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| U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton |
The First Lady Michelle Obama christens and commissions the Coast Guard Cutter Stratton. A ship she sponsored as part of the Joining Forces Initiative. The following are a few articles on the ceremony and completion of this $500 million dollar ship.
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Frank Sinatra - Luck Be a Lady
Mar 27, 2012 5:18pm
Michelle Obama to Give Coast Guard Cutter Sober Send Off
Michelle Obama christening the Stratton in 2010. (Image credit: Rogelio V. Solis/AP Photo)
"Two years and two whacks of a champagne bottle after she first christened it, First Lady Michelle Obama will on Saturday formally commission the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton, a ship she sponsored as part of her Joining Forces initiative.
Obama will attend a ceremony on Coast Guard Island in Alameda, Calif., marking the beginning of active service for the Stratton, the White House announced. Officials said the vessel will patrol the coastline and conduct missions necessary for national defense.
“As the ship’s sponsor, the First Lady will ceremonially give the order to bring the ship to life, at which time the crew will board the Stratton with much fanfare,” the White House said in a statement."
Michelle Obama to Give Coast Guard Cutter Sober Send Off
"Mrs. Obama christened the unfinished ship by breaking a champagne bottle across the hull — a well worn tradition — during a Pascgoula, Miss., ceremony in July 2010. No champagne will be involved in the commissioning."
Michelle Obama, Lady Luck?
The following crosses the AP wire:
"New Coast Guard ship has rust, holes in hull
Tuesday, May 8, 2012 | 3:13 p.m.
When
a boat springs a leak, it's often the Coast Guard to the rescue. But
who rescues the Coast Guard when one its new ships does the same thing?Capt. Charles Cashin, who commands the Coast Guard's newest national security cutter, the Stratton, said he called in engineers last month when his crew discovered a trio of "pinholes" and a fourth hole "slightly smaller than a golf ball" in the ship's hull.
Cashin said the four holes, discovered in mid-April while the ship was working off the coast of Los Angeles, have been patched for now but the Stratton soon will head to a dry dock for permanent repairs.
"The intent is to get out of the water," Cashin said. "We are literally just waiting for a contract."
The holes and other spots of rust on the hull are unusual, given the ship's age. The Coast Guard took delivery in September and Cashin and his crew put it in operation in October. The ship is based in Alameda, Calif.
The Stratton is third new, 418-foot ships acquired as part of the Coast Guard's efforts to modernize its aging fleet.
Cmdr.
Chris O'Neil, a Coast Guard spokesman in Washington, said engineers
aren't yet sure what why the ship is already having problems with rust
and holes but they have concluded it is not a design problem in ship
that cost the Coast Guard about $500 million. Similar problems have not
been found in the fleet's two other ships of the same class.Permanent repairs are likely to take four to six weeks, O'Neil said. He added that the Coast Guard is in contact with the ship's builder, Huntington Ingalls. The ship was constructed by Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Miss.
Beci Brenton, a company spokeswoman, declined to comment, pending further study and testing by the Coast Guard's engineers.
While he waits for repairs, Cashin said the Stratton is seaworthy.
"I am very confident in the safety of the ship and the crew," Cashin said."
New Coast Guard ship has rust, holes in hull
Commissioning or Curse? Contrast or Comparison? Ship of States of Ships.
Social Distortion - Bad Luck
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