Norfolk Naval Station News

Wednesday, 1 May: Late this afternoon, President Donald Trump met with Congressional leaders from the Senate and House to discuss U.S. Maritime Policy. On the table was the Jones Act. President Trump assured the Congressional leaders that he is not seeking any changes to the Jones Act, nor is he seeking any waivers.“President Trump had the Jones Act matters all under control from the get-go”, said William P. Doyle, CEO & Executive Director of the Dredging Contractors of America. “Mr. Trump is all about jobs and national security — he’s never wavered on this.

Eight Sailors aboard the Norfolk-based aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) were injured  when an arresting gear parted during a routine landing by an E-2C Hawkeye aircraft. There were no fatalities and the Sailors are listed in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. The injured Sailors were working on the flight deck at the time of the mishap. Six have been transported to Norfolk Sentara General Hospital for treatment. Two remain aboard IKE. The names of the injured personnel will not be released. Their families are being (have been) notified. The aircraft regained flight and returned safely to its base at Norfolk Naval Station Chambers Field. Initial reports are the aircraft was not damaged and no aircrew members were injured.

The United States Navy has officially commissioned the USS John Warner, the most powerful attack submarine to be developed in the history of the country, in a ceremony at the Norfolk Naval Station. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert delivered the keynote address at the commissioning ceremony, asserting the necessity of maintaining undersea dominance. "This boat is the latest incarnation of American sea power, and is a strategic asset for this country," Johnathan said. Named after former Republican Sen. John Warner of Virginia, who also served as the 61st Secretary of the Navy from 1972-74, the 337-foot submarine weighing 7…

On February 6, 2013, President Obama traveled to Newport News, Virginia to tour the shipbuilding site and address the impact of the looming sequester. The President:  Hello, Newport News! Well, it is good to see all of you here today. I want to thank your CEO, Mike Petters, for showing me around. I usually don’t get a chance to hang out with nuclear submarines, especially submarines that my wife has sponsored. (Applause.)  So right there, that was worth the trip. But most importantly…

After 51 years of distinguished service, USS Enterprise (CVN 65) will ceremonially inactivate later this year at Norfolk Naval Station, in Norfolk, Va. The inactivation ceremony will be the last official public event for the ship, and will serve as a celebration of life for the ship and the more than 100,000 Sailors who served aboard. Details of the actual ceremony are still being finalized; however, numerous dignitaries and thousands of veterans of the ship are expected to attend the event.

The future USS George H.W. Bush, (CVN-77) arrived at Norfolk Naval Station from the Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Newport News shipyard on Dec. 23 to prepare for its upcoming commissioning. The movement was originally scheduled for Dec. 22, but was delayed due to high winds. The commissioning ceremony will be held Jan. 10, 2009 at Norfolk Naval Station. George H.W. Bush is the 10th and final ship of the Nimitz class and incorporates major improvements from her predecessors, including a bulbous bow, redesigned island, composite mast and three-wire arresting gear configuration. The future USS George H.W. Bush is commanded by Capt. Kevin O'Flaherty.

According to a report from The Virginian Pilot, the George H.W. Bush, the 10th and final aircraft carrier in the Nimitz class, will be pulled by tugboat to its January commissioning. The big carrier was planned to have sailed under its own power from the Newport News shipyard to Norfolk Naval Station for the Jan. 10 ceremony. The $6.3b ship was originally scheduled for completion in April, but Northrop Grumman, the sole builder of nuclear-powered carriers for the Navy, has delayed it three times due to labor shortages, late material deliveries the company said. The Navy said changing the commissioning ceremony’s date now would be too costly and difficult. (Source: The Virginian Pilot)

The decommissioned aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CV 67) is scheduled to arrive March 22 at the Navy's Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility in for preservation and storage. Due to safety and security concerns, the ship will not be open for tours while in storage in . A contracted tug boat began towing the inactive carrier John F. Kennedy from Norfolk Naval Station on March 17. The ship was originally scheduled to be towed to in August 2007, but was instead towed to while the Navy dredged in the vicinity of Pier 4 to further increase the safety of the ship mooring process and the surrounding waterway. The public may view the carrier's journey up the Delaware River from many locations along the river in , , and . These include Gov.

