On the recordMarch 31, 2022
I rise today to mark a moment in history for the First State, your neighboring State, to celebrate the first U.S. Navy vessel to be named after Delaware in more than 100 years. In 2 days, I will be joined by the Secretary of the Navy, the First Lady of the United States, and what will feel like half of Delaware at the Port of Wilmington to commemorate the commissioning of the Virginia Class of nuclear submarine, the USS Delaware. And while the vessel was first officially commissioned underwater and underway on a mission at sea due to the COVID restrictions on April 4, 2020--a first in Navy history--a first in Navy history--this weekend, we will get to give the USS Delaware, its crew, and the people of Delaware a fitting celebration above the surface of the water. It has been a long time coming for the USS Delaware. So many people across Delaware and in the Navy have worked hard not just for weeks, not just for months, but for years to make this weekend a reality for our State and the crew. I would be remiss not to mention my wingman in the U.S. Senate, Senator Chris Coons, and our wing-woman in the U.S. House of Representatives, Lisa Blunt Rochester, as well as our Governor John Carney for their long-standing support for the USS Delaware. They will be joining us on Saturday to celebrate.…
Source
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