Navy Welcomes USS San Diego to the Fleet

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Shawnte Bryan, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy commissioned the latest San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD 22) during a ceremony in San Diego, May 19.

The ship is named for the city of San Diego, principal homeport of the Pacific fleet, and honors the people of "America's Finest City" and its leaders for their continuous support of the military.

The ship will be homeported here. It is the only ship in the Navy homeported in its namesake city. San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders presented the commanding officer of San Diego, Cmdr. Kevin P. Meyers, with the key to the city, saying it was, "in honor of welcoming America's finest ship to America's Finest City."

Adm. Mark Ferguson, vice chief of naval operations, delivered the ceremony's principal address. He said that San Diego and her crew are coming into the Navy at an important time.

"Our expectations for this ship are very high," said Ferguson. "It arrives at a time when nearly half of our ships are underway on a given day; when we are surging forces to the Middle East to deter the threat of aggression; when we are rebalancing our forces to the Pacific; and when we face increasingly complex, and global, security challenges in an uncertain fiscal environment.

"Take a good look at this ship because she will be very busy," said Ferguson. "Her time will be consumed fulfilling the tenets of our Navy. She will focus on warfighting, she will operate forward and she will spend her time being ready. This is our charge to the fleet, and the expectation of our nation that our Navy be ready to answer the call to defend freedom on the seas."

Vice Adm. Richard W. Hunt, commander Naval Surface Forces, said he admired the work the crew put into making this ship a reality.

"Thank you for the dedication, professionalism and perseverance you have displayed over the years as you brought this ship to commissioning," Hunt said. "USS San Diego ... always keep warfighting first. I promise that you will operate forward. I charge you to always be ready. It is demanded by the surface warfare profession and a mandate for a ship with this incredible capability."

The ship's sponsor, Mrs. Linda Winter, wife of former Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter, gave the order to the ship's approximately 377 officers and enlisted personnel to, "man our ship and bring her to life." With that order, the crew began a spirited charge up the brow to take responsibility for the Navy's newest warship. Marines from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., soon joined the Sailors to man the rails of the ship, as a show of the Navy/Marine Corps team that will serve aboard.

After his ship was manned and brought to life, Meyers told the audience that the San Diego memorabilia donated to the ship by the city, including street signs, was proof that, "the city has open its heart to us and we are truly, truly appreciative."

Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class (SW) Joshua Cuevas said he was proud to be part of the ship's first crew, traditionally known as a "plankowner" because they were present as the ship was being built.

"It took a lot of hard work in building this ship so to be a plankowner is an overwhelming achievement," he said Cuevas, a Miami native.

Cuevas added that having a ship named for San Diego is fitting.

"The city has always supports the Navy and having a ship named for the city of San Diego in San Diego is a way of giving back," he said.

Built by Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula, Miss., San Diego is 684 feet in length, has an overall beam of 105 feet, a navigational draft of 23 feet, displaces about 24,900 tons and is capable of embarking a landing force of about 800 Marines. Four turbo-charged diesel engines power the ship to sustained speeds in excess of 22 knots.

San Diego is the sixth amphibious transport dock ship in the San Antonio class and the fourth ship to carry the name. Her principal mission is to deploy combat and support elements of Marine Expeditionary Units and Brigades. With the capability of transporting and debarking air cushion or conventional landing craft and augmented by helicopters or MV-22 vertical take-off and landing aircraft, these ships support amphibious assault, special operations, and expeditionary warfare missions. The ship will provide improved warfighting capabilities including an advanced command-and-control suite, increased lift capability, increased vehicle and cargo-carrying capacity, and advanced ship survivability features.

San Diego Arrives in Namesake City

From USS San Diego Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- USS San Diego (LPD 22) arrived in her homeport and namesake city to the cheers of family and friends April 6.

During her maiden voyage from Mississippi to San Diego, the ship stopped in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Cartagena, Colombia; and transited the Panama Canal.

"I am proud of my crew - they sailed this ship for the first time as a team and handled it like seasoned professionals," said Cmdr. Kevin Meyers, commanding officer, San Diego. "They have worked very hard to reach this point. Now we are eager to share San Diego with her hometown."

The arrival of San Diego represents years of work, time and dedication. Construction of the ship began May 23, 2007 at Huntington Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., and finished when the Navy accepted delivery Dec. 19, 2011. After months of training and certification, they departed the shipyard for California March 15.

The precommissioning crew began reporting to the ship as early as 2009 to train and oversee everything from the loading of equipment to policy creation.

"It is unreal to finally be back in San Diego," said Electrician's Mate 1st Class Manuel Aponte, one of many crew members who have been away from family for as long as two years. "I've been in Mississippi since August 2010 and I can't believe we're finally here. I'm so glad to be back."

San Diego is the sixth ship in the San Antonio class, the fourth ship named for the city and the first "San Diego" to be homeported here. San Diego will also be the only ship in the fleet currently homeported in her namesake city. The ship will be commissioned in San Diego in May 2012.

USS San Diego Makes First Panama Canal Transit

PANAMA CANAL (NNS) -- USS San Diego (LPD 22) made its way through the Panama Canal for the first time in her history March 25.

San Diego, the sixth ship in the San Antonio-amphibious class, departed Huntington Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. March 15 to transit to its future homeport and namesake city. Part of the journey took them through the Canal, opened in 1914. The canal serves as passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and saves ships the 8000 mile journey around South America.

A series of three sets of locks, Gatun, Pedro Miguel, and Miraflores, separated by a fresh water lake, slowly brought San Diego up, through mountains up to 85 feet above sea level, almost eight inches from the Atlantic to the Pacific sea level through the Isthmus of Panama.

Since homeport shifts are rare, most of the fleet stays in their respective oceans. A Panama Canal transit was a first, not only for the ship, but also most of the crew.

"Typically, only when a ship is newly commissioned and moves from east to west coast, that is when canal transits occur," said Cmdr. Kevin Meyers, San Diego commanding officer.

The canal locks are 110 feet wide; San Diego, one of the largest class of U.S. Navy ships able to fit through, is 105 feet wide. With assistance of the diesel electric tractors, called mules in honor of the original method of towing, and careful navigation by the ship's bridge team, the ship made it through just fine on her first, and possible only, trip through the canal.

"One can never say never, but the likelihood of San Diego leaving her home city is slim, and the Navy rarely sends a ship through twice," said Meyers.

San Diego began construction 2007 and delivered to the Navy in December 2011. San Diego will be commissioned in May and will be the first ship named for the city to be homeported there. is the fourth ship named for the city.

USS San Diego Completes First Port Visit in Cuba

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist Holly Boynton, USS San Diego Public Affairs

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (NNS) -- USS San Diego (LPD 22) departed Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba following her first port visit March 21.

San Diego arrived in Cuba March 18, three days after departing Huntington Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. While in Cuba, San Diego hosted ship's tours for more than 100 base personnel and their families, including Commander, Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Rear Adm. David Woods.

"We don't get to see very many Navy ships come through here," said Woods. "This is really impressive and it's a pleasure to come out and show our joint team what the Navy's all about. It's a fantastic ship; I see why you're so proud of it. For the crew, it's obvious in the attitude how they want to display this ship. It is the Navy's finest."

San Diego is the fourth ship named for the city and the sixth ship in the San Antonio class. The ship features many new systems and features, both for mission effectiveness and crew comfort.

San Diego is currently en route to her future homeport and namesake city for commissioning in May 2012.