Ann is also a podcast host and producer, independent filmmaker, and is proficient in French. She
is currently based in Baltimore City, where she lives with her husband, two children, and rescue
dog.
Ann holds a law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and graduated magna
cum laude in mass media communication studies from New York University
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