 Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Please be seated. Welcome to the historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire and the Commissioner of United States Ship Manchester. I am Commander Jed Diaklopal, the ship's executive officer. It is my privilege to be your master of ceremonies today. Before our ceremony begins, please silence your cell phones. We are here today to celebrate the Commissioner of USS Manchester, LCS-14. The ship before you was christened in Mobile, Alabama on May 7, 2016. Today she is complete and this crew is proud to serve on the newest warship in the United States Navy. Our crew is dedicated to carrying on the proud traditions the previous US Navy ship to bear the name Manchester and to honor the great city whose name she bears. The first USS Manchester, CL-83, was a Cleveland class light cruiser whose keel was laid in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1944. She operated in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean before reporting to the Pacific Fleet in 1949. There she conducted Far East cruises as a show of force missions to quell the Chinese uprising. In September of 1950 she participated in United Nations blockade missions of the Korean coast and on September 5th she conducted shore remarment in support of amphilius landings at Inchon. She continued service in the South China Sea helping to slow the advancement of the Communist North until her decommissioning in 1956. During her service to our Navy and our nation Manchester earned nine battle stars. We honor to have several former crew members of CL-83 with us today. Would the veterans from the first USS Manchester please stand and be recognized. Thank you for your service. In the same spirit of selfless sacrifice and devotion of the previous ship to bear the name Manchester this ship will sail the oceans and will stand vigilant against who those who would threaten democracy and freedom. Our ceremony today is a time-honored tradition which began with the commissioning of our first warship a captured British schooner the Margarete in 1775. Since then thousands ships have undergone the transformation from silent hull to fully alive warship. Our commissioning crew hereafter known as plank owners are in for more formation among you and ready to bring our ship alive. In just a few moments Navy Band Northeast and the Naval Station Norfolk's looting battery will render honors to the honorable Jean Shaheen. Will the guests please rise and remain standing for the arrival of our official party honors presentation of colors the national anthem and the invocation. Ladies and gentlemen our platform guests. Master Chief Severin Baskham United States Navy Command Master Chief USS Manchester also joining our official party as World War two US Navy veteran Mr. John Costanzo Lieutenant Commander Scott Shields United States Navy Chaplain Corps the Toro Combat Ship Squadron 1 command Chaplain. Mr. Porter Davis Chairman USS Manchester Commissioning Committee Commander Christopher Addington United States Navy the Toro Combat Ships Program Manager as Representative Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast Commander Andy Gold United States Navy Production Officer the Toro Combat Ship Program Captain Matthew McGonigal United States Navy Commander the Toro Combat Ships Squadron 1 Mr. Craig Priscilla Valley President of U.S.A. Rear Admiral John Nagley United States Navy Program Executive Officer for unmanned and small combatants Miss Allison Stiller Principal Civilian Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research Development and Acquisition the Honorable Jack Blalock Mayor City of Portsmouth New Hampshire the Honorable Joyce Craig Mayor City of Manchester New Hampshire Admiral William Moran United States Navy Vice Chief of Naval Operations the Honorable Anne McLean Custer United States Representative Second District State of New Hampshire the Honorable Maggie Hasson United States Senator State of New Hampshire Ladies and gentlemen the Honorable Jean Shaheen United States Center State of New Hampshire is escorted by Commander Emily Bassett United States Navy Manchester's Commanding Officer Ladies and gentlemen honors to the Honorable Jean Shaheen Platform and salute Ready to advance the colors Chaplain Shields will deliver the invocation In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen let us pray Merciful God we who have traveled near and far to share in the joy and excitement of commissioning the USS Manchester into the world's finest Navy welcome to you you today as our most honored guest as long as sailors have gone to sea and ships we have felt the powerful urge and sense of awe and mystery which takes us from those we love and to whom we long to return and as long as we sailors have known that life lived only for one self is not making full use of the abilities and talents God has blessed us with we have set sail and ships with courage to defend the lives more precious than our own today this amazing ship joins the growing class of littoral combat ships which bring together each sailor's skill and dedication to successfully navigate both the shallow littorals and the vast deep oceans around the world and if necessary to engage any threat on the sea land or in the air with power and