“Christening The FARRAGUT, Another BIW Success”
BIW's skilled workforce makes significant contributions to our national security every day, building the ships that our Navy needs in order to protect our nation. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I have worked to strengthen our Naval fleet and to preserve our critical shipbuilding industrial base. And I remain committed to ensuring that BIW builds the ships that our Navy needs, including the next generation of destroyers, the DD(X).
I successfully fought to include provisions in the Fiscal Year 2006 budget resolution and conference report that are critical for the workers at Bath Iron Works. The resolution included a "Sense of the Senate" expressing opposition to a one-shipyard acquisition strategy for the DD(X) destroyer, emphasizing the need for two surface combatant shipyards. The Fiscal Year 2006 budget conference report also included a provision that will allow for Advanced Appropriations for future U.S. Navy ships, including DD(X) destroyers. Advanced appropriations allows Congress to spread out the costs of major ships, such as the DD(X), over several years, instead of paying in a lump sum.
The Senate Appropriations Committee included similar provisions in the FY 2005 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act. This provision carries the force of law and prohibits the Pentagon from using funds this year for moving forward with a "winner-take-all" strategy for the DD(X) destroyer. This preserves the current system that provides for two shipyards, including BIW, to design and construct DD(X) destroyers. The provision prevents any federal funds from being used to change the Pentagon's current acquisition strategy for DD(X) contracts. It is critical to our national security that we maintain two working shipyards with the capability to build major surface combatants for our naval fleet. Further, our current industrial base allows our nation to increase production as needed to meet future defense requirements, a critical capability.
The FY 2006 Defense Authorization bill also includes language, which I authored, allotting $100 million for the DD(X) Destroyer Program exclusively for Bath Iron Works to continue design work on the Navy's second DD(X). This is $50 million more than the Administration's request. I also successfully advocated for $25 million for BIW's DDG-51 Modernization Program, which improves operational effectiveness, reduces the crew size, and decreases the life-cycle operating costs of the destroyer. Additional funds were also included for the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship program, which includes work for a design team led by BIW.
The christening of FARRAGUT (DDG 99) is a chance to celebrate the tradition of BIW delivering the best built ships in the world. It is appropriate that the ship is named after Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, whose last naval assignment took place in Maine. His outstanding 45 year career during the Civil War, and other early battles fought by the United States, earned Admiral Farragut the honor of becoming the Navy's first four-star admiral.
The theme of the FARRAGUT Christening is "Honor All Those Who Serve." This theme gives us an opportunity to thank all of the men and women in uniform serving our country, especially those in the BIW community. Not only is the workforce at BIW vital to our national security through their shipbuilding work, but also there are 100 BIW employees who stand ready to serve our nation as members of the National Guard and Reserve. In fact, since the year 2000, 67 of those members have been called to active duty. To this day, there are a number of service members in the BIW community who are still on active duty, and our thoughts and prayers remain with them. Tragically, BIW has already lost one of its own. Lynn R. Poulin, who worked at BIW for 15 years as a shipfitter, was killed on December 21, 2004, during an insurgent attack on the base in Mosul, Iraq. He was a member of the Maine National Guard's 133rd Engineer Battalion and had been on active duty since December 2003.
We remember all of members of the Armed Forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice so we might continue to enjoy the freedom that makes this country great. And our thoughts and prayers remain with those in service both home and abroad for their commitment and dedication to our nation.
Best wishes to the FARRAGUT for fair winds and following seas!
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