WHAT: Christening and Naming of the USNS John Glenn (MLP 2).
WHEN: Saturday, February 1, 2014. The christening ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and is free and open to the public. NASSCO's Main Gate (Gate 6), located at 28th Street and East Harbor Drive, will open at 9 a.m.
WHO: Ms. Lyn Glenn, daughter of The Honorable John Glenn and the ship's sponsor, will ceremonially name the ship by breaking the traditional bottle of champagne against its hull. Speaking will be dignitaries from the United States Navy, including Admiral Jonathan Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations, as well as Kevin Graney, vice president and general manager of General Dynamics NASSCO.
WHERE: The General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard is located at 2798 East Harbor Drive in San Diego. Limited parking will be available to the public. Attendees are advised to take the San Diego Trolley to Harborside Station, across from NASSCO’s Main Gate (Gate 6). Webcast available here.
Background:
The USNS John Glenn is the second ship of three Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) ships designed and built at NASSCO. The ship is named in honor of Senator John Glenn, a decorated Marine Corps pilot, distinguished astronaut and Congressional Space Medal of Honor recipient. Throughout his time with the Marine Corps, Glenn flew 59 combat missions during World War II and a combined 90 missions over the course of two tours in the Korean War. As an astronaut, Glenn has logged more than 218 hours in space, completing two missions that earned him recognition as being both the first American to orbit the Earth and the oldest person to have flown in space.
The primary mission of the MLP is to serve as a transfer point between large ships and small landing craft and act as a floating base for amphibious operations to allow for equipment and cargo to be delivered from ship to shore when there are no friendly bases available.