resolve as USS Manchester's commission this day we give thanks to each and every person and organization who has invested much in her planning and construction the great sense of accomplishment and pride to the honorable senator Jean Shaheen for sponsoring this magnificent littoral combat ship to this great city of Portsmouth and especially to the people of the city of Manchester whose name will be heralded wherever in the world USS Manchester set sail over the horizon may they be properly honored by her outstanding service and may our great nation Lord look to a USS Manchester and her amazing crew with pride as the model of professionalism and excellence and execution of every mission they are given a respected adversary in conflict and effective deterrent to war a welcome sight and every port and a symbol and means of compassion assistance to all those whose misfortunes make their means of survival hope and peace gracious Lord we celebrate this joyous day with a deep sense of gratitude for your presence with us and the dedicated crew of every person who has worked so hard to bring the ship to life we now ask your ongoing blessing upon this ship her sailors the citizens of the granite state of New Hampshire and all who are here to witness this grand celebration Lord in your mercy here our prayer thank you chaplain shields who would like to thank the Navy Band Northeast Naval Station Norfolk slewing battery LCS crew 214 zone color guard the New Hampshire Vermont northern Massachusetts US Navy Sea Cadet Corps BSA scout troop 18 and the Portsmouth High School marching band for their support this morning will the guests please be seated Manchester parade rest ladies and gentlemen the honorable Jack playlock well good morning and welcome to ports with New Hampshire our magnificent harbor we're here to witness the commissioning of the USS Manchester special welcome to United States Senator Jean Shaheen our sponsor the sponsor of the USS Manchester I'd also like to welcome US Senator Maggie Hasson Congresswoman Andy Custer Admiral William Moran United States Navy Mayor Joyce Craig of Manchester and of course Commander Emily Bassett and the crew of the USS Manchester and to all the other distinguished guests here in the podium and in the audience and the visitors you welcome to Portsmouth so Portsmouth has always embraced its maritime history and our special connection we have the United States Navy from the fishermen that arrived in the 1620s to John Paul Jones some known as the father of the United States Navy that manned his ship here there the Ranger which was built right over across the river on Badger's Island to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard the oldest continuous shipyard established in 1800 which in 1944 launched 32 submarines to help protect our shores and to win World War two a feat that has never been matched and last year I would applaud that as well thank you and just last year we welcomed the USS New Hampshire submarine into the port we are acting as the host city while it's in here for its overhaul and it's our honor and our privilege to host the commissioning of the USS Manchester the newest littoral combat ship for the United States Navy welcome everyone thank you Mayor Blalock ladies and gentlemen mr. Craig for Subali good morning senator Shaheen senator Hassan representative Custer Admiral Moran miss Diller mayors Craig and Blalock Admiral Nagley commander Bassett and crew I'm honored to represent the hostile you USA lead industry team that is so proud to have built the soon-to-be USS Manchester and I'll tell you there's two very happy moments in a shipbuilder's time when they're building a ship the first is when you launch a ship and it floats which is very very important and the second are days like today when you commission these ships that we build and they enter the fleet and they do what they're designed to do to us it just doesn't get any better than this Manchester is a formidable warship with incredible speed volume flexibility and firepower that will when manned by the greatest sailors in the world strike fear in our adversaries across the world and simply stated she's the coolest ship on the planet senator Shaheen thanks so much for your support for the LCS program and the incredible passion and energy you have that you have as sponsor of Manchester there is no doubt you are the perfect sponsor for this incredible ship Admiral Nagley thank you for your leadership you and your team and in making the LCS program a success we've worked very hard and very well together and to bring this ship to life miss Diller and Admiral Moran thank you for giving us the honor to build these ships and we look forward to building many many many many many more in the years to come and commander Bassett we have built you a great ship one that will serve you and your crew well as you take her to the tip of the spear to defend our freedom across the globe on behalf of the 4,000 men and women men and women of Austin USA down in Mobile Alabama and 725 suppliers across 40 slates 40 states we thank you for your service you and your crew and we wish you fair winds and following seas ladies and gentlemen I'm so proud to be here and so proud to be an American God bless the ship all those who sail in her and God bless America