The occasion was attended by VIP friends together with the Honorable Meredith Berger, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Vitality, Installations and Setting); Lt. Gen. Michael Langley, commander, U.S. Marine Forces Command; Vice Adm. Ross Myers, commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/tenth Fleet; Sgt. Maj. David Wilson, Command Sergeant Main, 1st Marine Division; Thomas Kiss, director, Ship Administration, Army Sealift Command; Captain, Austin Hanbury, Canley’s civil service grasp; Jason Briggs, Canley’s Chief Engineer, the ship’s crew, and Sailors from the ships pre-commissioning unit, and 5 Medal of Honor recipients.
The 784 foot ship honors Gunnery Sgt. John L. Canley, a United States Marine who distinguished himself in battle through the Viet Nam conflict, in January/February 1968, through the Battle of Huế, with Firm A, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines. Canley was initially awarded the Navy Cross however this was upgraded to the Medal of Honor, fifty years after the battle, making him the primary dwelling Black Marine to obtain the nation’s highest navy ornament for valor. The one earlier Black recipients within the Marine Corps who acquired the medal posthumously.
“If we function this nice ship with a fraction of the ability, tenacity and braveness displayed by John Canley, our naval service will probably be well-positioned to fulfill the challenges that lie forward!” stated Kiss throughout his remarks through the ceremony.
The official christening second occurred when the ship’s sponsor, Canley’s daughter, Patricia Sargent ,broke a bottle of champagne over the ship’s bow with the phrases, “For the US of America, I christen you the USNS John L. Canley. Could God bless this ship and all who sail on her.”
“What we christen at this time is not only a ship,” stated Dave Carver, president, Normal Dynamics NASSCO. “It’s the embodiment of American unity and function; a beacon of freedom that can carry John Canley’s legacy and the legacy of America to individuals everywhere in the world.”
Canley is the sixth ship within the expeditionary cell base platform construct for MSC, and the third expeditionary staging base mannequin. When activated, Canley will primarily assist aviation mine countermeasure and particular operations drive missions. Along with the flight deck, the ship has a hangar with two aviation working spots able to dealing with MH-53E Sea Dragon-equivalent helicopters; lodging, work areas, and ordnance storage for embarked drive; enhanced command, management, communications, computer systems, and intelligence to assist embarked drive mission planning and execution; and reconfigurable mission deck space to retailer embarked drive gear to incorporate mine sleds and inflexible hull inflatable boats.
“Navy forces are extra necessary than ever in constructing world safety, projecting energy, deterring foes, and quickly responding to disaster that have an effect on our nationwide safety. To try this we have now to be ahead, engaged, and prepared,” stated Kiss. “This expeditionary sea base will do all these issues and rather more, offering our management with choices and maneuver house; and supporting the Joint Power by means of a singular mixture of aviation assist, gear staging, command and management, and most significantly, a well-trained crew.”
Canley will probably be delivered to the MSC fleet later this 12 months, the place it is going to endure testing and {qualifications} in preparation for its assist of quite a lot of maritime-based missions, together with Particular Operations Forces and Airborne Mine Counter Measures assist operations, humanitarian and conventional navy missions.
