This past April 6 saw the launching of USNS Amelia Earhart during a nighttime ceremony at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego. Amy Kleppner, niece of Amelia Earhart, served as the ship’s sponsor.

Designated T-AKE 6, USNS Earhart is the the sixth and newest ship in the Lewis and Clark class of dry cargo/ammunition ships. The new T-AKE class delivers ammunition, provisions, spare parts, potable water and petroleum products to the Navy’s carrier strike groups at sea and other naval forces worldwide, allowing them to stay at sea, on station and combat ready for extended periods of time.

USNS Earhart is named in honor of aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross. She received the award after completing a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1937 she disappeared over the central Pacific Ocean during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe.

USNS Earhart will be crewed by 124 civil service mariners working for Military Sealift Command, and will have a military detachment of 11 US Navy Sailors to provide supply coordination. Construction on the ship began in December 2006, and USNS Earhart is scheduled for delivery to the Navy later this year.

The T-37 Tweet officially retired and the 80^th Flying Training Wing replaced the prominent trainer aircraft with the T-6A Texan II.

Retired Navy Rear Adm. James Maslowski handed the “set of keys” to Col. David Petersen, 80^th FTW Commander David Petersen, to signify the wing’s acceptance of the first two trainers.

“We are pleased that you are beginning training in the T-6, but it also marks the end of a historical aircraft, the T-37,” Admiral Maslowski said.

Sheppard Air Force Base currently has eight T-6As on its ramp, but will receive a total of 69 over the next 18 months. Base officials have 74 T-37s at this time.

The two aircraft taxied up to a vintage AT-6 Texan a little after 3 p.m. Colonel Petersen piloted the first aircraft, with Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Steering Committee Chairman Royal Netherlands Air Force Air Commodore Peter Berlijn in the back seat. The second T-6A was piloted by Capt. Brian Wood, an instructor pilot at the 89th Flying Training Squadron. Italian Brig. Gen. Franco Marsiglia, the steering committee’s incoming chairman, was also in the second aircraft.