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CHARLESTON, S.C. (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead delivered the principal address at the commissioning of the Navy's 53rd Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, USS Truxtun (DDG 103), April 25. CNO said the utility and importance of the Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers has been clear in the decision to restart the production line and increase the number of ballistic missile upgrades to the existing DDGs. He said Truxtun is in the most advanced, capable and versatile surface combatant class in the world. "Two weeks ago, it was an Aegis destroyer, USS Bainbridge (DDG 96), that...

The Navy will commission the newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, Stockdale, during an 11:00 a.m. PST ceremony on Saturday, April 18, 2009, in Port Hueneme, Calif.               Designated DDG 106, the new destroyer honors Medal of Honor recipient Vice Adm. James Bond Stockdale (1923-2005), the legendary leader of American prisoners of war (POWs) during the Vietnam War.               Stockdale was the highest-ranking naval officer ever held as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. His plane was shot down Sept. 9, 1965, while flying combat missions over North Vietnam. Stockdale spent more than seven years in captivity at prisons...

RUSTAMIYAH, Iraq, July 15, 2008 – Amid showers of candy and shouts from family and friends, more than 250 new lieutenants joined the Iraqi army and air force after graduating from the Iraqi Military Academy here yesterday. The same day as the graduation at Rustamiyah, more than 400 cadets graduated from the academies at Zhako, Nasiriyah and Qualachalon. “You are the future of Iraq,” Iraqi Defense Minister Abd al-Qadir al-Mufriji said to the graduates. “You are who the country will count on for reconstruction and leadership.” The defense minister stressed the importance of working together for the country’s future. “From...

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Navy rejects San Francisco for warship commissioning ceremony - Saturday, December 2, 2006 (12-02) 12:37 PST San Francisco (AP) -- The U.S. Navy has rejected plans to commission its newest and most powerful warship in San Francisco because of concerns that the city doesn't support the military. Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter vetoed plans this week for a commissioning ceremony for the Makin Island in San Francisco, said retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. J. Michael Myatt, chairman of the citizens' commissioning committee. Instead, San Diego will host the ceremony in which the crew formally takes charge of the...

PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: President Bush is spending most of the weekend in the White House while his wife attended the commissioning ceremony today in Houston, Texas, for the US Navy's newest attack submarine, the USS Texas. Mrs. Bush had agreed to be the boat's sponsor while she was still the First Lady of Texas. As we in the U.S. prepare to observe the 5th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, British Prime Minister Tony Blair is visiting the Middle East. The White House issued a brief written statement by President...

Special from United States Department of Defense WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, Chafee, will be commissioned Saturday, Oct. 18, 2003, during an 11 a.m. eastern ceremony in Newport, R.I. The ship honors John Hubbard Chafee of Providence, R.I. Chafee distinguished himself as a U.S. senator, Navy secretary, Rhode Island governor, and a Marine -- with service as both an enlisted man and commissioned officer. Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Michael W. Hagee, will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Serving as co-sponsors for the ship will be Virginia Chafee, wife of the ship's namesake and...

<p>In a ceremony combining the oldest traditions afloat with the realities of a changed world, the U.S. Navy commissioned its newest warship, the destroyer McCampbell, on the San Francisco waterfront Saturday.</p> <p>The McCampbell took two years to build and has been running trials and training the crew for months, but it did not become an American warship until it was officially commissioned.</p>