USS Freedom Crew Return from Historic Deployment Wednesday

The crew that took the littoral combat ship USS Freedom out on its maiden deployment turned over the vessel to replacement sailors in Southeast Asia for the first time Tuesday, and will fly home tomorrow, according to the Navy.

"This is the first overseas deployment of a littoral combat ship (LCS)," said Dave Hostetler with Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (SURFPAC).

Vice President Joe Biden paid USS Freedom Crew 101 a visit July 27.

The Navy has set up a system that allows for crew- swapping and reconfiguration of the vessels, keeping them deployed overseas longer and making them useful for a variety of missions.

The agile ships are built for patrolling coastal waters.

The Freedom left its San Diego home port March 1 and is halfway through its deployment to Southeast Asia.

"USS Freedom and this amazing crew have really led the way," said Cmdr. Timothy Wilke, the commanding officer. "We have met every event head-on and have advanced the knowledge of the ship's operational capability while operating forward. It's been an incredible honor to command a ship like this on such an important deployment."

The sailors led by Wilke make up Crew 102.

Those who took over the ship are Crew 101, and they are expected to come home late this year, according to the Navy.

–City News Service contributed to this report.