During his sixteen years in Congress, U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., focused much of his efforts in maintaining and expanding the roles of the various Navy stations on the First Coast. Opting against running for another term this year, Crenshaw, who sits on the U.S. House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, announced one final success on that front this week.
Crenshaw announced the USS Thomas Hudner, a destroyer currently being built in Maine and expected to be launched at the end of next year, will be homeported at Naval Station Mayport.
The congressman also spotlighted two Freedom-class littoral combat ships (LCS) also heading to Mayport which where announced in 2014 as the USS Sioux City and the USS Wichita, which launched last month, will also be based on the First Coat. These surface vehicles are mostly used for operations near shore.
“This is great news for our national security and for the First Coast,” Crenshaw said in the announcement. “The world is not a safe place, and the Navy is continually being asked to do more with its resources. That’s why I’ve been fighting my entire career on Capitol Hill to fund and maintain a robust fleet that includes the LCS, and bring these ships to Northeast Florida. With its strategic location and top-notch defense and ship repair industry, Naval Station Mayport is the perfect fit for these ships.
“With national security threats at home and around the globe, cutting back the military is not an option,” Crenshaw added. “Naval Station Mayport and all our First Coast military assets help anchor our national security. I am committed to making sure they remain strong.”
The Sioux City is expected to move in Mayport at the end of February while the Wichita is expected there at the end of July. The Thomas Hudner is expected to arrive on the First Coast next December.
