5/29/2013 -- ANCHORAGE, Alaska – More than 200 Marines and sailors with Task Force Denali participated in the USS Anchorage commissioning ceremony in Anchorage, Alaska, May 4, 2013.
“Everyone with Task Force Denali was proud to be such an important part of the ceremony,” said Cpl. David Basom, an ammunition technician with Ammunition Company, 1st Supply Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 15, 1st Marine Logistics Group.
The USS Anchorage is the second ship to be named after the city of Anchorage and the first U.S. Navy ship to be commissioned in the state.
“It was encouraging to see so many Marines and sailors,” said Serge Jorgen, a native of Anchorage, Alaska. “The commissioning ceremony was great for the city of Anchorage and our community.”
The ceremony officially welcomed the USS Anchorage to the fleet, making it the seventh San Antonio-class LPD built and delivered to the U.S. Navy since September 2012.
Inclement weather did not stop crowds from all over Anchorage and the surrounding area to gather at the port for the ceremony.
“It was snowing and incredibly cold,” said Ritta Sorza, a 43-year-old native of Anchorage, Alaska. “It was a true Alaskan welcome.”
The ship’s primary mission will be to transport Marines and their equipment to troubled spots around the world.