NAVY LEAGUE HAMPTON ROADS
Six Decades, 30 Ships, and So Much More
"A strong national defense for the United States is not only indispensable to arms control but for the security, freedom, and peace of the entire world.... George Washington's words ring just as true today: 'To be prepared for war,' he said, 'is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.' American strength is a sheltering arm for peace and freedom in an often dangerous world. ... In the real world, peace through strength must be our motto." — President Ronald Reagan
Without its crew, a U.S. Navy warship is a floating gray hulk — no more than an assemblage of steel and circuits — its sensors deaf and blind, its displays darkened, generators idled and cold, the exquisitely shaped blades of its turbines stilled, and its armament, the most advanced and deadly weapons of war, lying silent and inert. A ship can be delivered to the Navy and accepted for service, but it doesn't truly live until a crew comes aboard. There is a reason that the traditional, time-honored order "man our ship and bring her to life," is given at a commissioning ceremony because the crew are a ship's lifeblood, its brain, and its beating heart.
It's a fact the Navy League of the United States, Hampton Roads appreciates, and one of the reasons it has hosted more of these ceremonies — 30 with the commissioning of USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124) — than any other Navy League Council. As a 501-c-3 organization, Navy League Hampton Roads provides planning and funding support for ship commissionings, the events surrounding them, and more, because federal law, ethics rules, and service regulations strictly limit the sea services in what they are allowed to do during the fitting out and commissioning of new vessels.
The Navy League's contribution to a ship commissioning begins long before the vessel ever goes into the water, working with the shipbuilders, subcontractors, and the sea services themselves to lay out a program for the ship commissioning. The events hosted by the Council highlight the ship's namesake, the ship's sponsor, and the ship's Sailors, honoring the sacrifices of the men and women who wear the uniform of our nation every day to provide peace through strength.
Each commissioning also provides the Navy League an opportunity to educate the public about the importance of the U.S. Navy to a strong national defense, as well as recognizing all of those — civilian and military leadership, planners and strategists, naval architects, defense industry personnel, and individual shipbuilders — whose vital minds and skilled hands all played a part in building a vessel that will be a key asset to the fleet for the next 30 to 40 years.
Over the years, Navy League Hampton Roads has raised millions of dollars that have contributed not only to the commissioning events for those 30 ships, but also to Sailors and their families in ways that continue long past the moment the ship pulls away from the pier, following the ship throughout its service life. Ship enhancements like fitness equipment, computers, libraries, and upgrades to messdecks, for example, provide Sailors a better quality of life while at sea. Support also extends to the families who wait at home for their Sailors to return.
Working with other like organizations, Navy League Hampton Roads also supports programs devoted to spouses and dependents, from educational and scholarship programs, to the Naval Sea Cadets, advocacy programs, mentoring, and aiding with employment opportunities for those transitioning out of the services. Some of these include:
- Advocacy programs that regularly reach out to Congressional representatives to explain the importance of the sea services for U.S. national security and the economic livelihood of the nation.
- Military Spouse Outreach Program: Navy League Hampton Roads takes every opportunity to educate, empower, and support sea service spouses in the Hampton Roads Fleet Concentration area.
- Naval Sea Cadet Corps: Navy League Hampton Roads is proud to support the Tophatter's Squadron, NSCC. Since March 25, 1964, Top Hatters Squadron has instilled pride, professionalism, and leadership in youths aged 10-18.
- Hampton Roads Naval Museum Partnership: The Navy League newest initiative involves partnering and supporting the museum, including its annual Brick-by-Brick Shipbuilding Event.
- U.S. Fleet Forces Command Sailor of the Year Program: Navy League Hampton Roads is proud to celebrate the candidates who are recognized as the best of the best by their commands. Navy League hosts the culminating event - The Announcement of the Sea and Shore Sailors of the Year.
Navy League Hampton Roads supports STEM and CORE educational events at the elementary and middle school levels, as well as Anchor Scholarships, Dolphin Scholarships, and Wings Over America Scholarships for college-bound students, providing educational opportunities for surface force, submarine force, and naval aviation community dependents.
This commissioning could not take place in a more significant time for our nation. USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124) will be operational at a time when our national defense will depend on the ability of this ship and crew to deliver what is necessary to win the battle, wherever that may be. Next year, Navy League Hampton Roads will host its 31st commissioning and its seventh commissioning of an aircraft carrier: USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79).
From the elementary schooler building LEGO ships and dreaming of going to sea, to the Naval Sea Cadets learning the history and traditions of the sea services, to the dependents attending college on a Navy League endowed scholarship, to the spouses supported as they wait for their loved ones to return from deployment, to the returning Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guard veterans transitioning into civilian life, Navy League Hampton Roads continues its support of the sea services at large and their people in particular.
Email us at NavyLeague@nl-hr.org or visit www.NavyLeagueHamptonRoads.org.
