PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- USS Reuben James (FFG 57) completed its material inspection by the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) Dec. 18.

Reuben James' crew successfully wrapped up an intensive weeklong assessment of the ship's equipment and spaces. Although the inspection lasted only a week, it signified the pinnacle of months of hard work and attention to detail that had been invested by her crew.

The purpose of INSURV is to examine the ship's damage control abilities, safety, habitability, material condition and overall shipboard readiness to ensure its readiness for battle.

INSURV inspectors of multiple technical backgrounds came aboard Reuben James Dec. 14 with the sole intent of assessing the equipment and spaces for each of the ship's departments. Although INSURV inspections are traditionally a relatively stressful and arduous evolution for most ships to undergo, this inspection proved to be an even more daunting task for the crew of given the age of the ship.

Reuben James was commissioned March 22, 1986, rendering her one of the oldest frigates in the fleet.

Needless to say, the upkeep and maintenance of a 23-year old ship is far more challenging than most of the newer and more technologically advanced ships on the waterfront.

Nonetheless, the crew proved that neither age nor outside doubt could hinder them from success. After a grueling initial 2 days of inspection, the ship did very well on many of its checks, but took a number of noteworthy hits.

However, in the face of challenge, the crew stood true to the ship's name and battled back with a vengeance on day 3, many working into the wee hours of the morning to prepare for the critical inspections for the day to come. In the end, the hard work and dedication of the crew paid off as INSURV gave its final blessing of combat readiness for the upcoming deployment.

"Reuben James never walked away from a challenge and neither does this crew," said Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Joe Naman. "They look adversity in the face, lower their shoulder, and charge ahead."

This attitude was highly visible throughout the crew.

"INSURV brought the ship together. I was dead tired during day 2, but I took my second wind and did what I could to help my fellow Sailors," said Information Systems Technician 1st Class (SW) Jose Ramirez. "It's like we went to battle and the entire crew fought together. After going through INSURV I feel I can go into battle with this crew any day."

With a successful INSURV inspection now behind them the crew of USS Reuben James will be enjoying a much deserved holiday stand down, after which they will proudly display their ship's battle readiness while forward deployed.

Release Date: 12/18/2009 3:17:00 PM
From Team Ships Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy officially accepted delivery of the future USS Independence (LCS 2) Dec. 18 during a short ceremony in Mobile, Ala. Independence is the second littoral combat ship delivered to the Navy, and the first LCS of the General Dynamics variant. LCS is a new breed of U.S. Navy warship with versatile warfighting capabilities, capable of open-ocean operation, but optimized for littoral, or coastal, missions.

"Today marks a critical milestone in the life of the LCS 2," said Rear Adm. James Murdoch, the LCS program manager in the Navy's Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. "The Navy and our industry partners have worked diligently to deliver a much-needed capability."

Prior to delivery, the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) conducted Acceptance Trials aboard LCS 2 on Nov. 13-19, and found the ship's propulsion plant, sea-keeping and self-defense performance to be "commendable," and recommended that the chief of naval operations authorize delivery of the ship following the correction or waiver of cited material deficiencies.

Between now and sail away in February 2010, the contractor will correct most of the trial cards received during trials. Any remaining cards will be corrected during scheduled post-delivery maintenance availabilities including the post-shakedown availability scheduled for completion in 2011.

Delivery is the last shipbuilding milestone before commissioning, scheduled for Jan. 16 in Mobile, Ala.
The LCS class is designed from the keel up to deliver efficient capability, capacity, and flexibility to the warfighter. Independence, a high-speed aluminum trimaran, is designed to defeat asymmetric "anti-access" threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. The 417-foot Independence will be outfitted with reconfigurable payloads, called mission packages, which can be changed out quickly. These mission packages focus on three mission areas: mine counter measures, surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare.

PEO Ships is responsible for the development and acquisition of U.S. Navy surface ships and has delivered eight major surface ships to the fleet since the beginning of 2009. PEO Ships is working in conjunction with its industry partners to achieve steady production for all programs to increase production efficiencies and leverage cost savings. Delivering high-quality war fighting assets ¯ while balancing affordability and capability ¯ is key to supporting the Navy's Maritime Strategy and building the Navy's 313-ship force structure. PEO Ships is committed to delivering quality ships at an affordable price.