Allen Frey, a member of the Lawrence High School Class of 2009, is serving aboard the USS New Orleans, one of the U.S. Navy’s newest and most advanced amphibious ships.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Frey is an electrician’s mate aboard the San Diego-based San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship. It is designed to deliver Marines and their equipment to and from war zones.
The USS New Orleans is the second vessel in the San Antonio-class of high tech amphibious assault ships. It is longer than two football fields at 984 feet and 105 feet in width. It weighs more than 24 tons, and is propelled through the water by four diesel engines at more than 24 miles per hour.
As a 24-year-old with numerous responsibilities, Petty Officer Frey said he is learning about himself as a leader, sailor and a person. He said that it is an exciting time to be in the Navy and serving aboard a ship has truly made him a better person.
“I have had great exposure to different cultures, which has expanded my view of the world,” he said. “I love the technical and worldly experience the Navy has provided me. I have made friends in the Navy I would never have had the opportunity to meet otherwise.”
He is proud of the work he is doing as part of the USS New Orleans’ crew, protecting and defending the United States on the world’s oceans.
“The Navy is highly capable to be anywhere in the world on short notice. We can provide direct combat or humanitarian support to anywhere in the world,” Petty Officer Frey said.
Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard the USS New Orleans. The 46 officers and 381 enlisted men and women make up the ship’s company, which keeps all parts of the ship running smoothly — from washing dishes and preparing meals, to handling weaponry and maintaining the engines. Another 700 or so form the deployable Marine Corps battalion.
The USS New Orleans is capable of transporting the battalion and landing them in hostile territory via helicopters, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and air-cushioned landing craft. Amphibious transport dock ships are warships that embark, transport and land elements of a landing force for a variety of expeditionary warfare missions.
These ships support amphibious assault, special operations or expeditionary warfare missions and can serve as secondary aviation platforms for amphibious ready groups. Because of their inherent capabilities, they have been — and will continue to be — called on to support humanitarian and other contingency missions on short notice.
