NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. -- With just 40 sailors in its core crew, the USS Independence relies on every single man and woman on board to do his share.
On the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS 2) each person has multiple roles. They call it being a "hybrid sailor." The concept is familiar across many industries where people are learning to "do more with less."
But the sailors on the Independence embrace the challenge.
Culinary Specialist Daniel Lee not only cooks three meals a day for the crew, he also serves as a member of the ship's aviation firefighting team.
"Here, you've got to wear this hat. You've got to wear that hat," explained Lee.
But Lee believes that being a part of a small crew is worth it.
"We've got a good bunch of guys here," he said.
Command Master Chief Melissa Black also wears the hats of Maintenance Material Management Coordinator, Command Career Counselor and Educational Services Officer.
"You're still doing the same job, but you're doing it with less people," shared Black.
The crew members onboard the LCS 2 are all highly trained. There are no sailors on board lower than a rank of E-5, which means there are not any people assigned to wash dishes or peel potatoes.
All the sailors do their own laundry and wash their own dishes each day.
"Everyone's got to play their part for this 40-man concept to work, and when everybody does that, we've proved it can work," Lee said confidently.
First Coast News