Steven Palazzo News

HII christened Legend-class national security cutter Calhoun on Saturday at its Ingalls Shipbuilding division.Calhoun (WMSL 759) is named to honor Charles L. Calhoun, the first master chief petty officer of the U.S. Coast Guard. Calhoun served in the U.S. Navy for three years during World War II and was honorably discharged in 1946 as a torpedoman second class. He enlisted in the Coast Guard that same year and held varying positions of leadership over the course of his career.“Today’s…

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) christened pre-commissioning unit Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) at the company’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Miss.The new 513-foot-long Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is the first of the Flight III variants and 75th overall in the class. It is expected to be commissioned in 2023.Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission ships and can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, all in support of the United States military strategy.

A new bill introduced in the U.S. aims to make available $200 million in grant funding for community and technical colleges offering training programs for maritime industry professions. The legislation H.R. 7456 was introduced by Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia (Texas-29) alongside Rep. Don Young (Alaska-At-Large), Rep. Anthony G. Brown (Md.-04), Rep. Brian Babin (Texas-36), and Rep. Steven Palazzo (Miss.-04).“Maritime industry jobs are a critical part of our nation’s economy. Yet research has shown that there may soon be a shortage of maritime industry workers,” said Congresswoman Garcia.

VT Halter Marine, Inc., a ST Engineering North America company, held a vessel naming ceremony for America’s first offshore Liquefied Natural Gas Articulated Tug and Barge (LNG ATB) unit.The Q-LNG 4000 (barge) and the Q-Ocean Services (tug) were officially named in a ceremony that included U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith and U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo, along with Shane Guidry, CEO of Q-LNG, and Tom Vecchiolla, President and CEO of ST Engineering North America.Over the last four years…

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened the seventh Legend-class National Security Cutter, Kimball (WMSL 756), on March 4 in front of approximately 1,000 guests. “We wouldn’t be able to bring this ship to life without the great work that we see here at Huntington Ingalls shipyard,” said U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul F. Zukunft, who was the ceremony’s keynote speaker. “I am moved every time I come onto this facility and I see ‘What you do today matters.’ And the reason why it matters so much is that in the year 2060…

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE:HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division hosted Reps. Rob Wittman, R-Va., and Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., on Wednesday for a tour of the shipyard, which included ships under construction at Ingalls. “Today was an informative visit to Ingalls Shipbuilding—one of our nation’s best assets,” said Wittman, who is chairman of the House Armed Services’ Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee. “It is obvious the men and women of Ingalls brandish their skill-sets to build high-quality ships for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. Wittman and Palazzo met with Ingalls leadership during the tour and had the chance to meet shipbuilders on various ships under construction.

As the Executive Director for the Offshore Supply Vessel Dynamic Positioning Authority (OSVDPA), Aaron Smith is charged with managing the day-to-day operation of the Authority. Along with the OSVDPA Board of Directors and Technical Advisory Council (TAC), Aaron has helped to craft the Authority’s dynamic positioning operator (DPO) certification program. This includes ensuring that the program is ultimately accepted by the offshore energy industry, and its many international and domestic counterparts.

Ingalls Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), christened the amphibious transport dock Portland (LPD 27) on May 21 in front of approximately 1,000 guests. U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Christopher Owens, director of the U.S. Navy’s expeditionary warfare division, was the keynote speaker. “Marines love these ships,” he said. “They are perhaps the most versatile ships in the fleet. Portland is the 11th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, named for the largest city in the state of Oregon.

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened the company’s 30th Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) Aegis guided missile destroyer, Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), April 2 in front of approximately 1,000 guests. “It’s been more than a quarter century since the start of construction of Ingalls’ first Arleigh Burke destroyer, the Barry (DDG 52),” said Sean Stackley, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, who delivered the ceremony’s principal address.

Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened the company's 29th Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) Aegis guided missile destroyer, John Finn (DDG 113), May 2 in front of nearly 1,000 guests. DDG 113 is named John Finn after the first Medal of Honor recipient of World War II. Finn received the honor for machine-gunning Japanese warplanes for over two hours during the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor despite being shot in the foot and shoulder and suffering numerous shrapnel wounds. He retired as a lieutenant after 30 years of service and died at age 100 in 2010. "I often speak to the members of the Chief Petty Officer Mess about the characteristics of a leader and…

Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2) and Congressman Steven Palazzo (MS-4), along with 30 bipartisan House colleagues, sent a letter this week to Senate leadership urging opposition to an amendment that they say would strip domestic construction requirements that help strengthen America’s shipbuilding industry. In addition to building and maintaining approximately 40,000 commercial vessels, private shipbuilders provide critical maintenance services and capacity for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard fleets—capacity that would be threatened if build requirements under the Jones Act are undone…

The United States Senate voted 56-40 to pass bill H.R. 83 which funds the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year. The funding ensures the construction of a 12th LPD-17 amphibious ship at Ingalls shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The ship will maintain more than 3,000 jobs at Ingalls Shipbuilding, and its estimated economic impact to the region could be as much as $2 billion. Congressman Steven Palazzo said in a statement, “The omnibus passed by the House [December 12] is a huge victory for South Mississippi. It provides $1 billion for the LPD-28 amphibious assault ship, built by Ingalls Shipbuilding right here in Pascagoula. Palazzo secured authorization for the LPD-28 in the 2015 Defense Authorization bill, which was appropriated through the legislation.

Huntington Ingalls Industries today hosted Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., for a tour of the company's Newport News Shipbuilding division. Palazzo represents the fourth district of Mississippi, which includes Newport News' sister shipyard, Ingalls Shipbuilding. The visit provided an opportunity for Palazzo to see nuclear shipbuilding at Newport News and understand the value that Mississippi suppliers contribute to ship construction in Newport News. Palazzo's visit included a tour of aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), which is about 85 percent complete and scheduled for delivery in 2016. Shipbuilding suppliers in Mississippi contribute an average $3.6 million to Newport News' efforts each year.

Huntington Ingalls Industries' (NYSE:HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened the company's fifth U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter (NSC), James (WMSL 754), today in front of nearly 1,000 guests. Charlene James Benoit, great-great niece of the ship's namesake, Capt. Joshua James, is the ship sponsor. "The boundaries surrounding illegal migrant activity, weapons, drug smuggling and terrorism continue to blur and converge," said Vice Adm. Peter Neffenger, vice commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and the ceremony's principal speaker. "The challenges created by that convergence require a 21st century Joshua James. We need his spirit and his adherence to our values. We need his adaptability, his staying power and his multi-mission focus.

Reps. Bradley Byrne, R-Ala., and Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., visited Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division Wednesday. The congressmen, both members of the House Armed Services Committee, met with shipbuilders and were briefed on the construction processes for the four different classes of military ships built at Ingalls. The Congressmen toured the shipyard and visited various shops where ship units are assembled. They also were given a tour of the amphibious transport dock John P. Murtha (LPD 26), which will launch later this year.

Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding division apprises it has hosted a visit by Secretary of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.). In the course of their visit the guests toured the shipyard and the Ingalls-built National Security Cutter 'Hamilton'(WMSL 753). "Today was a great opportunity to show Secretary Johnson the quality craftsmanship of our shipbuilders," said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. "We have…

Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division delivered the amphibious assault ship America (LHA 6) to the U.S. Navy today. More than 900 crew members marched through the shipyard for a delivery ceremony on the ship's flight deck, where they joined Ingalls shipbuilders and personnel from the U.S. Navy's Supervisor of Shipbuilding-Gulf Coast. "The shipbuilders of Ingalls have worked tirelessly to deliver this awesome, powerful warship to our U.S. Navy customer," said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. "This took more than just doing a job.