USS Cooperstown (LCS 23) Departs Mayport for Deployment

Photo By Chief Petty Officer David Holmes | NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (May 11, 2026) – The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Cooperstown (LCS 23) departs Naval Station Mayport to begin operations in support of its scheduled deployment. Cooperstown assumed duties previously executed by the Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS 13) in support of USNORTHCOM’s border security objectives. Cooperstown is the first ship to bear the name, and honors 70 military veterans who are members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame located in Cooperstown, New York. These particular veterans had their baseball careers interrupted in order to serve in conflicts ranging from the Civil War through the Korean War. (U.S. Navy photo by David Holmes)  

MAYPORT, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES

05.16.2026

Courtesy Story

Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet   

MAYPORT, Fla. – The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Cooperstown (LCS 23) got underway from Naval Station Mayport May 16, 2026, to begin operations in support of its scheduled deployment.

Cooperstown assumed duties previously executed by the Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS 13) in support of USNORTHCOM’s border security objectives.

“Today is a defining moment for every Sailor aboard this outstanding warship,” said Cmdr. Jesse DuParc, commanding officer, USS Cooperstown. “From commissioning day in New York City to today, the crew of Cooperstown has trained relentlessly and is prepared to defend the homeland, protect freedom of the seas and answer the call of every mission assigned. We carry with us not only the support and love of our families, our Navy and our country, but also the legacy of the 70 ‘Baseball Hall of Famers’ who served this nation honorably in uniform — men who left the game they loved to answer a higher calling. We are honored to represent them and carry their spirit forward because, after all, we are America’s Away Team.”

Cooperstown is assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron (LCSRON) 2 and homeported in Mayport, Fla. The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a fast, agile, mission-focused warship designed to operate in near-shore environments to counter 21st-century threats. It is a class of small surface combatants armed with capabilities to defeat challenges in the world’s littorals. LCS can operate independently or in high-threat scenarios as part of a networked battle force that includes larger, multi-mission surface combatants such as cruisers and destroyers.

Cooperstown is the first ship to bear the name, and honors 70 military veterans who are members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame located in Cooperstown, New York. These particular veterans had their baseball careers interrupted in order to serve in conflicts ranging from the Civil War through the Korean War.

U.S. 2nd Fleet, reestablished in 2018 in response to the changing global security environment, develops and employs maritime ready forces to fight across multiple domains in the Atlantic and Arctic in order to ensure access, deter aggression and defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.

For more U.S. 2nd Fleet news and photos, visit facebook.com/US2ndFleet, https://www.c2f.usff.navy.mil/, X - @US2ndFleet, and https://www.linkedin.com/company/commander-u-s-2nd-fleet.

• Date Taken: 05.16.2026
• Date Posted: 05.16.2026 16:42
• Story ID: 565464
• Location: MAYPORT, FLORIDA, US