Lawmakers push for Navy ship to be named for Chattanooga victims

Key lawmakers have asked Navy leadership to name a naval vessel USS Chattanooga in honor of five service members killed in shootings there last year.

The March 18 letter was sent to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and signed by Tennessee Republican Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, and Reps. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., and Tom Graves, R-Ga. The Tennessee General Assembly and Chattanooga City Council passed separate resolutions in support of the effort.

“In the wake of this tragedy, we believe that it is appropriate for the U.S. Navy to honor the legacy of those who lost their lives,” the lawmakers, who serve on various defense and budget committees, wrote.
On July 16, Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez opened fire on a military recruiting station and Navy Reserve center in the East Tennessee city. Five were killed in the attack: Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, Staff Sgt. David Wyatt, Sgt. Carson Holmquist, Lance Cpl. Squire “Skip” Wells, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith.

Getting a ship named is easier said than done though. Hundreds of requests are made each year, while only a handful of hulls are produced. A host of organizations vie for the honor, including cities, states, those seeking to honor a national figure or military hero, and veteran groups seeking to resurrect the name of a ship from a bygone era.

“The name will be added to a list that the secretary reviews each time he has a ship to name,” said Capt. Patrick McNally, a spokesman for Mabus. “We get a great many requests and there are only a certain number of ships that are named after cities.”
Congress can, through provisions in public law, express its desire that a ship bear a certain name, but the naming of a ship rests with the service secretary alone. He typically relies on recommendations from various sources, including the chief of naval operations, commandant of the Marine Corps, Naval Heritage and History Command, lawmakers, service members and citizens.

“It is noted on the list that the request has congressional support,” McNally said. The secretary “is always grateful that communities advocate for their city to have a ship named in honor. The Navy enjoys great support from namesake cities and states, and it helps connect the Navy to the American public.”

If a ship was to bear the city’s name, it would most likely be a littoral combat ship or San Antonio-class amphibious ship. A March 23 analysis of Navy ship names by the Congressional Research Service reported that 24 LCSs have been named to date. The first two — Freedom and Independence — bear the name of each respective variant.

The only subsequent LCS not named for a city is LCS 10, which honors former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was badly wounded in a 2011 shooting. Similarly, the San Antonio class amphibs are named for major cities and communities, to include the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Chattanooga has an outside chance of seeing its name on the side of an expeditionary fast transport, previously called the joint high speed vessel, which is named for small cities and is increasingly popular with small-scale Marine forces.

Aircraft carriers are generally named for presidents — 10 of the past 16 were. The next two aircraft carriers will be named John F. Kennedy and Enterprise, respectively. In the active fleet, only the Nimitz, Carl Vinson and John C. Stennis are not named for presidents.

Virginia-class attack submarines are named for states, with two exceptions: the John Warner and Admiral Hyman G. Rickover. Destroyers are named for deceased sea service members. Amphibious assault ships are typically named for famous Marine battles.

John Lewis-class oilers are named for those who've fought for civil and human rights, according to the CRS report. The Lewis and Clark-class cargo and ammunition ships were named for famous American explorers, trailblazers and pioneers. Expeditionary transport docks and expeditionary sea bases are named for famous names or places of historical significance to Marines.