U.S. Navy ships -- who names them?

[madamesilverspurs]

Just curious, as the USS McCain is in the news as it trails the N.Korean ship. Thinking that other ships that have made recent news were named for Reagan and Bush the First. I think you have to be dead to get your own postage stamp, didn't it used to be that way with our ships? (Yes, I know Reagan is dead, not that his name isn't splattered all over the place...) Anyway, just askin'.

[SteppingRazor]

1. Not sure, but I doubt the USS McCain is named after the senator.

His father and grandfather were both admirals with long, distinguished careers.

[Posteritatis]

2. McCain isn't named for "the" McCain

It's named for, if I recall, his father and grandfather or something similar like that; both were admirals, who usually get ships named for them in the Navy.

As for how the names are chosen, the US Navy Historical Center gives the lowdown in some detail here.

[Glorfindel]

3. I honestly don't know. That's an interesting question, though

I believe there is an atomic submarine named for Jimmy Carter, which would be appropriate.

[foxfeet]

4. It's the Hollywood studio system.

The Ronald Reagan used to be the Mabel Kowalski.

[old mark]

5. Probably named for Panama Jack's granddad, the Admiral #1.

Dad was Admiral #2.
John Sydney III didn't make it to flag rank.


mark

[Kaleva]

6. Secretary of the Navy I believe

The Navy used to have strict guidelines as to naming ships. One used to be able to tell what class a ship was just by the name. Subs were named after fish, battleships after states, cruisers after cities and towns, destroyers after Navy hero's and so on. Now it's a royal mess and politics have come into play.

[krispos42]

8. Carriers are named after people, nowadays...

Ballistic-missile subs after states, attack subs after cities, and the rest after former Navy VIPs.

[Kaleva]

10. attack subs are also named after states and former Presdients

The USS Virginia and USS Jimmy Carter are examples.

[krispos42]

12. Shit, I didn't know that...

...what the hell, did we run out of cities??? :eyes:

[Stinky The Clown]

7. Here's an interesting treatise on the topic from seemingly right wing site

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/names.htm

[Ezlivin]

9. If you serve aboard one, you can name it whatever the hell you wish

The men aboard the "USS Reluctant" called their ship "the bucket".

My boat (submarine, for you land-lubbers) was called the "USS Skate" but we called her "the boat". As long as she got us home from the depths of the ocean safely we weren't going to label her something mean.

[Kaleva]

13. I served on the "Leaky Larry".

Evaps often broke down and the stench from the unwashed crew was almost overpowering. Nothing better then waking up early in the morning with a shipmate's stinky feet in my face as we didn't have dividers between the racks on that ship.

[librechik]

11. Dick Cheney (it's a little known Fourth Branch duty)

just kidding--it only seems that way sometimes.

[krispos42]

14. Not true...

...otherwise we'd be seeing the names of ship as either USS Halliburton, USS Kellog Brown Root, etc., or he's be selling off naming rights such as USS Bank of America or USS Humana!!!

:-)

[librechik]

15. strangely, I think there is a Halliburton

(different Halliburton)

yeah. too funny

[krispos42]

16. The USS Halyburton

Ack!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Halyburton