Navy names ship for former congresswoman Giffords

AP ^ | February 10, 2012

[stevie_d_64]

..WASHINGTON (AP) — The Navy has named a ship for Gabrielle Giffords, the recently retired congresswoman from Arizona who is recovering from a gunshot wound to the head received in January 2011.

In a ceremony at the Pentagon, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus unveiled an artist's rendering of the USS Gabrielle Giffords.

The littoral combat ship is among the Navy's most versatile and can operate in shallower coastal waters than larger ships.

Mabus said: "God bless the USS Gabrielle Giffords and all who sail in her."

Mabus also announced that the ship's "sponsor" is Roxanna Green. She's the mother of Christina-Taylor Green. The 9-year-old who was among six people killed in the shooting. Thirteen, including Giffords, were wounded. The sponsor's initials will be welded into the keel of the ship.

[tanknetter]

and the USS Carter (AKA USS Peanut) who depleted the Navy.

There are a lot of reasons to have disdain for Carter.

However, given his support (he had to sign the orders) for some of the first cable-tapping missions against the Soviets, I really have no issue with the current "special missions" boat (SSN-23) - a Seawolf-class sub heavily modified to conduct just that sort of operation - being named after him.

In that regard, he left Reagan a very nice legacy/present that was then exploited in the move to end the Cold War.

[GladesGuru]

To name a ship after a minor elected official whose only claim to fame is taking a round is pathetic.

Let’s hope the ship is a more artful dodger than Gifford

[skeeter]

A person can be honored for any reason, they don't have to be a hero.

But the point is, and I think we agree, that this particular honor is completely inappropriate.

[bgill]

I guess all you need is to be a Democrat and get yourself shot.

Beat me to it.

[af_vet_rr]

Rather see it named after her husband, he’s a lot more deserving than she is.

[tanknetter]

They should have named it Seal Team 6.

Ahem ... "USS DevGru".

[Toespi]

I would think that we would want to use this honor for those who have shown achievement, contribution, and bravery to this nation. Gifford was a two term, average congresswoman,and the only thing that elevated her to the status of having a ship named after her was a crazed gunman and of course, she is a liberal. I assume it is the extraordinary “courage” she has shown in her fight to survive. I have to laugh, I know situations as we all do, and people who have faced diversity that makes Giffords recuperation look like a walk in the park.

[tanknetter]

I read someplace that the SSN-23 (jimma carter) is the only Navy boat known by it’s sail number and has no nickname.

Probably relates, in an informal manner, more to the nature of SSN-23's mission and capabilities. She's the most highly-classified "known" ship in USN service (I'm not discounting the probability that there are other more highly-classified black-world ships, like successors to the SeaShadow, in existence).

At one point she, like her predecessor USS Parche, was the only "attack" boat based at an SSBN homeport (the Trident facility in Washington State). She was joined there a few years back by her two half-sisters (Seawolf and Connecticut) to tighten up and streamline the logistics around the 3-ship class.

[Borax Queen]

Why? He’s another gun-grabbing, tea-party slandering, leftist.
He clearly knew within a few months that Giffords wouldn’t be coming back to duty, yet continued to stream the propaganda out. He and her other handlers taped audio together to make it seem like Giffords was up and speaking. They continually sent out fake Twitter and FB entries. He most likely is an adulterer, since he started courting Giffords while still married (oh yes, this timeline was online at one point). It’s one reason the daughters scorned and rejected Giffords. He has not a shred of integrity — at least she has the excuse of not being cognizant.

[alpo]

It has no nickname because the sailors aboard will not utter the name of the traitor it is named after.

[Ann Archy]

OMG!! How PC!! The Military is SO DAMNED FZEMINIZED, it will NEVER be able to recover.

[stevie_d_64]

I served on the USS Callaghan...One of the “Kidd” class DDG’s...

They have not recommissioned another (with that name) since then...

Don’t recall if they’ve renamed a Halsey or any other distintguished flag officer just yet...

[skeeter]

Daniel Callaghan - hard to believe SF produced fighting admirals not too long ago.

[stevie_d_64]

Even have a picture of Inspector Harry Callaghan standing in front of our forward gun mount, arms crossed, and captioned...

“Go ahead, make my day!”

We had a copy for each of the mess spaces...Wardroom (officers) Crews mess, First Class mess, and the Chiefs mess...

I remember he was pretty cool about the visit at a Fleet Week back in the late 80’s...Don’t think he was packing that day though...I’d been cool with it...hehehe

[skeeter]

Well, old Admiral Dan did utter a few quotes worthy of Dirty Harry before he ‘caught a packet’...

[tpuskett]

i hope not. he deserved nothing. Get a gun and kill a Palestinian real bad and let me know when the award is,When didthis liberal tucson woman do Jack?