 The crew of USS Jackson brought the ship to life before a crowd of nearly 10,000 people December 5th in Gulfport, Mississippi. It is the first ship to bear the name of Mississippi's capital city. The name held a special meaning for many of those at the commissioning. Just like Secretary of the Navy and Mississippi native, Ray Mabus was on hand at the ceremony to deliver his remarks. The brand new 417-foot ship weighs in at 3,100 tons. It can travel at speeds in excess of 40 knots. Senator Thad Cochran's daughter, Dr. Kate Cochran, was the ship's sponsor. Jackson will be home ported at Naval Base San Diego. For the crew, the commissioning was the accumulation of three years of hard work. Its modular design will support interchangeable mission packages, allowing the ship to be reconfigured for anti-submarine warfare, mine warfare, or surface warfare missions on an as-needed basis.