SECNAV Del Toro Names Destroyers and Frigate at the 37th Surface Navy Association (SNA) National Symposium

Secretary Del Toro made the announcement during his keynote address at this year’s Surface Navy Association’s 37th National Symposium in Arlington, Va.

“Today, at my final Surface Navy Association Symposium as Secretary of the Navy, I am honored to announce four new ships which represent the future of our fleet,” said Del Toro. “The newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers will be: USS Ray Mabus (DDG 147); USS Kyle Carpenter (DDG 148); USS Robert R. Ingram (DDG 149). And the newest Constellation-class guided-missile frigate will be USS Everett Alvarez Jr. (FFG 68).”

The naming of the three destroyers aligns with the Navy’s tradition of naming destroyers after heroes and leaders in the Naval service. There have been no previous Navy vessels named for any of the four namesake ships named today.

The future USS Ray Mabus honors former Secretary of the Navy Raymond Edwin Mabus, Jr.

Born in Mississippi, Mabus served in the Navy from 1970 to 1972 as a surface warfare officer aboard USS Little Rock (CLG-4). He then attended law school. In 1983, he was elected as the State Auditor of Mississippi and was elected Governor of Mississippi in 1988.  In 1994, Mabus was appointed as Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by President William Clinton.

In 2009, Mabus was nominated and confirmed as the 75th Secretary of the Navy. As Secretary, Mabus focused on four key priorities -people, platforms, power, and partnerships. He worked to improve the quality of life for Sailors, Marines, and their families; increase the size of the fleet; decrease the Navy’s reliance on fossil fuels; and strengthen partnerships with industry and internationally. During his tenure, the Navy went from building fewer than five ships per year to having more than 70 under contract. He championed the “21st Century Sailor and Marine” initiative to build and maintain the most resilient and ready force possible. He directed the Navy and Marine Corps to change the way they use, produce, and acquire energy, setting an aggressive goal of relying on alternative sources for at least 50 percent of their energy by 2020. In 2010, Mabus was appointed by President Barack Obama to prepare the long-term recovery plan for the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, with most of his recommendations passed into law by Congress as the Restore Act.

Mabus served until 2017, becoming the longest service Secretary of the Navy since World War I. 

“Serving my country in uniform as a young LTJG aboard a guided missile cruiser and then, decades later, leading our naval services are the greatest privileges and most consequential times of my life,” said Mabus.  “The highest honor of my life is to know that sailors will defend our country and represent our values around the world for years aboard a ship bearing my name.  That LTJG would never have imagined and this former SECNAV could not be more thankful, more honored, or more moved.”

The future USS Kyle Carpenter honors Medal of Honor recipient, Corporal William “Kyle” Carpenter, USMC (Ret).

Enlisting in the Marine Corps in 2009, Carpenter was assigned as a squad automatic weapon gunner with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment. Deploying to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, with Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) during Operation Moshtarak.

On 21 November 2010, Carpenter was manning a rooftop security outpost when enemy fighters threw hand grenades at the outpost, one of which landed in their sandbagged position. Without hesitation, and with complete disregard for his own safety, Carpenter moved toward the grenade in an attempt to shield his fellow Marine from the deadly blast.  When the grenade detonated, his body absorbed the brunt of the blast, severely wounding him, but saving the life of his fellow Marine. He was evacuated for his wounds, including the shattering of his right arm and jaw, and the loss of his right eye and most of his teeth. 

Medically retired in 2013, Carpenter was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in 2014. In 2023, the United States Army Engineer Research and Development Center named a high-performance computing cluster Carpenter in his honor.

"The only honor greater than this Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG 148) bearing my name was being able to serve and sacrifice for this country that I love, as a United States Marine,” said Carpenter. “It is humbling beyond measure to know that, in spirit, I will be sailing the seas with our Nation's warriors, the might of the United States Navy, and with those who faithfully stand ready to protect our freedoms and people around the world. And, to all who have served during the global war on terror, this is a moment and legacy for us all. Hooyah and Semper Fidelis!"

The future USS Robert R. Ingram honors Medal of Honor recipient, Hospital Corpsman Third Class (HM3) Robert Ronald Ingram, USN (Ret). 