thank you miss Percivali ladies and gentlemen Radimal John Nagley well good morning what a great Navy day there's probably nothing better I get to do in my job than to deliver ships the Navy and commission them getting them ready to go out and do the nation's business Senator Shaheen Senator Hassan representative Custard honored distinguished guests and friends of LCS good morning welcome to Portsmouth and the commissioning of USS Manchester I could not have envisioned a more meaningful or historical place to place a US warship in commission Navy history and shipbuilding courses the lifeblood of the city and indeed ship building is in the nation's DNA from the first six frigates to this magnificent ship USS Manchester our nation's history and our nation's freedom has been inextricably tied to the Navy and our ships so just reflect upon a moment here the historical naval timeline that runs through this great city Portsmouth shipyard built the USS Congress one of the original six frigates in the in the 1850s restored USS Constitution yes old iron sides herself and the ship again was moored here's receiving ship in the 1880s and rumor has it the ships missing masses still over in Portsmouth naval shipyard John Paul Jones probably the most famous residence of Portsmouth supervised the building of America in the 1800s the construction of those first ships was a challenging endeavor built from durable materials for available for construction like white pine white oak and most importantly southern live oak live oak was used for the framing of those ships because it was strong dense and long lasting wood and here in Portsmouth stable shipyard we still have the freshwater ponds where we store some of that live oaks as we did 200 years ago with the top speed of 13 knots and 38 guns those first ships those first frigates packed up formidable punch the U.S. Manchester moored here today here in Portsmouth represents the best in American industry we've traded live oak for high strength aluminum we built ships with open modular architecture to rapidly upgrade systems and combat power we've built it with sophisticated water engines repel this ship at speeds of over 40 knots they truly are an engineering marvel although the construction of these two ships are quite different their purpose is the same to protect and defend the liberties we hold so dear across the globe LCS 14 will deploy for much of our service life translating many of the same oceans their legacy namesake did Manchester and there's legacy ships LCS ships are the right ship at the right time for the Navy the nation needs a small combatant that can operate in the world's congested littoral waters fully engaged with like-minded navies protecting America's interest across the globe and if called upon she'll sail into harm's way and like her state's namesake motto live free or die she'll be ready to fight and win so on this day and in this place with this ship we connect the legacy of our past with the promise of our future to the crew of Manchester as you sail in the few short days know that you always sail with the dedicated men and women who tirelessly constructed the ship their pride professionalism and sacrifice is in every stringer weld and aluminum plate to quote one of force miss the most famous residence John Paul Jones I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast so I intend to go into harm's way commander Bassett we have delivered you a ship just to do that so good luck and Godspeed God bless man's back for God bless America thank you thank you ladies and gentlemen the honorable Joyce Craig good morning it's such an honor and a privilege to be here with all of you on behalf of the entire city of Manchester I want to congratulate commander Bassett and her crew on the commissioning of the USS Manchester it is such an honor to have a ship named after the Queen City the city of Manchester was built by hardworking resilient citizens dedicated to working together for their greater good and today the USS Manchester and her crew embody that same spirit in so many ways this great ship pays tribute to the Queen City's storied history the ship seal highlights our industrious work ethic from the golden cogwheel that represents our city's industrial history to the white lines that represent the Merrimack River to the motto labor Vincent or work conquers which also is the ship's motto granite state manufacturing a fourth generation manufacturing company located on Manchester's west side built many components used on the ship and employees from Manchester waterworks harvested white oak from the shores of Lake Massabizic and helped mill the trees into lumber which is used in the ship's various ways including the dashboard a bench and the windowsills the Queen City has an extraordinary legacy of military service and honoring those who served this country and I'm pleased to say as you heard earlier there are at least three men in attendance today who were on the original USS Manchester which was commissioned in 1946 Mo Tremblay a Manchester resident Jim Perry and William Moser it's an honor to have you here today years from now when the next chapter of Manchester's military history is written the new US Manchester LCS 14 will be a proud part of that history to her crews and to all the men and