The decommissioned aircraft carrier ex-John F. Kennedy (CV 67) departed Norfolk Naval Station, , March 17 and is currently in tow to the Navy’s Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in . The ship is scheduled to arrive at the Navy’s facility on March 20 for preservation and safe storage until a decision is made by the Secretary of the Navy on the carrier’s final disposition. A contracted tugboat will tow the carrier up the East Coast to via the . The Navy is working closely with the Coast Guard and maritime authorities to ensure that the carrier is towed in a safe manner that protects both the ship and other maritime traffic. The public may view the carrier’s journey up the Delaware River from many locations along the river in , , and . These include Gov.

The USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79), the first of the Arleigh Burke Flight 2A Aegis destroyers and the 17th Bath Iron Works-built, was commissioned in Norfolk Naval Station on Saturday August 19, 2000. Ship sponsor Dianne Reason, wife of retired admiral Paul Reason, brought the ship to life. Retired Rear Admiral Wayne E. Meyer, father of Aegis, conducted the tradition of the passing of the Long glass to the first officer of the watch. The Flight 2A is a variant of the Burke class. It has full-up helo facilities, carrying up to two SH-60B Seahawk helicopters. The destroyer's first commanding officer is Commander Paul C. Smith USN and Executive officer Lieutenant Commander Thomas F. Schwarz USN.

Sailors man the rails as Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) pulls pierside into Norfolk Naval Station. Comfort is wrapping up a four-month humanitarian deployment to Latin America and the Caribbean providing medical treatment in 12 countries. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Lolita M. Lewis (RELEASED)

The USS Trenton has a new name now that it has become part of the Indian navy, according to a report on www.hindu.com. The 570-ft. (174-m) Austin-class amphibious tranport dock became the INS Jalashwa during a ceremony at the Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia. The U.S. Navy launched the USS Trenton 1968, and commissioned it in 1971. The latest in a line of ships named after the New Jersey capital, the USS Trenton aided with evacuations of civilians from Somalia in 1991, Liberia in 1996 and Lebanon last year. (Source: www.hindu.com)

commissioned Saturday, July 12, 2003, during an 11 a.m. Naval Station, Va.. Vice President Richard Cheney will deliver the ceremony s principal address. Reagan, wife of the ship s namesake, will serve as ship s sponsor. Capt. J. W. to honor America s 40th president Ronald Reagan who was born in Tampico, Ill., Feb. 6, 1911. personnel, Ronald Reagan will be homeported in San Diego as a member of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. News,Va., starting with the ship s keel laying Feb. 12, 1998, and christening Mar. nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall. flight deck that covers 4.5 acres. range and endurance, and a top speed in excess of 30 knots. multi-role SH-60 and MH-60 helicopters. media, and live via streaming video to the web, through the Naval Media Center.

The Navy’s newest and most sophisticated nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), was commissioned July 12, 2003 at the Norfolk Naval Station in Norfolk, Va. Named after America's 40th president, Reagan is the ninth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier built by Northrop Grumman Newport News and the first carrier named for a living president. The keynote speaker for the commissioning ceremony was Vice President of the United States, Dick Cheney. Mrs. Ronald Reagan also attended the ceremony and served as the ship’s sponsor. Other ceremony participants included Virginia Governor Mark Warner, Virginia Senator John Warner, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hansford Johnson, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Vern Clark, and Northrop Grumman Newport News President Tom Schievelbein.

Northrop Grumman Corporation announced that the nation's newest and most advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), has successfully completed acceptance sea trials. The Reagan is the ninth Nimitz-class carrier built by Northrop Grumman's Newport News sector. The acceptance trials are conducted with representatives of the U.S. Navy Board of Inspection and Survey for testing and evaluation of the ship's systems and performance. Upon completion of sea trials, Reagan returned to Norfolk Naval Station in Norfolk, Va., where it will be commissioned July 12, 2003.