November 6, 2012
Anchorage, Alaska – Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus has approved the date of May 4, 2013 as the day of commissioning for the Anchorage (LPD 23). Early this year it was announced that the commissioning would be held in Anchorage, a first for the city and the state of Alaska.
The commissioning is a formal ceremony in which the ship officially becomes a unit of the operating forces of the United States Navy. It is the final, most significant event, and the occasion when the ship “comes alive” and becomes a United States Navy Vessel.
The USS Anchorage Commissioning Committee welcomes public support of the Anchorage (LPD 23), its crew and their families. During the ship’s ten days in Anchorage, tours will be available for groups and individuals. For those unable to travel to Anchorage, live-streamed and pre-recorded tours are also scheduled.
This is the second ship to bear the name Anchorage. The first Anchorage (LSD 36) served the Navy for 34 years and was decommissioned in October 2003 at the conclusion of a deployment to the Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Anchorage is the Navy’s seventh San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship and was constructed by Huntington Ingalls Industries in Avondale, La. The ship’s homeport will be San Diego, Calif.
About the Commissioning Committee
The committee was established in January 2012 to oversee the series of events surrounding the commissioning ceremony. It is comprised of individuals from the U.S. Navy League-Alaska Chapter, Municipality of Anchorage, the Port of Anchorage, and sub-committees to organize crew activities, transportation, fundraising, finance, events, public affairs, community outreach, and a host of other important aspects of the event. Our mission is to serve the crew and community. Find us at www.ussanchoragenavy.com.