women in uniform thank you for your dedication and commitment to our country thank you for your service and Godspeed thank you mayor Craig ladies and gentlemen your humble and McLean Custer good morning senator Shaheen senator Hassan distinguished guests and to this wonderful crowd it's so exciting to see so many people here with us today and you can't see this but the crowd spreads all the way through Portsmouth it's such an honor to be with you all today at the commissioning of the USS Manchester congratulations to commander Emily Bassett and the 71 crew members of this impressive ship you are all on the forefront of US power and presence around the globe and every day your service creates a safer and more stable world and for that we are eternally grateful this heartening display of patriotism is fitting for this memorial weekend the spirit of service is strong in the granite state and I know I joined with everyone in New Hampshire in giving our thanks to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom the sailors of the USS Manchester and all the current and former members of the armed forces and attendance with us today are carrying on the legacy of service that makes the United States a beacon of hope around the globe I want to extend my congratulations to Senator Shaheen the ship's official sponsor and to her pride and perseverance over the past seven years as we come together to commission this ship the USS Manchester is the pinnacle of modern naval technology and we are truly honored to join Mayor Joyce Craig in the naming of this ship after the Queen City I know in the years to come the USS Manchester and her crew will make us all incredibly proud and they serve the United States with courage and valor thank you for including me today God bless you all God bless this ship and its crew and God bless the United States of America representative Custer ladies and gentlemen your Honorable Maggie Hassan well good morning everyone it is a great honor to be here today to witness the commissioning of the USS Manchester in particular I want to recognize my friend my colleague Senator Jean Shaheen for her years of dedicated work which helped make today possible Senator Shaheen congratulations on the well-deserved honor of serving as the official sponsor and permanent member of the crew of this remarkable ship and if if you all will allow me a brief moment of personal privilege to the crew of the USS Manchester you will soon discover that your new cremate is steadfast she is strong and she always has her eyes on the future you couldn't ask for a better partner I also want to recognize Admiral Bill Moran and our distinguished Navy leadership here today and of course thank you to Commander Emily Bassett thank you to the entire crew of the USS Manchester and your family members some of whom have traveled great distances to be here with you today we truly appreciate your dedicated service to our nation just a few miles from here is the John Paul Jones house where the father of the American Navy lived as the people of Portsmouth fitted out his ship the America during the Revolutionary War in the century since New Hampshire has played a plow proud role in US Naval history and that tradition continues today the commissioning of the USS Manchester is a great honor for our state for the city of Manchester and to all of the New Hampshire men and women who have bravely served in our armed forces as the USS Manchester officially joins the operating forces of the United States Navy today this ship and all of the brave men and women aboard it will play a critical role in keeping our nation safe secure and free we are profoundly grateful for your service and I will continue working with Senator Shaheen and our colleagues in the Senate to ensure that all of our service members our veterans and your families have the support you deserve and have earned thank you again to Senator Shaheen and everyone who has helped make today possible and congratulations God bless and God speed to the USS Manchester her brave and steadfast crew God bless the Granite State and God bless the United States of America thank you thank you senator Hassan ladies and gentlemen the honorable Jean Shaheen people who turned out this morning is a reflection of and respect and appreciation which all of us in New Hampshire have for the men and women of the United States Navy and the men and women who serve our country every day keeping us safe so thank you very much for being here and for everything that you do to appreciate those who serve us thank you it has been an honor and truly a thrill of a lifetime to be the USS Manchester's official ship sponsor and now it's very comforting to know that I get to serve in this capacity for a lifetime at least the lifetime of the ship don't have to run for reelection but I also appreciate that serving as the ship sponsor is not only an honor it is a solemn responsibility according to long-standing nautical tradition the role of ship sponsor is to bestow good luck and divine protection over a seagoing vessel and all who sail aboard it well of course I can't guarantee divine protection only the chaplain can do that but I do pledge as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee to watch over the Manchester and to advocate for its continued service and well-being now as I said by Navy tradition the ship sponsor is a permanent member of the crew and one of the best things about being the sponsor has been the privilege of getting to meet and talk to and know some of the people who serve as the crew of the Manchester they serve our nation with incredible professionalism and excellence they have been carefully selected for this important posting and of course it has been truly not just an honor but great fun to get to know commander Emily Bassett along with the rest of the crew I've come to respect this remarkable officer and to admire the commanding presence that flows from her intelligence from her toughness and from her grace she is a role model for all of us especially for girls and women across New Hampshire so thank you commander Bassett you know this is truly a great day as everyone has said for Manchester for Portsmouth and for the entire granite state New Hampshire has always been an Atlantic facing state aware of our connections to the world and to the great alliances that help keep our nation safe the USS Manchester honors our state's legacy of supporting America's national defense and those who bravely serve in uniform including this magnificent crew and I want to join the others who have thanked not just the men and women who serve but also their families the people who help them and support them in their work every day thank you all for being here and thank you to those who are at home manning the home front while your loved one serves now when given the order to step forward by Admiral Moran I look forward to bringing our ship to life thank you all thank you senator Shaheen ladies and gentlemen miss Allison stiller thank you Exo senator Shaheen and Hassan representative Custer Admiral Howard distinguished platform guests ladies and gentlemen good morning I'm delighted to be here representing secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer at the commissioning of this great ship many thanks to Mr. Davis and the entire commissioning committee who have worked so hard to make this day a reality on this beautiful morning as we bring this ship to life I ask that we pause and thank the thousands of servicemen and women who today are sacrificing so much to keep this great nation free and to those veterans in the audience thank you for your service the state of New Hampshire is a fitting place to commission a U.S. Navy warship Port Smith Naval Shipyard employs over 5,000 artisans who maintain and repair our nation submarine fleet New Hampshire was the birthplace of our ninth 30th and 49th secretaries of the Navy and New Hampshire is home to 38 Medal of Honor recipients so today the New Hampshire tradition of service continues with the commissioning of this great ship Manchester whether here in the Granite state or on the Gulf or West Coast our security the strength of our economy and the face of our diplomacy largely depend upon the Navy's ability to maintain global presence and exercise freedom of the seas and so our Navy Marine Corps team operates forward and today like most days nearly half of our Navy's fleet is underway as secretary of the Navy Spencer recently stated we are building a more lethal resilient and agile force capable of deterring and defeating any enemy in this age of renewed great power competition to meet his vision our Navy needs a varied mix of ships and capabilities to conduct missions on all fronts to remain second to none and so today we welcome the versatility that Manchester brings to the fleet she is tailor made for operations in places where access may be limited but where presence matters the most our ability to command the seas is made possible by the thousands men of men and women who work tirelessly to bring ships to life shipbuilding is a team sport and today's commissioning is a testament to the skill and professionalism of the Navy Industries shipbuilding team many thanks to the Navy's program executive officer where I will John Nagley and Austin USA's president Mr. Craig Percivali for transforming aluminum cabling and equipment into the ship we see before us well done naval tradition holds that a ship's sponsor spirit guides the ship throughout her service life this ship is truly blessed to have as her sponsor senator Jean Shaheen someone who has served New Hampshire both as governor and senator and it's demonstrated unwavering support of our military and their families senator you are a permanent member of the ship's crew the link between today's plank owners and future sailors who will sail on her commander Bassett our Navy has entrusted you with its best the finest sailors and our newest warship may you always embody your ship's motto work conquers may God bless this fine ship her nameshake her crew and her sponsor and may God bless America and now it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you our 39th vice chief of naval operations Admiral Bill Moran is a senior naval advisor to the secretary of the Navy and the chief of naval operations a naval pilot he is a graduate of the US Naval Academy and the National War College ladies and gentlemen please welcome my colleague and friend Admiral Bill Moran well good morning it is truly a fine Navy day John but for all of you out there staring into that sun like you are we're all up here in the dugout not paying attention I bet it feels a lot more like you're at Fenway Park right now in fact we've been through eight innings eight innings of speakers and we're about to enter the ninth so hit it stand up take a break Yankees fans out there eat your hearts out well it is great to be here I probably should drop the mic on that shouldn't I just walk off you all think that way I know you do but I got a I got a brag about our Navy we got we've got a number of things to celebrate today of course we have to commission a brand-new warship and we will hear shortly it is Memorial Day weekend and it is also a great Navy town that we're having this wonderful ceremony but before we kick into a few remarks about this ship it's meaning and the people who serve on it I would like all the veterans who have served our serving or those of you who dream to serve in the service of your country and I'm talking about not just military police officers firefighters teachers administrators please stand and be recognized on this day so that we can honor you so it is a privilege for all of us to be here and on behalf of the sailors men and women who serve around the globe and who looked forward desperately to welcoming USS Manchester into the fleet thank you for allowing us to be here today and it is an honor for me to personally share the stage or share this podium with Senator Shaheen Senators Hassan Hassan excuse me all the other distinguished representatives and guests up here and I also want to recognize my dear friend in our Navy's very first female four-star flag officer Michelle Howard who is here all the way from Colorado to honor us today thank you now we all know we've heard that Portsmouth is a city that values the traditions and the rich history of the United States Navy and it also values as Senator Shaheen said the whole state does values the service of our men and women who volunteer to serve this country but I think you will agree that this is a pretty awesome ship behind me right the best part about it though is it's named after an all-American city a city that was raised in the textile age and has emerged into a modern age the great city of Manchester so for all of you out there standing that are from Manchester all of you sitting here thank you it has been a long time coming 62 years since we had a USS Manchester United States Navy and she's finally back so thank you everybody so let me just talk for a minute on the world stage that this ship is about to set off on America is and always will be a maritime nation and the strategic environment in which we sail is increasingly congested it's contested as complex and the pace of change is accelerating every single day all you got to do is look at the headlines and you know what I'm talking about we are definitely in on certain times as a nation for the first time in three decades since the fall of the Berlin wall we are in serious competition with folks that would have another view of international world order there is urgency in the salt air that we feel and smell today because the stakes are high let's not kid ourselves but here's the good news the good news is today the USS Manchester is going to join a winning team that is going to beat our competition now I'm just one in a million sellers civilians contractors industry employees who get up every single morning to serve in the United States Navy my story is not an important one but Manchester is where my dad was born and raised and he brought us to the shores of Salisbury Seabrook Hampton and Rye Beach so Manchester and the USS Manchester have personal meaning for me just down the road from here on route 1a like many of you I was first introduced to that strong strong scent of the Atlantic Ocean there's nothing quite like it when you're around that term and from that moment on somehow as a young kid I knew that the sea was going to be part of my life for a very long time so being here with you today so close to where that sea existed for me provides me personal inspiration about sailors who serve in our Navy and it reminds me of how sailors complete the miracle of naval power it is after all like many speakers have already said our sailors the young men and women who volunteered to serve our country and carry with them the values of the American dream that together with this stuff behind me this ship this aluminum Hulk have the power to intimidate and our sailors have the power to inspire when they deploy USS Manchester is an obvious beauty big strong powerful a tangible contribution of the Navy the nation needs but it's your crew that makes the American miracle possible so I'll ask all of you what do you see when you go to a museum especially a Navy museum or any of the art stores that had peppered throughout this market street here in Portsmouth you see pictures you see paintings you see models of ships submarines airplanes you see all that stuff and what's often missing if you look is what you don't see people you don't see the sailors they are the ones who bring our Navy to life as a senator said we need to see them to understand that we have the power to inspire as well as to intimidate as a Navy so while our minds are on Manchester as a modern piece of hardware our hearts are with your sailors shortly senator Shaheen will call for the crew to come aboard and bring this ship to life that calling that calling of the crew symbolizes how the miracle really works Manchester will only be as capable as the crew is capable she will be prepared because her crew is committed to being ready and know that when the orders come and they will come it is the CO and the crew the ones that are there at that moment who will be motivated to execute those orders so to commander Emily Bassett and other leaders in this crew I have two simple messages for you use your minds to be ready for action and make sure your heart your heart is with your sailors sailors do not care what you know until you know they care Emily you have been a shining examples of that his shining example of that phrase the crew has learned from their captain the very best leaders value the sailors for the content of their character and the ability to deliver when called upon and so ladies and gentlemen the threat is real but it's with great sailors and great stuff like the Manchester that we will stay ahead and we will win in the future this ship will remain a great deal to those who serve in her Manchester the city means a great deal as well both bring forward pride and joy USS Manchester for the crew and the city of Manchester which for me still feels on most days like the kid who's New Hampshire dad introduced him to the smell of the sea along these shores so thank you for coming out today in mass to celebrate your Navy in this crew have a safe and memorable Memorial Day and I hope you'll remember the faces the faces of the men and women who serve on Manchester in the finest Navy on the planet thank you and God bless thank you Admiral Moran I would be honored if you would now place Manchester in Commission on behalf of the Secretary of the Navy and for the President of the United States I hereby place United States ship Manchester in Commission may God bless and guide this worship in all who shall sail in her thank you Admiral Moran executive officer hoist the colors and Commission pennant I man Manchester a 10 hook ladies and gentlemen please rise and direct your attention to the ships mass folks all and fantail as we hoist the colors and Commission pennant quartermaster hoist the colors and Commission pennant I sir captain the colors and Commission pennant are flying over USS Manchester very well ladies and gentlemen please be seated I will now read my orders from commander Navy military personnel command to commander Emily Bassett United States Navy subject Bupers order number two seven two four of zero five November 17 when directed by reporting senior detached from present duty and report to pre-commissioning unit Manchester as commanding officer upon commissioning of USS Manchester report for duty as commanding officer Admiral Moran United States ship Manchester is in Commission and I am in command executive officer set the watch I am officer the deck set the first watch I I sir the officer of the deck is the command officers direct representative and while on watch is responsible for the safe operation of the ship and crew the long glass is the traditional symbol of an officer of the deck's authority in the ship of the line we are pleased to have Mr. John Costanzo from Durham New Hampshire will pass the long glass to our first officer the deck Lieutenant Adrian and Kasek from Mont Vernon New Hampshire the petty officer the watch is the information systems technician first-class Angela Robinson from Lincoln Park Michigan the messenger of the watch is culinary specialist second-class Stephen Randolph from Prince George Virginia and the Bosons Bay of the watch is chief Bosons mate Justin Smith from Gainesville Florida set the watch on deck section one sir the watch is set very well captain the watch is set very well we are delighted to have our sponsor senator Jean Shaheen here with us today senator Shaheen christened this ship in Mobile Alabama in May 2016 senator I would be honored if you would join me and give the order to man our ship and bring her to life Manchester ready to well the guests please be seated captain USS Manchester is man and ready very well USS Manchester is manned and ready and reports for duty Amal Moran request permission to break your flag sir executive officer break the flag of the vice chief of naval operations I am quartermaster break the flag of the vice chief of naval operations hi sir captain the flag of the vice chief of naval operations is flying over USS Manchester ladies and gentlemen commander Emily Bassett United States Navy commanding officer USS Manchester Manchester parade rest standing up here with chills about to burst with pride I hope you feel it too that amazing feeling the pride for this amazing country this amazing ship and this amazing crew and this pride is why many of us join our military and I know it's why many of you chose to be with us here today so thank you distinguished platform participants Amal Moran we're Admiral Negli senator Shaheen senator Hassan thank you honored guests Admiral Michelle Howard my first commanding officer of my first ship in the Navy thank you the honorable Robert Sherman former US ambassador to Portugal thank you for being here sir thank you to the commissioning committee the host city of Portsmouth for blowing us away with your amazing hospitality thank you to our namesake city Manchester for welcoming us with open arms we are proud to sail in your name our relationship with you started when you invited us to your schools and your museums in your city hall last year and it will continue for the life of this ship thank you to our amazing gracious most supportive ever sponsor the honorable senator Jean Shaheen thank you you have been with us every step of the way sending notes care packages tokens of appreciation and overwhelming support your spirit is definitely with this ship and we work hard to keep you proud thank you but most of all I want to thank our families our Navy families make countless sacrifices supporting us from afar my husband will our son Edward and our daughter Isabel thank you I know you may feel alone when you are moving across country without me and only one parent is checking your homework or cheering you on at soccer games and cuddling you at night know that you are joined by ranks of families who sacrifice every day and today you got to see a little bit of why I wish you all could see what I have seen the faces of these sailors running to man this ship are the faces that I have seen day after day for the past 22 months working hard to bring this ship to life they have taken the city of Manchester's motto work conquers and they have personified the spirit of our namesake city with every weapon they've cleaned every program they built every space they inspected every watch they stood and every fire drill they performed I have seen this crew land and launch helicopters conduct a vertical replenishment transferring cargo by aircraft I've seen them weigh anchor launch and recover our boat transfer passengers ashore shoot our guns and conduct high speed operations and all of that was just on our way up here for this ceremony I wish you could see how this crew works as a team man with only 70 sailors while comparable ships in our Navy our man with close to 250 means that each sailor is highly trained one sailor must do the duties that three or four would do on other ships each sailor is trained and cross-trained and no duty is too big or too small for any rates or rank everyone pitches in to get the job done we can all shoot the guns we can all take tank level indicator readings and we can all wash the dishes I wish you could hear what I have heard you would hear every single inspector every visitor every guest who has ever come aboard this ship track me down to say captain you've got a great crew or captain this is the best crew I've seen in a long long long time or this crew made me better or I've seen some great crews and they usually have a few great people but on this crew everyone is great every single on this ship is a superstar well every sailor on this ship was a superstar because they are resilient they work as a team and they take setbacks on board as learning experiences and they do this inspired by the nine stars in our crests which we wear in our ball cap which represents the character of the sailors of the previous USS Manchester cl83 who earned nine battle stars for wartime engagement in Korea we are honored to have one of those sailors with us today sir thank you the resilient character of these World War two era sailors is in our ball caps and in our blood I wish you could be where this crew has been ten months deployed to the shipyard to Mobile Alabama away from family away from their homes yet instead of sailing back home to San Diego this crew wanted to come to New Hampshire they were willing to spend the extra month of transit and preparation time to sell here out of our way to Portsmouth New Hampshire to share their pride in this great worship with the people of Manchester the people of New Hampshire and the people of our nation it is the honor of a lifetime to be counted among those sailors who brought this ship to life this country this state the city this ship these sailors are reasons to make us all proud Manchester a 10 hook will the guests please rise for the benediction let us pray eternal father from whom we come to whom we will ultimately return we commend USS Manchester for sailors their families to your constant care and keeping less now for a captain and crew as well as the thousands of sailors in the future who will run her engines cook her meals fix her machines hoist her flags and navigate her on the great oceans and seas of this world that USS Manchester's name would be great among those whose judgment is honored and her family spread throughout the world that young sailors may desire to serve aboard her and all would admire her many accomplishment gracious Lord on this memorial day we can grant us all loyalty and devotion to our nation's glorious heritage of freedom and democracy a gift from you our fathers and those who made the ultimate sacrifice uphold and sustain our country in its military in the pursuit of peace through power and to grant the citizens of this great nation would continue to draw in constant strength and support from you whose perfect love is our peace and whose peace is our power the Lord Almighty bless us and keep us the Lord watch over our going out and our coming in the Lord direct our days and our deeds in his peace from this time for and forevermore gentlemen's yields