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What is a commissioning ceremony?
Commissioning ceremonies are very important events for the Department of Defense and the U. S. Navy. It represents the official acceptance of a ship by our government and with it the designation of United States Ship: "USS". It is viewed as the ship’s birthday and from that day forward it is placed into active service as a warship. Ships such as INDEPENDENCE will go on to serve our country for the next 20 – 30 years. Several generations of sailors will deploy in her, defending our country well into the 21st century.
The commissioning ceremony (and related events both before and after the actual commissioning) will attract a great many senior government leaders, military officers, elected representatives, and state and local officials. The ship’s builders also attend, along with its many subcontractors. The event is steeped in centuries of naval tradition with much pomp and circumstance.
The ceremony also allows the community to view the ship up close and meet her crew. Political and military leaders address the crew community, and afterwards, the ship’s sponsor will give the command to “Man our ship, and bring her to life”. At that point, the ship’s crew replies in unison, “Aye, aye ma’am” and proceed to run aboard the ship. Simultaneously, Navy Band Great Lakes will play “Anchors Aweigh”, the U.S. Navy anthem. The ship’s engines roar to life, radars are activated, weapons systems are brought online, whistles blare, and alarms sound. The ship is indeed “brought to life” and is ready to serve her country. When and where will INDEPENDENCE be commissioned?
INDEPENDENCE will be commissioned in Mobile, AL on Saturday, January 16, 2010. Why is INDEPENDENCE being commissioned in Mobile?
The U. S. Navy likes to have ships commissioned in various port cities throughout the United States. This allows those communities to learn about the Navy and participate in the patriotism and nautical traditions involved in such an event. It also exposes the crew to that port city and establishes a link between the community and the ship.
Since INDEPENDENCE is being built in Mobile, it makes sense to commission her in the state that provided the labor and much of the materials to build her. The commissioning will take place along the waterfront in Mobile, AL. Has the Navy ever commissioned a ship in Mobile before?
The commissioning of the INDEPENDENCE marks the first time a Mobile-built warship has been commissioned in Mobile since World War II. The USS MOBILE BAY (CG 53) (built in Pascagoula) was commissioned in Mobile on 21 February 1987 at the Alabama State Docks. Will INDEPENDENCE be based out of Mobile?
No. Can I attend the commissioning ceremony?
The commissioning ceremony is open to the public. However, all attendees must have a ticket for admission. Attendees must provide identification information. Security will be high for this event. Who is the ship’s commanding officer? How big is the crew?
INDEPENDENCE will have two crews, Blue and Gold, which will alternate operating the ship. Each crew has a commanding officer. Commander Michael B. Riley will command the Gold crew, and Commander Curt A. Renshaw will command the Blue crew. Each crew will consist of 40 sailors. These crews will be supplemented when mission packages are loaded into the ship. INDEPENDENCE has a total of 75 berthing spaces. Who pays for and organizes the commissioning ceremony?
Working through government contractors, the Navy has a dedicated Pre-Commissioning Unit responsible for planning such events, preparing guest lists and providing basic services related to the commissioning. In addition, local volunteers form a commissioning committee and seek private sector funding for the various receptions and activities surrounding the commissioning. Taxpayer dollars are not used for the social and community events surrounding the ceremony. The money raised by the commissioning committee is administered by a tax-exempt 501( c ) 3 entity, the xxxxxxxx. Commissioning committee members include a diverse group of well-known business and civic leaders who lend their time and talent to ensure a successful ceremony. What is LCS?
LCS will transform naval operations in the littorals: The littoral battlespace requires focused capabilities in greater numbers to assure access against asymmetrical threats. The LCS is envisioned to be a networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals. This relatively small, high-speed combatant will complement the U.S. Navy's Aegis Fleet, DDG 1000 and CG(X) by operating in environments where it is less desirable to employ larger, multi-mission ships. It will have the capability to deploy independently to overseas littoral regions, remain on station for extended periods of time either with a battle group or through a forward-basing arrangement and will be capable of underway replenishment. It will operate with Carrier Strike Groups, Surface Action Groups, in groups of other similar ships, or independently for diplomatic and presence missions. Additionally, it will have the capability to operate cooperatively with the U.S. Coast Guard and Allies.
LCS will be a "Network-Centric," Advanced Technology Ship: The LCS will rely heavily on manned and unmanned vehicles to execute assigned missions and operate as part of a netted, distributed force. In order to conduct successful combat operations in an adverse littoral environment, it will employ technologically advanced weapons, sensors, data fusion, C4ISR, hullform, propulsion, optimal manning concepts, smart control systems and self-defense systems.
LCS will be a "small, fast, affordable ship: Speed and agility will be critical for efficient and effective conduct of the littoral missions. The LCS must be capable of operating at low speeds for littoral mission operations, transit at economical speeds, and high-speed sprints, which may be necessary to avoid/prosecute a small boat or submarine threat, conduct intercept operations over the horizon, or for insertion or extraction missions.
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