USS Augusta (LCS 34) Hosts Friends and Family Day Cruise

by Petty Officer 1st Class Vance Hand and Lt. Brinn Hefron

15 May 2024

SAN DIEGO -- The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Augusta (LCS 34) hosted a Friends and Family Day Cruise off the coast of San Diego, May 13.

The crew welcomed aboard 105 visitors consisting of family members, friends and guests from Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego and Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps from Colton High School. The cruise provided guests with a unique opportunity to get an inside look at the workings and equipment of a littoral combat ship at sea.

“Fabulous experience! I have a new appreciation for the hard-working Sailors aboard the USS Augusta,” said Jon Stahley, a resident of San Diego and a member of Big Brothers Big Sisters San Diego. “Super to gain insight into the teamwork and shared responsibility required. The ‘do your job’ message combined with compassion towards everyone was heartfelt and motivating.”

Sailors and guests began the day with an early sea and anchor evolution, getting underway at 8 a.m. Participants then gathered on the flight deck for a narrated, guided tour of the San Diego Bay as Augusta navigated toward open waters. Sailors conducted ship tours throughout the day to acquaint visitors with the ship’s operational capabilities. The schedule for the day included a demonstration of Augusta’s high-speed capabilities, live-fire gunnery exercises with static displays and an interactive damage control tour where guests could don firefighting equipment and spray water out of a firefighting hose.

“This was a great experience – not only for our friends, family and community members, but for the crew of Augusta,” said Cmdr. Chris Polnaszek, commanding officer of Augusta. “Our Sailors take pride in the work they do onboard, and it’s wonderful to have the opportunity to share some of that with those we care about.”

Additionally, guests were able to attend a reenlistment and award ceremony held on the ship’s flight deck, followed by a pie-in-the-face fundraising event held by Augusta’s first class petty officers’ mess. The day concluded with a command lunch, known colloquially as an aluminum beach picnic, before returning to homeport in San Diego.

“It was a trip of a lifetime and something I’ll never forget,” said Jason Soileau, Camarena Elementary School principal.

Augusta is homeported in San Diego as a part of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1. 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/.