U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Carol M. Pottenger, Commander, Military Sealift Fleet Support Command, was the honoree for the keel-laying event, welding her initials into the keel of the T-AKE 3, the USNS Alan Shepard. With her are Dave Morton, Program Manager, Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force Program (L) and Art Diaz, MSC Ship Construction Senior Owners Representative. General Dynamics NASSCO on February 14, 2006, held the keel-laying ceremony for USNS Alan Shepard, the third ship in the U.S. Navy’s T-AKE program. Designated the Lewis and Clark class, the new T-AKE ships fulfill combat logistics force requirements. The keel-laying ceremony is a NASSCO tradition, signifying an important milestone as a new ship begins to take shape on the company’s building ways.