With the
words "Man your ship and bring her to life," U.S. Rep. Kay Granger
put the cap on Saturday's commissioning of the USS Fort Worth, the Navy's
next-generation warship that promises to carry the city's name around the world
for the next 30 years.
The $480
million ship -- the third in a fleet of agile littoral combat ships designed to
confront threats such as piracy and terrorism in coastal waters -- went into
service on Galveston's Pier 21 before 3,200 dignitaries, service members and
spectators who managed to find a ticket.
Fort
Worth joins Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Corpus Christi as Texas cities
with Navy vessels named for them.
"May
God bless and guide this warship and all who shall sail in it," Adm. Mark
Ferguson, vice chief of naval operations, said in officially commissioning the
ship.
After a
series of orders in which co-commanding officers Randy Blankenship and Warren
Cupps acknowledged command, Granger spoke.
Upon the
command to man the ship, sailors, to the tune Anchors Aweigh and hoots and
applause from the audience, ran through the crowd and onto the ship to their
posts.
"The
world's changing. Enemies are changing," Granger, R-Fort Worth, told
reporters afterward, stressing the need for the LCS fleet. "Anybody who's
at home watching can tell you that right now."
In 2009,
Granger won a lengthy campaign to have a ship named for Fort Worth and is its
sponsor.
Fort
Worth Mayor Betsy Price, joined by the City Council at the commissioning, said
in an interview that the crew "will stay in our prayers, whether they're
patrolling the water or fighting for our freedom."
Former
Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, who conceived the idea for the ships,
said the LCS is "one of the most advanced ships at sea."
But he
warned that it won't erase the threats it's designed to fight.
"Despots
and pirates will not find new lines of work simply because the USS Fort Worth
finds her place in our fleet," England said in remarks at the
commissioning.
Fort
Worth leaders marveled at the number of Cowtown people in the crowd. Mattie Parker,
director of the commissioning committee, estimated that 2,000 of the 3,200
tickets distributed went to Fort Worth residents.
The
support is important, because the commissioning committee, by tradition, is
expected to raise money over the ship's life to help pay for improvements and
assist sailors' families in need.
"We've
adopted the crew; when you adopt one, you've got to support it," said
Steve Murrin, the former Fort Worth councilman known for his Western visage.
After
the commissioning, Murrin could be found near a pen where the Fort Worth Herd
brought three longhorns, two horses and a mule named Niles for the weekend.
In the
early stages of its fundraising, the nonprofit committee generated over
$300,000, well more than it needed to pay for Friday night's gala reception.
The Navy paid for the commissioning ceremony.
The
committee continues to raise money from contributions, as well as through sales
of commemorative T-shirts, coins, water bottles and other items.
An
artist has also agreed to donate a percentage of sales from a limited edition
of bronze statues, Parker said. Updated figures for total fundraising aren't
available, she said.
The
commissioning drew interest from broad quarters.
Former
Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams, who directed the committee's early
fundraising before handing off his duties late last year, helped raise money
for -- and attended -- the commissioning of the George H.W. Bush aircraft
carrier.
"I
grew up in Fort Worth. I'm a Fort Worth guy. You can't compare the two"
ship-commissioning experiences, Williams said.
"This
was real personal. It's one of my greatest honors ever."
Ruby
Bressman of Fort Worth attended the commissioning with her husband, Don,
driving into town Friday.
"I
am a proud American. I love my country. I love my state," she said.
"I would not have missed this for anything. I tried to bring my
grandchildren, but they could not get an excused absence. Can you believe
that?"
Michael
Bennett, CEO of Gideon Toal architects in Fort Worth, attended with his wife
and three children.
"How
often do you see a ship commissioned?" said Bennett, whose 12-year-old son
is a history buff. The two recently toured the Battleship Texas at San Jacinto.
"He's
really into history and ships and planes and all that kind of stuff," he
said.
The Fort
Worth, commissioned in Galveston at Granger's request, will sail Monday to its
new home base in San Diego.
Twenty
members of the crew will travel to Arlington on Monday and attend the Texas
Rangers game. Cupps will throw out the first pitch.
The
littoral combat ships are highly automated and lightweight, with
interchangeable modules for missions such as anti-submarine, mine clearing and
surface warfare.
They
work with two rotating crews of 40 apiece, plus 35 others for specific
missions.
The
total number is significantly less than on comparable ships, such as frigates.
The Navy
has 21 littoral combat ships under contract, split between Lockheed Martin and
General Dynamics, and says it wants to build up to 55.
They are
meant to replace certain frigates, mine countermeasure vessels and coastal mine
hunters.
Lockheed
now has two of the ships in service. General Dynamics, whose design is
different, has the other one.
The Navy
plans to deploy the first ship, Freedom, to Singapore next year and ultimately
base four of the ships in Southeast Asia.
They
will be ideal in working with allies and protecting key waterways, said
Ferguson, the vice chief.
The
Middle East is also a likely base for the ships, he said.
