SAN DIEGO (Sept. 29, 2021) The crew of the Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) disembark the ship for the final time during Freedom’s decommissioning ceremony. Freedom was decommissioned after more than 10 years of service. Commissioned Nov. 8, 2008, Freedom has been a test and training ship and was key in developing the operational concepts foundational to the current configuration and deployment of LCS today. The decommissioning of LCS 1 supports department-wide business process reform initiatives to free uptime, resources and manpower in support of increased lethality. The LCS remains a fast, agile and networked surface combatant, designed to operate in near-shore environments, while capable of open-ocean tasking and winning 21st century coastal threats. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Vance Hand)