USS Ronald Reagan joins the fleet

In a formal national tribute to the president who embodied Peace Through Strength, The US Navy commissioned its newest aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, over the weekend.

Some of the Reagan’s crew are too young to remember much about America’s 40th president, but the floating airbase numbered CVN-76 is a reminder of the legacy of the man who took office promising to build a 600-ship Navy. “To me, it means a lot to serve on a ship that honors somebody who really appreciated us,” says a 26 year-old lieutenant j.g.

Vice President Richard Cheney invoked President Reagan during the commissioning: “‘Maritime superiority,’ President Reagan said, ‘is for us a necessity.'”

Click here for video of the USS Ronald Reagan commissioning.