English: Cmdr. Pat Thien, USS Freedom’s "Blue" crew Commanding Officer, of Seattle, musters his crew at morning quarters outside the Navy Gateway Inn and Suites barracks. Arriving in Singapore July 31, the Blue crew will conduct a turnover of the littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) with the "Gold" Crew later this week as part of a Crew Swap. Freedom's first rotational deployment to Southeast Asia began March 1, when the ship departed San Diego and commenced a Pacific Ocean transit that included port visits in Hawaii, Guam and Manila. Since arriving in Singapore April 18, Freedom has participated in the International Maritime Defense Exhibition (IMDEX), two separate phases of the bilateral naval exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) with Malaysia and Singapore, and hosted thousands of visitors from throughout Southeast Asia. Fast, agile and mission-focused, littoral combat ships are designed to operate in near-shore environments and employ modular mission packages that can be configured for surface warfare, mine countermeasures, or anti-submarine warfare. (U.S. Navy Photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Roger S. Duncan/Released)