Forged from the steel of the World Trade Center, the USS New York will make Florida's Naval Station Mayport its home port sooner than expected.
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced Friday that the USS New York is scheduled to move from its current home port in Norfolk, VA in the last quarter of 2013. That's ahead of schedule by more than a year. The USS Iwo Jima and the USS Fort McHenry will follow in 2014.
Mabus accelerated the timeline to relocate the amphibious readiness group (ARG) ships to ensure the viability of the Mayport ship repair base and to "maintain the capabilities of the Jacksonville fleet concentration area" according to a news release.
"I am very pleased that the Navy is able condense the time horizon for the arrival of the Mayport ARG," stated Mabus. "The move underscores just how important Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport are to our national defense, and how committed we are to strategic dispersal on the east coast."
