Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus
announced today that the first amphibious ready group (ARG) ship scheduled to
shift homeport to Naval Station Mayport, Fla., will arrive in the last quarter
of 2013.
The USS New York, the USS Iwo Jima and
the USS Fort McHenry, will shift from their current homeport of Norfolk, Va.,
to Mayport. The USS New York will be the
first to change homeport, followed by the USS Iwo Jima and the USS Fort McHenry
in 2014.
Mabus originally announced Feb. 28 that
the ARG would arrive no later than 2015.
The accelerated timeline ensures
continued viability of the Mayport ship repair industrial base and maintains
the capabilities of the Jacksonville fleet concentration area, thereby
preserving surge capability and reducing risk to fleet resources in the event
of natural or man-made contingencies.
“I am very pleased that the Navy is able
condense the time horizon for the arrival of the Mayport ARG,” stated
Mabus. “The move underscores just how
important Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport are to our national defense,
and how committed we are to strategic dispersal on the east coast.”
For more information, contact Secretary
of the Navy Public Affairs at 703-697-7491.
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