BRISTOL, RI -- U.S. Senator Jack Reed, the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, helped bring a special guest to the Ocean State to celebrate America’s independence, salute the men and women of the U.S. Navy, and give Rhode Islanders a close up view of naval operations.
Last month, Reed announced that the Navy plans to send the 388-foot Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) USS Marinette (LCS 25) up Narragansett Bay for a special visit to support the state’s Independence Day festivities in and around Bristol.
Authorized by Congress in 2016, christened in 2021, and commissioned by the Navy on September 16, 2023, USS Marinette is named after the place where it was built: Marinette, Wisconsin. The ship has a top speed of 47 knots and employs a core crew of roughly 50 sailors, sometimes expanding to as many as 65 with mission crew aboard.
The USS Marinette is engineered to function in both near-shore and vast oceanic environments. The ship’s design and capabilities allow for seamless integration with diverse joint, combined, manned, and unmanned teams, fulfilling a range of operations including maritime security, sea control, and global deterrence.
The USS Marinette is homeported at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida. It was built by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine.
The ship’s motto is “Freedom Done Wright” -- a play on the trade name “shipwright,” or shipbuilder. The motto is a tribute to those who build these combat ships and those who serve aboard them and defend freedom the right way.
LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric “anti-access” threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines, and fast surface craft. They are capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence.
Rhode Island is home to America’s #1 Fourth of July parade: the Bristol Fourth of July Celebration – a multi-day event that culminates in the longest-running, continuous Fourth of July celebration in the United States. This year, Senator Reed will march in the 239th annual Fourth of July Parade in Bristol, and also take part in other local Independence Day parades and celebrations around the state.
