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Lassen comes calling
By LCDR Mick Gallagher

Edition 5007, 03 May, 2007
 
ON TOUR: USS Lassen arrives at Fleet Base East, Garden Island Sydney, for the first Port visit of her Australian tour. USS Lassen is a US Navy Arleigh Burke Class destroyer. This class is the basis of an evolved design option being developed by Gibbs & Cox Inc with the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Alliance.
Photo: AB Jo Dilorenzo
 
Above: CO of USS Lassen Commander Marshall B. Brown, right, speaks at a media conference.
Photo: AB Jo Dilorenzo
 
LANDFALL: Sailors onboard USS Lassen take in the sights as the ship arrives at Fleet Base East. Many of the crew have previously visited.
 
FRIENDLY: Seaman Andrew Navarro from USS
Lassen and Seaman Liam Ball from HMAS Kanimbla say hello.
 
The inclement weather did not deter the USS Lassen DDG-82 from showing off her style when she visited Sydney on April 23 as part of her Australian goodwill tour.

To meet her on arrival was the Deputy Fleet Commander CDRE Ray Griggs, the CO HMAS Kuttabul CMDR Mark Todd, and members of the RAN’s Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Project.

Also to welcome her fellow countrymen and women was LEUT Deborah Davis-Reid from Norfolk Virginia who is with us on a three- year RAN exchange program.

The USS Lassen is an Arleigh Burke class destroyer named after ADML Arleigh ‘31-Knot’ Burke USN, the famous WWII destroyer officer. Lassen has many similarities to the evolved design, which is one of the options for the proposed RAN’s AWD.

“We have been looking forward to this visit for months,” said CMDR Marshall Brown, CO USS Lassen.

Many of Lassen’s ship’s company had visited Australia on previous occasions. For Lassen’s Combat Systems Officer, LEUT Ryan Blazevich from Missouri, it was his third time and he had fond memories of diving on our Great Barrier Reef.

CPO Scott Dennis from Austin, Texas said, “this is my second trip to Sydney and I’m looking forward to some more sight-seeing.”

Buddying up with SMN Andrew Navarro from Washington DC was SMNBM Liam Ball from HMAS Kanimbla.

“I am going to enjoy myself in Sydney,” said Andrew.

Shortly after arrival Lassen set to sea for the day, with the RAN’s AWD members aboard, to show off her Aegis combat system.

“The highlight was an air defence exercise with the RAAF which involved two F18s, two Hawks and one F111, together with USS Lassen’s consort for the day, HMAS Sydney (CMDR Guy Holthouse),” said CAPT Simon O’Brien, Combat System Director AWD Program.

Aboard Sydney for the exercise was Lassen’s PO Aircraft Controller Gary Yarbrough from Alabama.

The following day Lassen was the host ship for Channel 9’s Today Show which gave viewers a glimpse into life aboard a US DDG. It was also an opportunity for the ship’s choir to sing Do not pass me by.

On Anzac Day Lassen participated in the City of Sydney parade. She will also take part in the Battle of the Coral Sea Commemoration Ceremony in Brisbane in May before visiting Adelaide prior to departure from Australia.

Her forward deploy base is Yokosuka in Japan.

The other option for the RAN’s AWD is the MOTS (Military off the Shelf) Spanish built F100 Class frigate. The Spanish Navy’s Alvaro de Bazan also visited Sydney last month to show her style.

Both the US and Spanish ships carry the Aegis combat system.

USS Lassen is named after LEUT Clyde Everett Lassen who on 19 June 1968, under enemy fire, while flying a UH-2 Sea-sprite, recovered two downed naval aviators whose plane had been shot down deep in North Vietnamese territory.

“It’s been a great time in Australia and we have all enjoyed ourselves being here,” said Lassen’s Public Affairs officer, Ensign Catherine Reppert from Boston.