USS Fort Worth Crew visits Austin, Texas

Sailors assigned to the Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) traveled to Austin, Texas during a namesake visit in preparation of the ship’s decommissioning, July 14.
While the crew travels at least annually to their namesake city of Fort Worth, Texas, this was the Sailors’ first time visiting the Texas state capital. They were excited to be able to say farewell and thank you to a state that supported the ship so well throughout its service life.
“Carrying the name Fort Worth has always been our honor, but receiving the Texas Outstanding Service Medal shows us just how big the heart of Texas really is,” said U.S. Navy Machinist Mate First Class Savannah Maes, Fort Worth’s Senior Sailor of the Year for fiscal year 2025. “Seeing our hard work and dedication honored like this means the absolute world.”
The Sailors’ visit started with dinner with the Texas Navy Association where they learned the history of the Texas Navy. The Texas Admirals, who are honorarily commissioned in the Texas Navy by the Governor of Texas, presented the ship with a proclamation celebrating the ship’s history as the first LCS to deploy to the Western Pacific and paving the way for follow-on LCS deployments through tactical experimentation and establishing infrastructure for overseas maintenance.
Sailors then volunteered with Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services at a Pop-Up Resource Clinic at the Marshalling Yard Shelter to give back to the namesake community. The Sailors escorted individuals to various city and county resources to people experiencing homelessness.
“This is a really good resource tool for those facing challenges in the community in and around Austin providing healthcare, housing, and other basic needs” said U.S. Navy Command Master Chief Recardo Wright, command master chief of Fort Worth. “It was an honor for our Fort Worth Sailors to give back at this impactful event.”
During every trip to Texas, Sailors assigned to Fort Worth visit their namesake rotary club and to continue the tradition, they visited the South Austin Rotary Club. The South Austin Rotary Club was excited to hear about another Texas-named ship. The Fort Worth Rotary Club played an integral role in having a U.S. Navy ship named after their city and once commissioned continued to write letters and send books to encourage and entertain the crew.
“It’s been a few years since the Navy decommissioned the USS Austin. From what I’ve seen in this city so far, you guys would be great at supporting another ship,” said Fort Worth’s Commanding Officer, U.S. Navy Cmdr. Dana Canby.
The crew also visited the University of Texas at Austin Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps unit to visit and chat with future naval officers.
The ship’s crew had a unique opportunity to meet with the Texas Adjutant General, Major General Thomas Suelzer who discussed the ship’s contributions to the Navy, what their jobs entail, and other matters related to the decommissioning of Navy ships. To recognize the ship’s and crews’ contributions to fleet readiness by producing highly trained Sailors and representing Texas during every LCS deployment in 2025 and 2026, Suelzer awarded the Texas Outstanding Service Medal to the entire decommissioning crew, one of the only times this award was given to U.S. Navy Sailors in the medal’s 55 year history.
The Navy has scheduled the ceremony to decommission Fort Worth July 29, 2026, in San Diego. As an operational unit and test platform, Fort Worth and its crew played an important role in the defense of our nation and maritime freedom. Fort Worth and its Sailors were key to determining the operational configuration and deployment capabilities of today’s LCS platform.
Fort Worth is homeported in San Diego and assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One. Littoral combat ships are fast, optimally manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century threats. LCS integrate with joint, combined, manned and unmanned teams to support forward-presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe.
For more news from Commander, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One, visit https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/comlcsron1/ or follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/COMLCSRONONE/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/littoralcombatshipsquadron1/.