Ship Ceremonies
Navy Christens USS Cincinnati (LCS 20)
The ship’s sponsor, Penny Pritzker — 38th U.S. Secretary of Commerce, christened the new ship. (Austal USA photo) (Article originally appeared courtesy UPI) The U.S. Navy’s newest littoral combat ship was christened over the weekend in a ceremony in Mobile, Ala. The USS Cincinnati, an Independence-class littoral...
Keel Laying for USS Daniel Inouye
Irene Hirano Inouye, future USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118) sponsor and wife of the late Sen. Daniel Inouye, presents her initials on the keel plate following the ship’s keel authentication ceremony in Bath, Maine, May 14. (Photo by (Courtesy of) Dennis Griggs, Bath Iron Works) Original...
USS Portland (LPD 27) Commissioned
PORTLAND, Ore. (April 21, 2018) Visitors cheer as the amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland (LPD 27) comes to life during a commissioning ceremony in Portland, Ore. Portland is the U.S. Navy’s 11th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship, third ship to bear the name...
USS Indianapolis (LCS 17) Christened in Wisconsin
Ship sponsor Jill Donnelly breaks a bottle of champagne across the bow during the christening ceremony for the nations 17th Littoral Combat Ship, the future USS Indianapolis, at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard on April 14. (PRNewsfoto/Lockheed Martin) (Article appears courtesy Lockheed Martin/PRNewsWire) The Lockheed Martin-led...
USS Colorado (SSN 788) Commissioned
180317-N-JE719-692GROTON, Conn. (March 17, 2018) USS Colorado (SSN 788) Ship Sponsor, Annie Mabus delivers remarks to attendees and crew during the boat’s commissioning ceremony. Colorado is the U.S. Navy’s 15th Virginia-class attack submarine and the second ship fourth ship named for the State of Colorado....
USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) Commissioned
USS Ralph Johnson Commissioning (Defense Media Activity-Navy Production) (This article originally appeared courtesy Charleston Post and Courier) By Gregory Yee (Post and Courier) U.S. Sen. Tim Scott stood atop the deck of the massive gray warship docked in Charleston Harbor on Saturday morning and asked members...
USS South Dakota (SSN 790) Christened
USS South Dakota Sponsor Deanie Dempsey authenticates the keel of the nuclear submarine at a ceremony held April 4, 2016 at Electric Boat’s Quonset Point, R.I., facility. (General Dynamics Electric Boat) (This article originally appeared courtesy of the Hartford Courant) The USS South Dakota, the ninth...
USNS Burlington (T EPF 10) Christened
Marcelle Leahy Christens the USNS Burlington (YouTube) (This article originally appeared courtesy WKRG News) Marcelle Leahy breaks a bottle over the newest ship named for the largest city in Vermont. She’s the ship’s sponsor and the wife of longtime Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy. Senator Leahy says...
Keel Laid for Future Miguel Keith
Matron of Honor Mary Easley welds the initials of Lance Corporal Miguel Keith’s mother.(NASSCO) Original article appears courtesy of General Dynamics/NASSCO A time honored ceremony was held at General Dynamics NASSCO on January 30, 2018. Keel laying is a long-recognized tradition of laying down the backbone...
PCU Minneapolis-St Paul Keel Laid
(Photo from KLUK TV/SEAWAVES) (Photo and article originally appeared courtesy of SEAWAVES) The U.S. Navy held a keel laying and authentication ceremony for the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) in Marinette, Feb. 22. The initials of the ship’s sponsor, Jodi Greene, were welded onto a keel plate...
USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) Christening
PASCAGOULA, Miss. (Nov. 4, 2017) Ship’s Sponsor Ima J. Black christens DDG 119, the destroyer named for her late husband, Delbert D. Black, the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. Also pictured, left to right, are Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss.; Lt. Cmdr. Mark...
USS Omaha (LCS 12) Commissioned
SAN DIEGO (Feb. 3, 2018) Sailors assigned to littoral combat ship USS Omaha (LCS 12) salute as they man the rails during the ship’s commissioning ceremony at Broadway Pier in downtown San Diego. Omaha is the 11th littoral combat ship to enter the fleet and...
USS Little Rock (LCS 9) Commissioned
USS Little Rock (LCS-9) commissioning ceremony in Buffalo, N.Y. on Dec. 16, 2017. (US Navy Photo) (This article originally appeared courtesy of USNI) By Ben Werner A commissioning ceremony was held in Buffalo, N.Y. today for USS Little Rock (LCS-9), the latest Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship. The ceremony...
Keel Laid for Future USS Kansas City (LCS 22)
MOBILE, Ala. (Nov. 15, 2017) Scott Beauchemin, left, from General Dynamics Mission Systems; Adm. Phil Davidson, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command; ship’s sponsor Tracy Davidson; Craig Perciavalle, Austal USA president; Adan Silva-Garibay, an Austal USA A-class welder; Tim McCue, Austal USA vice president of...
