Photo by John Whalen
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The Navy’s newest and most sophisticated nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), was commissioned July 12, 2003 at the Norfolk Naval Station in Norfolk, Va. Named after America's 40th president, Reagan is the ninth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier built by Northrop Grumman Newport News and the first carrier named for a living president.

The keynote speaker for the commissioning ceremony was Vice President of the United States, Dick Cheney. Mrs. Ronald Reagan also attended the ceremony and served as the ship’s sponsor. Other ceremony participants included Virginia Governor Mark Warner, Virginia Senator John Warner, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hansford Johnson, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Vern Clark, and Northrop Grumman Newport News President Tom Schievelbein. Northrop Grumman Chairman of the Board Kent Kresa and Northrop Grumman Chief Executive Officer and President Ron Sugar were also in attendance.