Sumner I Kimball News

The U.S. Coast Guard’s seventh new National Security Cutter, Kimball (WMSL 756), was christened on March 4. The ceremony was held at Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Miss. According to HII, Kimball is the third ship named in honor of Sumner I. Kimball. The first Kimball (WSC/WMEC-143) was commissioned in 1927, and was eventually decommissioned in 1968. The second ship to bear the name was SS Sumner I. Kimball (EC2-S-C1); it was torpedoed and sank by the Nazi submarine U-960 with the loss of 64 American lives.

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…

1871- Using his administrative authority Secretary of the Treasury George S. Boutwell re-established a Revenue Marine Bureau within the Department and assigned Sumner I. Kimball as the civilian Chief with the duty of administering both the revenue cutters, which were then under the control of the local Collectors, and the life-saving stations. 1942- Enlistees after this date were restricted to enlistment in the Coast Guard Reserve. This was done to prevent having too many regulars in the service at war’s end. 1944- Coast Guardsmen participated in the invasion of Namur Island, Kwajalein Atoll.

1871- Using his administrative authority Secretary of the Treasury George S. Boutwell re-established a Revenue Marine Bureau within the Department and assigned Sumner I. Kimball as the civilian Chief with the duty of administering both the revenue cutters, which were then under the control of the local Collectors, and the life-saving stations. 1942- Enlistees after this date were restricted to enlistment in the Coast Guard Reserve. This was done to prevent having too many regulars in the service at war’s end. 1944- Coast Guardsmen participated in the invasion of Namur Island, Kwajalein Atoll.

The crew of Coast Guard Station Oxford, Md., recieved the Sumner I. Kimball Award for superior readiness Tuesday. Coast Guard Captains Neil Buschman, Fifth District chief of staff, and Brian D. Kelley, commander of Sector Baltimore, presided over the ceremony. The Sumner I. Kimball Award recognizes excellence in crew proficiency, boat and personal protective equipment condition and compliance with established training documentation requirements, and is awarded to the top 10 percent of units throughout the Coast Guard. The Kimball Award selection is the result of many hours of hard work and attention to detail by the crew. "It's an honor for the crew of a small Coast Guard station to receive such a difficult-to-achieve national award.

The First Coast Guard District Commander, Rear Admiral Vivien S. Crea presented the Sumner I. Kimball Award for Operations Proficiency and Boat Readiness to the crew of Coast Guard Station New York on Tuesday at the Staten Island rescue station. A Standardization Team of Coast Guard rescue boat experts from Training Center Yorktown, Va., paced the 65 men and women of Station New York through challenging written examinations, multiple rigorous drills, and thorough inspections during a four-day period last December. The station crew successfully completed this testing with its first ever Sumner I. Kimball Award after achieving a nearly perfect score, with 31 out of a potential 35 points.