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The Navy's use of the word "commission" means the placing of a
ship in active service. The commissioning ceremony is one of the
most significant milestones in the life of a ship as it marks her
acceptance as a unit of the operating forces of the United States
Navy. Brought to life after ship naming, keel laying, christening
and launching, time-honored Naval customs and traditions help
welcome a warship into the fleet.
The Early Days
The commissioning ceremony has
been a tradition in the U.S. Navy since December 1775, when the
Alfred, the first ship of the Continental Navy, was commissioned at
Philadelphia. Derived from British naval custom, these early commissionings were not public affairs and no
written procedure for commissioning was laid down in Navy's early
days. The first specific references to commissioning located in
naval records is a letter dated Nov. 6, 1863, from Secretary of the
Navy Gideon Welles to all navy yards and stations. The Secretary
directed: "Hereafter the commandants of navy yards and stations will
inform the Department, by special report of the date when each
vessel preparing for sea service at their respective commands, is
placed in commission."
In recent years, commissioning
ceremonies have come to be public occasions with unique traditions.
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(This infographic shares the history and heritage behind ship
commissionings. (U.S. Navy graphic by Annalisa Underwood - May 1, 2017)
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Who's Who
A central figure in a ship's life is the sponsor.
Chosen by the Secretary of the Navy, a ship's sponsor is a
female who is typically selected for her relationship to the
namesake or to the ship's current mission in accordance with
SECNAV Instruction 5031.1C.
There have been numerous notable sponsors with deep ties
to the ship's service. When the escort ship USS Harmon (DE
678), the first U.S. Navy ship to be named for an African
American, was laid down in 1943, it was sponsored by Naunita
Harmon Carroll, mother of the late Mess Attendant First
Class Leonard Roy Harmon. For the commissioning of USS
Nimitz (CVN 68) in 1975, more than twenty thousand people
watched as Catherine Nimitz, the eldest daughter of the late
Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, fulfilled her duties as the
carrier's sponsor. Past first ladies Hilary Clinton, Laura
Bush and Michelle Obama have been the sponsors for the
fast-attack submarines USS Columbia (SSN 771), USS Texas
(SSN 775) and USS Illinois (SSN 786), respectively.
Once selected, the sponsor maintains that role for the
entire commissioned life of the ship. The sponsor selects a
maid/matron(s) of honor to help her execute her official and
unofficial roles. The maid/matron of honor can serve as a
proxy at events, and if the sponsor steps down from the role
or dies while the ship is in commission, the primary
maid/matron of honor will represent the sponsor in all
official sponsorship duties.
With roles like
maid/matron of honor, the wedding theme is carried
throughout the commissioning with the employment of flower
girls at the ceremony.
Of course, the ship could not
come alive without her crew. "Plank owners" are Sailors who
are members of the crew of a ship when that ship is placed
in commission. These Sailors have an immense responsibility
to turn the ship from a metal vessel to a living, fighting
manned warship. Leading the crew, the ship's prospective
commanding officer (PCO) serves as the traditional host of
the commissioning ceremony.
Traditions and Ceremonies
A commissioning ceremony is usually filled with speeches
from flag officers, civil leaders and other distinguished
visitors. The Navy leader who delivers one of the final
speeches usually places the ship into commission by
announcing it to the crowd. At the completion of the speech,
the prospective commanding officer orders the prospective
executive officer to hoist the colors and the commissioning
pennant.
Ships' commissioning
programs often include an anecdote about the storied origin
of the commissioning pennant. According to legend, during
the first of three 17th-century Anglo-Dutch naval wars
(1652-54), Dutch Adm. Maarten Tromp put to sea with a broom
at his masthead, symbolizing his intention to sweep the
English from the sea. His British opponent, Adm. Robert
Blake, two-blocked a coachwhip to show his determination to
whip the Dutch fleet. Blake won; in commemoration of his
victory a streamer-like pennant, called a "coachwhip
pennant" from its long, narrow form, became the
distinguishing mark of naval ships.
After the pennant
is hoisted, it is customary for the prospective commanding
officer to formally read the orders appointing him to
command. Understanding that the ship is now a fighting
member of the fleet, the now commanding officer orders the
executive officer to set the watch.
The final part of
the ceremony is also the most iconic. In a time-honored Navy
tradition, the ship's sponsor gives the order, "Man our ship
and bring her to life!" The crew responds by saying "Aye,
aye, ma'am" and runs toward the brow to man the ship as
"Anchors Aweigh" is played. Crew members take their places,
side-by-side, manning the rails as the ship's systems came
online. Radars, weapon systems and other parts of the ship
begin to move, symbolizing the ship "coming to life."
By U.S. Navy Lt.j.g. Chloe Morgan
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2018
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