Navy
Military Sealift Command christens its newest Expeditionary Sea Base
Stars and Stripes
May 5, 2024
Military Sealift Command’s newest ship, USNS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7), is christened Saturday, May 4, 2024, at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego. (Sarah Cannon/Military Sealift Command Pacific)
Military Sealift Command christened its newest ship, the Expeditionary Sea Base USNS Robert E. Simanek (ESB-7), on Saturday in San Diego.
The 785-foot ship honors Pfc. Class Robert E. Simanek, a U.S. Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Korean War at Outpost Irene. During the battle, Simanek threw himself on a grenade, absorbing the explosion with his body and shielding his fellow Marines from serious injury or death. Though he sustained severe injuries to his legs, Simanek survived, and spent a year recovering.
“Today we gather in a time-honored tradition to christen this vessel, which will represent the unmatched strength and fortitude of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps,” said Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif.
Among those on hand for the ceremony were: Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, superintendent, U.S. Naval Academy; Brig. Gen. Robert Weiler, assistant division commander, 1st Marine Division; Capt. Micah Murphy, commander, Military Sealift Command; Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Britt Slabinski; Capt. Bobby Summers, Simanek’s civil service master; four Medal of Honor recipients; and members of the Simanek family.
For the official christening moment, Simanek’s daughter, Ann Simanek Clark, broke a bottle of champagne over the bow with the words, “For the United States of America, I christen you the USNS Robert E. Simanek. May God bless this ship, and all who sail on her.”
Simanek is the seventh ship in the expeditionary mobile base platform built for MSC, and the third expeditionary staging base model. ESBs are highly flexible platforms that provide logistics movement from sea to shore supporting a broad range of military operations, the Navy said. The ESB variant is designed around four core capabilities: aviation; berthing; equipment staging area; and command and control.
Military Sealift Command directs and supports operations for approximately 140 civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships at sea. It conducts specialized missions, pre-positions combat cargo at sea around the world, performs a variety of support services, and moves military equipment and supplies to deployed U.S. forces.