Captain David Miller presents Governor Tim Walz with one of his command ‘coins,’ which is shaped like one of the LCS ships.

One of the U.S. Navy’s newest ships was commissioned recently in Duluth, and among the dignitaries attending the event on May 21, was one of Blue Earth’s native sons, David Miller.

That is Captain David E. Miller, Commander, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 2. Captain Miller is the son of Bonnie Miller, of Blue Earth, and the late Gordy Miller.

The new ship commissioned in Duluth was the USS Minneapolis-St. Paul. It is a Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), and will become one of the ships under Captain Miller’s command.

“My role is being the LCS Squadron Commodore,” Miller said. “Once the ships are commissioned, they report to me at the Naval Station Mayport, in Mayport, Florida.”

Miller says there are currently eight total Freedom-variant LCS ships based in Mayport, forming two Divisions – Surface Water Division and Mine Warfare Division.

“So, the Minneapolis-St. Paul is the ninth LCS which will be stationed in Mayport,” he said. “And it is currently on their transit to their home port, here in Mayport.”

Captain Miller added that the ship will work directly under him and his staff for the next 1-2 years until it completes initial testing and qualifications trials, followed by a maintenance period.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul was built by the Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wisconsin. It was launched and christened on June 15, 2019, completed acceptance trials on Aug. 21, 2020 and was delivered to the U.S. Navy on Nov. 18, 2021.

Captain Miller said that since these ships are built on the Great Lakes in Wisconsin, and given the ship’s namesake, it only made sense for the official commissioning to take place in Duluth.

A graduate of Blue Earth High School, Miller was commissioned in June 1991 at the University of Minnesota under the Naval Reserve Officer’s Training Corps program.

He received a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. He graduated from the National War College at National Defense University in Washington DC in June 2009 and received a master’s degree in national security strategy.

Captain Miller served as an officer on various ships and on shore assignments, before first becoming chief of staff, Carrier Strike Group 1 from October 2017 to September 2019.

He assumed his current duties as Commander, Litteral Combat Ship Squadron 2, on Nov. 15, 2019.

After the ship was commissioned on May 24, Captain Miller met with Governor Tim Walz, and Miller presented the governor with one of his commodore coins.

Only it wasn’t actually a coin.

“The medal is my personal command ‘coin,’ which many commanders have personally created for themselves,” Miller explained. “Mine is shaped like a Freedom Class LCS, the class of LCS 21, the USS Minneapolis-St. Paul.”

At the top mast on the ship medal Miller’s command flag is shown flying. On the port side is the Navy command pin above Miller’s name and title. The other side of the ship medal has Miller’s command crests, along with the individual crests of all the LCS ships under his command.

The newly commissioned LCS ship USS Minneapolis-St. Paul is the second naval ship to honor Minnesota’s Twin Cities. There have also been two previous navel vessels named Minneapolis and two named St. Paul.

The first U.S. Navy warship named Minneapolis-Saint Paul was a Los Angeles-class submarine launched in 1983 that participated in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (SSN 708) was the first submarine to carry Tomahawk missiles specifically designed for use in strikes against Iraq during the Gulf War. Having served for over two decades with distinction, the submarine decommissioned in 2007.