Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher Farren, a native of Fallon, Nevada, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) unit operating out of Norfolk, Virginia.
For Farren, serving in the military is a family tradition. “My family’s military legacy dates back to my great-grandfather, Arlene K. Babbitt, a Korean War Navy veteran, and continued with my Marine veteran father,” said Farren. “As a Navy Cross recipient, my great-grandfather was a helicopter pilot during the Korean War who flew into enemy-held territory and executed a successful rescue of two downed airmen.”
Farren joined the Navy three years ago and currently serves as an electronics technician with Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 4. As an electronics technician, Farren is responsible for setting up, maintaining, and performing corrective maintenance of the platform’s propulsion, lift, and control systems.
“Right after my great-grandfather passed away, my mother sat me down and showed me an article about him and all his old uniforms and medals,” said Farren. “I was inspired, and it was evident that serving is an honorable profession and a smart decision for my future.”
Crew members of ACU 4 serve onboard LCACs, which provide fast, over-the-horizon movement of combat troops and equipment. The Navy’s LCACs are manned by entirely enlisted crews and are at the heart of the amphibious warfare mission. LCACs are primarily used for transporting, ship-to-shore, and across the beach, personnel, weapons, equipment, and cargo of the assault elements of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. “Whether it’s moving combat-ready Marines or just radios and communications equipment, we are the middle-man from the water to the beach,” said Farren. “It’s all important components to America’s national security.”
“I’m also currently pursuing my bachelor’s in electrical engineering, and Navy electronics technician training will fulfill about a third of the requirements I’ll need to graduate,” Farren explained. “My Navy profession will easily translate to a civilian career.”
Most recently, ACU 4 deployed as part of the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group in support of the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Operations. Farren and his ACU 4 crew members maintained maritime security and stability, contributed to Operation Allies Refuge missions, and earned the rigorous enlisted surface warfare qualification.
“Serving in the Navy and being part of the LCAC mission means being part of a team focused on rebuilding military readiness and strengthening alliances,” added Farren. “That, along with one particularly important capability of ACU-4, is our humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions around the world.”
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