The littoral combat ship Little Rock was commissioned in Buffalo, New York, on Dec. 16 in a snow-covered ceremony with more than 8,500 people in attendance, all ready to send the new vessel off to her home port of Mayport, Florida.
But the North is apparently not ready to let the ship go, according to a Buffalo News report.
After having their departure from Buffalo delayed due to inclement weather, the Little Rock’s crew finally got the ship underway on Dec. 20, only to get stuck in ice during a routine port visit in Montreal, where it’s been docked since Dec. 27, according to the Buffalo News.
Sailors aboard Little Rock haven’t allowed Jack Frost to keep them stagnant, though, as they continue to work through the tough conditions, performing routine maintenance as well as repairs on a ship steering cable, according to Lt. Cmdr. Courtney Hillson, public affairs officer for Naval Surface Force Atlantic.
Sailors wrapped up repairs on Jan. 5, Hillson told Navy Times, but ice has kept the ship from steaming to its next destination.
“Icy conditions delayed the ship’s departure due to a limited number of tugs,” she said.
Once tugs become available, Little Rock should be able to get on its way, she said.
Until then, sailors are at least making the most of the winter wonderland.
Jon Simkins is the executive editor for Military Times and Defense News, and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.