Born in Clearwater, Florida, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1963 and attended Hospital Corps School and Field Medical Service School prior to deploying with C Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division to the Republic of Vietnam in 1965.

During a fierce engagement on 8 February 1966, HM3 Ingram rushed forward while under fire to treat between 12 and 14 wounded Marines. He received the Silver Star for his actions. 

When Ingram’s unit was attacked in Quang Ngai Province on 28 March 1966, killing or wounding all in the lead squad of C Company, the corpsman crawled across the terrain to attend to the injured Marines. Struck in the hand by enemy gunfire, Ingram continued collecting ammunition from the dead and administering aid to the wounded. He sustained two more wounds – one of which was life-threatening – yet still rendered aid to the injured until he reached the right flank of the platoon. There, while dressing the head wound of another corpsman, Ingram sustained a fourth bullet wound. Even then, he tried to delay his own medical evacuation, saving many lives and asking that the injured Marines go first. 

For his selflessness, he was nominated for the Medal of Honor, but the original nomination paperwork was lost.

Following his discharge, Ingram became a registered nurse. 

In 1998, Ingram finally received his long overdue recognition, becoming the first Navy member to receive the Medal of Honor in 20 years. Fittingly, his award ceremony was held in advance of the 100th anniversary of the Navy Hospital Corps. In 2004, the Naval Branch Health Clinic Mayport was dedicated in his honor. 

Along with the ship names, Del Toro has selected the sponsors for the three newly named destroyers. The sponsor plays an important role in the life of each ship and is typically selected because of a relationship to the namesake or to the ship’s current mission. In their role as the ship’s sponsor, they will represent a lifelong relationship with the ship and crew. The following individuals were identified as sponsors:

Liz Mabus, daughter of Mabus, will sponsor the future USS Ray Mabus (DDG 147).

Robin and Brittany Carpenter, the mother and spouse of Carpenter will sponsor the future USS Kyle Carpenter (DDG 148).

Dana Ingram, daughter of Ingram will sponsor the future Robert R. Ingram (DDG 149).

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, built around the Aegis Combat System, are the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet providing protection to America around the globe. They incorporate stealth techniques, allowing these highly capable, multi-mission ships to conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence to national security, providing a wide range of warfighting capabilities in multi-threat air, surface and subsurface domains. These elements of sea power enable the Navy to defend American prosperity and prevent future conflict abroad.

More information on guided-missile destroyer programs can be found here.

The naming of the future FFG 68 honors Commander Everett Alvarez Jr., USN (Ret), the first U.S. aviator taken captive in the Republic of Vietnam after being shot down near Hanoi. 

Alvarez, the grandson of Mexican immigrants, was commissioned in the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1960 and joined Attack Squadron 144 (VA-144) in 1962. While conducting a bombing mission over North Vietnam in retaliation after a reported North Vietnamese attack a day earlier on two U.S. destroyers (now known as the Gulf of Tonkin incident), Lieutenant (JG) Alvarez’s Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was shot down in the vicinity of Hon Gay Harbor. He was reported missing on 5 August 1964 and endured eight years and seven months as a prisoner of war at the Hỏa Lò Prison in Hanoi. One of the longest-held U.S. prisoners of war, Alvarez was released from captivity on 12 February 1973.

Upon his return to the United States, he attended the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School and subsequently served at the Naval Air Systems Command until his retirement from the Navy in 1980. He went on to hold civilian positions with the Peace Corps, Veterans Administration (now Department of Veterans Affairs), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and Vietnam War Commemoration Advisory Council.

For his service and sacrifice, Everett has received the Congressional Gold Medal, the Silver Star, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts. A subdivision at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California was also named in his honor during his internment.

Along with the ship’s name, Secretary Del Toro announced the sponsor for FFG 68 to be the namesake’s spouse, Thomasine Alvarez. She, and her chosen maids and matrons will represent the ship throughout the duration of its lifetime.

The Constellation-class guided-missile frigate represents the Navy’s next generation small surface combatant. This ship class will be an agile, multi-mission warship, capable of operations in both blue-water and littoral environments, providing increased combat-credible forward presence that provides a military advantage at sea. The Constellation-class will have multi-mission capability to conduct air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic warfare, and information operations.

More information on guided missile frigates can be found here.