Thursday, February 16, 2012

Duck and cover - or announce some great ship names quickly


Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced on 15 February 2012 the next five Navy ships; three Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyers, the USS John Finn, the USS Ralph Johnson, and the USS Rafael Peralta, and two littoral combat ships (LCS), the USS Sioux City and the USS Omaha.

Secretary Mabus named the three destroyers after Navy and Marine Corps heroes whose actions occurred during different conflicts which spanned several decades, but were united in their uncommon valor.  The littoral combat ships were named after two American communities.

This is viewed by many skeptics as damage control efforts and will go a long way in deflecting criticism of Secretary Mabus' naming of the USS John Murtha and USS Gabrielle Giffords.

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report on ship naming is HERE.

1 comment:

s said...

But the real questions is: What were their political stripes?

After all, it seems as though more that a few people are willing to deem someone worthy or unworthly depending something as irrelevant as a political affiliation.