Visiting Ships for the 240th Fourth of July Celebration

Starting in the early 1900’s, the U.S. Navy sends a ship to spend a week in Bristol during
our Celebration. The Visiting Ship for the 241st Fourth of July Celebration is the
USS Wichita

USS Wichita will be moored just outside the harbor and will have tenders from Bristol Coast Guard Pier.

usS WICHITA

TOUR DATES:
JULY 2 - 3

10AM - 4PM

IMPORTANT INFORMATION IF YOU WANT TO TOUR SHIP:

Persons interested in touring the ship will be pre-screened at the water taxi launch.

Please be advised:

Valid photo ID is required and all persons will be screened through metal detectors prior to embarking the water taxi.
Appropriate attire is required onboard the ship (closed toed shoes, no short dresses or skirts).
All visitors must be physically capable of embarking and debarking the ship via water taxi as well as climb up and down steep ladderwells onboard the ship.
The ship reserves the right to turn away visitors that do not comply with the above guidelines or pose potential safety issues

USS Wichita (LCS-13)

Hattie Brown Award Recipients for the 238th Fourth of July Celebration

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USS Wichita (LCS-13) is a Freedom-class littoral combat ship of the United States Navy,[1] the third ship named after Wichita, the largest city in Kansas.[9]

Design

In 2002, the U.S. Navy initiated a program to develop the first of a fleet of littoral combat ships.[10] The Navy initially ordered two monohull ships from Lockheed Martin, which became known as the Freedom-class littoral combat ships after the first ship of the class, USS Freedom.[10][11] Odd-numbered U.S. Navy littoral combat ships are built using the Freedom-class monohull design, while even-numbered ships are based on a competing design, the trimaran hull Independence-class littoral combat ship from General Dynamics.[10] The initial order of littoral combat ships involved a total of four ships, including two of the Freedom-class design.[10] Wichita is the seventh Freedom-class littoral combat ship to be built.

Wichita includes additional stability improvements over the original Freedomdesign; the stern transom was lengthened and buoyancy tanks were added to the stern to increase weight service and enhance stability.[12] The ship also features automated sensors to allow "conditions-based maintenance" and reduce crew overwork and fatigue issues that Freedom had on her first deployment.[13]

Construction and career

Wichita being launched on 17 September 2016

The keel laying ceremony was on 9 February 2015, at Marinette, Wisconsin.[2] Sponsored by Kate Lehrer, wife of Wichita native Jim Lehrer, the ship was christened and launched on 17 September 2016.[14][15] The naval crest of the ship incorporates elements of the Wichita flag, along with a bison skull and feathers representing the Native American heritage and wheat to reflect the state of Kansas's main crop.[16] She is assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron Two. The ship was acquired by the US Navy from Lockheed Martinand the Marinette Marine shipyard on 22 August 2018 along with USS Sioux City (LCS-11) in a double delivery.[3]

On 4 November 2020, Rear Admiral Don Gabrielson and Brigadier GeneralPhillip Frietze signed the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander Maritime Campaign Support Plan in a ceremony aboard Wichita at Naval Station Mayport, Florida.[17]

On 25 February 2021, the ship together with Sea Knights of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 22, detachment 8, was underway to support operations in US Southern Command area of responsibility.[18] On 9 April, Wichita and Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard patrol vessel HMJS Cornwall sailed in formation during a live-fire exercise. During this time, Wichita was deployed to the US 4th Fleet of operations to support Joint Interagency Task Force South's mission, which included counter illicit drug trafficking in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.[19]

On 5 May 2022, Wichita conducted Maritime Interdiction Exercises with the Dominican Navy.[20]

CDR John Burns

Executive Officer

Commander John Burns was born in Choteau, Montana, and commissioned in the Navy in 2008 through the ROTC program at Tulane University.

CDR Burns graduated from Tulane University in 2008 with a B.S. degree in Mathematics. In 2015, CDR Burns completed his M.S. degree from Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Operations Research. During his time at NPS he also completed JPME Phase 1.

Afloat, CDR Burns served aboard USS BOXER (LHD 4) as the Main Propulsion Division Officer and executed a deployment to the Gulf of Aiden in support of CTF 151. His second division officer tour was aboard USS SAN DIEGO (LPD 22) as the Assistant First Lieutenant and Communications Officer, which included commissioning the ship into service following a Panama Canal transit. Commander Burns served as Chief Engineer aboard USS SHOUP (DDG 86) and USS JOHN P MURTHA (LPD 26). These tours included deployments to the USCENTCOM Area of Responsibility, including operations in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Persian Gulf.

Ashore, Commander Burns served as the Special Technical Operations Chief at USNAVEUR. His follow-on assignment he served as a Joint Operational Planner, USCENTCOM, J35.

Commander Burns’ personal awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. He is serving as the Executive Officer aboard USS BILLINGS (LCS 15).