Navy names USS Gabrielle Giffords

The Hill ^ | 2/10/12 | Daniel Strauss and Jeremy Herb

[ColdOne]

The Secretary of the Navy announced on Friday that a new littoral combat ship will be named after former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).

The announcement comes the same day that President Obama signed the last piece of legislation sponsored by Giffords, a bill aimed at reducing drug trafficking along the American borders with Canada and Mexico.

Giffords, who recently stepped down from office, was the target of a shooting rampage in early January 2011.

“The name this ship bears and the story represented by that name will inspire all those who come in contact with her,” said Navy Secretary Ray Mabus at a naming ceremony at the Pentagon Friday.

Giffords appeared at the ceremony with her husband, former Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) and Roxanna Green, the mother of Christina Taylor-Green, the 9-year-old girl who was killed at the Giffords shooting last year.

Mabus said that Green would be the sponsor of the USS Gabrielle Giffords.

The ship named after Giffords is a littoral combat ship, a smaller ship designed for operations close to the shore. The USS Gabrielle Giffords is the Navy’s 10th LCS ship.

[Postman]

Great graphics are just wonderful!!!

[Chgogal]

So this sets a precedence, if you get shot at by a left wing nut case, the US Navy will name a ship after you. Cool. /s

[napscoordinator]

Just wait until they name the USS Obama.

Luckily it won’t happen unless he gets another term. Normally two term Presidents get the Carrier names. Carter, Ford, Bush I were in the Navy which is why they were able to get a ship named. USS WILLIAM J. CLINTON will be way before an Obama (hopefully he won’t get a second term).

[Gene Eric]

What about the murdered Federal judge?

[guitarplayer1953]

They should of named it after Christina Taylor-Green, the 9-year-old girl who was killed

[cherokee1]

I’m guessing Clinton will get the STD ward on a hospital ship named after him.

[donna]

coming soon: USS Matthew Shepard

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Well you can bet your ass on one thing for sure....the littoral ship program ain’t getting cut any time soon.

[StormEye]

"It could be much worst it called be called the USS Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or the USS Assad"

Or the USS Arafat. Or the USS Palestine. Yuck.

[alstewartfan]

Did she vote for or against the military? In any case, there aren’t enough ships to honor each shooting victim in America.

[MacMattico]

Exactly. Name ships after someone has passed away. What if we had the USS OJ Simpson or the USS Charles Manson because they had done something miraculous in the military years before their crimes?

[naturalman1975]

Worst name for a warship since the HMS Gay Bruiser.

[FlingWingFlyer]

I guess the boys and girls in the Pentagram couldn’t come up with a good explanation why they didn’t name it the USS Christina Taylor-Green and let Giffords be the sponsor.

[Borax Queen]

I wish they had included her middle name:
USS Marxist Comrade Giffords

[NonValueAdded]

John F'n Kerry is probably whining that he didn't get a ship named after himself given he was shot 3 times and has the medals, er, had the medals, no, now has the medals again to prove it. and the hat.





Tonk Memorial Post

[Ezekiel]

They should just rename the USS Cole.

Or the USS Arizona.

[b4its2late]

[b4its2late]

[b4its2late]

[Borax Queen]

Or... USS Taxation w/o Representation

(that’s us in CD8 for over a year, thanks to Giffords’ handlers being so greedy)