DECEMBER 17, 2024 – Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced that a future Constellation-class Guided Missile Frigate, FFG 69, will be named USS Joy Bright Hancock, Dec. 16.
Secretary Del Toro made the announcement at the 11th Women, Peace and Security Symposium, hosted by the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I.
The future USS Joy Bright Hancock honors her namesake’s trailblazing service beginning as a Yeoman in World War I, and her integral role in passage of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act in 1948. This will be the first U.S. Navy vessel named for Hancock.
“We—men and women alike—must contribute to the meaningful participation of women in the armed forces to increase combat readiness and operational effectiveness. Captain Joy Bright Hancock was a trailblazer who paved the way for generations of women to proudly serve this great Nation,” said Secretary Del Toro. “That is why, I am incredibly pleased to announce that a Constellation-class frigate, FFG 69, will be named the USS Joy Bright Hancock.”
The naming selection honors Captain Joy Bright Hancock (1898–1986). Born in New Jersey, Hancock received degrees from the George Washington University and the Crawford School of Foreign Service in Washington, DC; the Pierce School of Business Administration in Philadelphia; and the Paris Branch of the New York School of Fine Arts.
During World War I, Hancock was a Yeoman (F) First Class on duty at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey. By then end of the war she was Chief Yeoman at the U.S. Naval Air Station in Cape May, New Jersey. Between 1934 and 1942 she was the civilian head of Editorial and Research Section of the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics and the Special Assistant to the Bureau’s Chief. In the first year of World War II she was commissioned Lieutenant, Women’s Reserve, U.S. Naval Reserve, also known as WAVES. In February 1946 she became the director of WAVES and advanced through rank to Captain in the Naval Reserve by 26 July 1946.
Captain Hancock, who was instrumental in the passage of the Women’s Armed Service Integration Act of 1948, was one of eight women to be sworn into the regular Navy and was subsequently appointed Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel for Women. She retired from active duty in June 1953. During her long career, Captain Hancock received commendations for her service to the Bureau of Naval Aeronautics and the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Air) during WWII, as well as for her assistance in expanding opportunities for women in the Navy. In recognition of her trailblazing career, the Navy now annually awards the Joy Bright Hancock Award to honor the visionary leadership of officers whose ideals foster an inclusive culture while furthering the integration of women in the Navy. There have been no previous Navy vessels named for Joy Bright Hancock.
The future USS Joy Bright Hancock will be the tenth of the new Constellation-class frigates. The other ships in the class are USS Constellation (FFG 62), USS Congress (FFG 63), USS Chesapeake (FFG 64), USS Lafayette (FFG 65), and USS Hamilton (FFG 66). Secretary Del Toro named the future USS Lafayette (FFG 65) in 2023, and the future USS Hamilton (FFG 66) and future USS Galvez (FFG 67) in 2024. FFG 68 will be named in 2025.
The Constellation-class guided-missile frigate represents the Navy’s next generation small surface combatant. This ship class will be an agile, multi-mission warship, capable of operations in both blue-water and littoral environments, providing increased combat-credible forward presence that provides a military advantage at sea.
The Constellation-class will have multi-mission capability to conduct air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic warfare, and information operations.
More information on guided missile frigates can be found here.
Read Secretary Del Toro’s full remarks online.