MAYPORT, Florida, October 14, 2000 -- "USS ROOSEVELT stands as a testament to our Nation’s resolve to remain the world’s preeminent power," U.S. Representative Tillie Fowler of Florida’s Fourth Congressional District said here this morning. "The commissioning of this ship should provide both a reassurance to the American people, and a reminder to our adversaries that we will not shy away from our responsibility to preserve our national freedom and our security."
Congresswoman Fowler, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, delivered the principal address before more than 5,000 guests at the commissioning of the U.S. Navy’s newest surface combatant, the Aegis guided missile destroyer USS ROOSEVELT (DDG 80).
Cong. Fowler welcomed DDG 80 and its more than 300 U.S. Navy officers and enlisted personnel to their new home at Naval Station Mayport, calling the new ship "truly a shining gem of the Atlantic Fleet. With the advanced technology aboard this ship…Aegis radar, Standard SM-2 antiair missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, the SH-60B antisubmarine helicopters and much more, this ship will continue a tradition of maintaining sea superiority."
USS ROOSEVELT is the 13th Aegis destroyer built for the U.S. Navy by Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. At the conclusion of Saturday’s ceremonies, Mrs. Nancy Roosevelt Ireland, of Greenwich, Connecticut, granddaughter of Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt, ordered the ship’s officers and crewmembers to their posts, shouting, "Man our ship and bring her to life!" Mrs. Ireland is Ship’s Sponsor for USS ROOSEVELT, having christened the ship at Ingalls in honor of her grandparents in 1999.
"It is indeed appropriate," Cong. Fowler continued, "that as we gather aboard this marvel of American military technology, that we honor Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. "This symbol of freedom and strength is a shining example of the vigor and force that President Roosevelt inspired all Americans to embrace.
Ms. Perrin Roosevelt Ireland, great-granddaughter of the ship’s namesakes, passed the new ship’s long glass," a traditional symbol of authority," to the first Officer of the Deck, Ensign Peter Marion, USN, after he was ordered to "Set the First Watch." While on watch, the officer of the deck represents the Commanding Officer, and is responsible for the safety and smooth operation of the ship and her crew. USS ROOSEVELT is now part of Destroyer Squadron 24. Commander Matthew E. Bobola, USN, of Jacksonville, Florida, a 1982 graduate of The University of Southern California, is in command of the 509.5-foot, 9,300-ton destroyer.
DDG 80 is the 30th and newest ship in the Aegis destroyer program. Ingalls, part of the Litton Ship Systems Group, has contracts and options to produce 12 additional Aegis destroyers, with six of those ships in various stages of production.
Rear Admiral William W. Cobb Jr., USN, Program Executive Officer, Theater Surface Combatants, paid tribute to "the rigorous engineering standards" involved in producing modern warships. "Those of us in the support community, who build these ships with our industry partners, must maintain these standards."
Jerry St. Pe’, Chief Operating Officer, Litton Ship Systems, and Executive Vice President, Litton Industries, said he was "delighted…no, honored, to represent the thousands of men and women who, in partnership with the Navy, built this ship… who are present here today in the skills, talents, and all the things that go into building a great warship." He noted the "very unique and lasting relationship" that develops among shipbuilders, their ships and the crew that sail them.
"We are reminded today of the importance of what we do," St. Pe’ continued. "We are reminded of the urgency to build ships well, and to build them on time. USS ROOSEVELT is built well…and not only was she built on time, but in partnership with the Navy, she was delivered to the Fleet by Ingalls 11 weeks ahead of schedule."
Other commissioning participants included: Rear Admiral Edward E. Hunter, USN, Commander, Naval Surface Group TWO; Rear Admiral Henry G. Ulrich, III, USN, Commander, USS ENTERPRISE Battle Group; Rear Admiral Lewis W. Crenshaw Jr., USN, Commander USS JOHN F. KENNEDY Battle Group; Rear Admiral John M. Kelly, USN, Director, Theater Air Warfare, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; and Captain Phillip N. Johnson, USN, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Pascagoula.