Future USS Leah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDDG 123) Keel Authenticated
Ship’s Sponsors (left to right) Virginia Munford, Louisa Dixon and Pickett Wilson trace their initials onto a steel plate that will be welded inside the guided missile destroyer Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123). Photo by Michael Duhe/HII (This article originally appeared courtesy of Navy.mil) The...
USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (T ESB 4) Christening
Travie Ross, daughter of Hershel “Woody” Williams, christens a ship named after her father. Photo by Chris Stone (This article originally appeared courtesy General Dynamics NASSCO) On Saturday, October 21, General Dynamics NASSCO hosted a christening and naming ceremony for the Navy’s newest Expeditionary Sea Base,...
Future USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) Keel Authenticated
(Photo Courtesy SeaWaves) (This article originally appeared courtesy Navy.mil) PASCAGOULA, Miss. (NNS) — The keel for the future USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) was authenticated during a ceremony at Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), Oct. 13. Keel laying is the traditional start of ship construction. In the...
USS Washington (SSN 787) Commissioned
NORFOLK (Oct. 7, 2017) Sailors render a salute during the commissioning ceremony for the Virginia Class Submarine USS Washington (SSN 787) at Naval Station Norfolk. Washington is the U.S. Navy’s 14th Virginia-class attack submarine and the fourth U.S. Navy ship named for the State of...
USS Tripoli (LHA 7) Christening
Ship’s sponsor Lynne Mabus (right) smashes a bottle of sparkling wine against the bow of the Ingalls-built amphibious assault ship Tripoli (LHA 7). Also pictured (left to right) are Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Miss.; Capt. Kevin Meyers, Tripoli’s prospective commanding officer; acting Under Secretary of the...
USS Charleston Christening
MOBILE, Ala. (Aug. 26, 2017) Ship’s sponsor Charlotte Riley breaks a bottle of champagne across the bow during the christening ceremony for the littoral combat ship USS Charleston (LCS 18). At the ceremony, Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Richard V. Spencer gave the principal address....
USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) Commissioned in San Diego
SAN DIEGO (July 29, 2017) The crew of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) mans the ship during its commissioning ceremony at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, Calif. Rafael Peralta honors Marine Corps Sgt. Rafael Peralta, who was posthumously awarded...
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) Commissioned
NORFOLK (July 22, 2017) Sailors man the rails of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) during its commissioning ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. Ford is the lead ship of the Ford-class aircraft carriers, and the first new U.S. aircraft carrier designed...
USS John Finn (DDG 113) Commissioning
PEARL HARBOR (July 15, 2017) The crew of the Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, USS John Finn (DDG 113) brings the ship to life during its commissioning ceremony. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Aiyana Paschal) (This article originally appeared courtesy of U.S. Navy/Mass...
USS Billings Christening
170701-N-N0101-021MARINETTE, Wisc. (July 1, 2017) LCS-15’s sponsor Sharla Tester, the wife of Montana Sen. Jon Tester, the ranking member of the Senate Veteran’s Affairs Committee, christens the future USS Billings. Once commissioned, LCS-15 will be the first ship of its name in naval service. (U.S....
Austal Celebrates Christening Of Manchester (LCS 14)
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen christens the USS Manchester (LCS 14) at Austal’s Mobile, AL facility. (Photo Credit: Austal) Story Courtesy Austal USA/General Dynamics MOBILE, Ala. – Austal officials joined ship sponsor U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen and many distinguished guests in celebrating the christening of the nation’s...
USS John P. Murtha Christened
Joyce Murtha, widow of the late Democratic U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, left, braces for the spray of sparkling wine as her daughter Donna S. Murtha christens an amphibious transport dock, the John P. Murtha (LPD 26) named after the longtime lawmaker at...
USS John Finn (DDG 113) Christened at Ingalls Shipyard
150502-N-OT964-276 PASCAGOULA, Miss. (May 2, 2015) Ship sponsor Laura Stavridis ceremoniously breaks a bottle of champagne on the bow during the christening ceremony for the future guided missile destroyer USS John Finn (DDG 113). The ship is named after the Medal Of Honor Recipient and...
Rosa Peralta Christenings USS Rafael Peralta at Maine Shipyard
Rosa Peralta smashes a bottle of Champagne to christen the USS Raphael Peralta, the 35th Arleigh Burke Class Missile Destroyer to be built by Bath Iron Works, Oct. 31, 2015, in Bath, Maine. (Photo: Robert F. Bukaty/AP) Story Originally appeared via The Marine Times BATH, Maine...
First Lady Michelle Obama Christens USS Illinois
First Lady Michelle Obama breaks a bottle of champagne on the sail of the PCU-Illinois submarine during a christening ceremony at General Dynamics Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, Conn., Oct. 10, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy) Original story taken from The Chicago Tribune/Associated...
Susie Buffett Christen USS Omaha
MOBILE, Ala. (Dec. 19, 2015) Susan A. Buffett, ship’s sponsor for the littoral combat ship Pre-Commissioning Unit, Omaha (LCS 12), breaks a bottle across the ship’s bow during a christening ceremony at Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist...