Navy names new Combat Logistics Ship

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NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense

No. 659-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 29, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

Navy Secretary Names New Combat Logistics Ship

Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter has announced his decision to name
the Navy's newest underway replenishment vessel, the USNS Amelia
Earhart (T-AKE 6).The name honors Amelia Mary Earhart for her courage,
vision, and groundbreaking achievements, both in aviation and for women.

Amelia Earhart's name became a household word in 1932 when she became
the first woman--and second person--to fly solo across the Atlantic, on
the fifth anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's feat, flying a Lockheed
Vega from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland to Londonderry, Ireland.That year,
she received the Distinguished Flying Cross from the Congress, the Cross
of Knight of the Legion of Honor from the French government, and the
Gold Medal of the National Geographic Society from President Herbert
Hoover.

In January 1935 Earhart became the first person to fly solo across the
Pacific Ocean from Honolulu to Oakland, Calif.Later that year she
soloed from Los Angeles to Mexico City and back to Newark, N.J.In July 1936
she took delivery of a Lockheed 10E "Electra," financed by Purdue
University, and started planning her round-the-world flight.

The primary goal of the T-AKE program is to provide effective fleet
underway replenishment capability at the lowest life cycle cost.To meet
that goal, the ship will be designed and constructed to commercial
specifications and standards and certified/classed by the American Bureau of Shipping, U.S. Coast Guard, and other regulatory bodies. All of the new
ships will be operated by the Military Sealift Command.They are being
built in San Diego by General Dynamics NASSCO.

For more biographical information on Amelia Earhart please click on the
following link, http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq3-1.htm .

Additional information about this class of ship is available by
clicking on the following link, the
http://www.news.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4400&tid=500&ct=4
.

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