Washington, D.C. –U.S.
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Congressman Rick Larsen (WA-02) sent a letter
to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary
Roughead urging them to station an aircraft
carrier at Naval Station Everett following the departure of the USS Abraham
Lincoln in 2012. Murray and Larsen stressed the multiple strategic advantages
of docking an aircraft carrier at Naval Station Everett and urged the Navy to
support the local community that has formed a warm and supportive relationship
with them.
“We are writing to urge that a replacement aircraft
carrier be stationed at Naval Station Everett when the USS Abraham Lincoln
departs in 2012 to conduct refueling operations,” wrote Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Rick Larsen. “Naval Station Everett has many
advantages that make it an ideal location for basing a carrier, including
strategic access to the Pacific Ocean, outstanding quality of life for sailors
and their families, and sustainable, modern facilities.” They argued that replacing the carrier
when it leaves “…will ensure the Navy has adequate access to
needed carrier resources and support in the Pacific, while demonstrating
dedication to a local community that has formed a warm and supportive
relationship with the United States Navy.”
The full text of the letter follows:
Dear Secretary Mabus and Admiral Roughead:
We are writing to urge that a replacement aircraft
carrier be stationed at Naval Station Everett when the USS Abraham Lincoln
departs in 2012 to conduct refueling operations. Naval Station Everett
has many advantages that make it an ideal location for basing a carrier,
including strategic access to the Pacific Ocean, outstanding quality of life
for sailors and their families, and sustainable, modern facilities.
Naval Station Everett possesses clear strategic
advantages as a homeport for an aircraft carrier. It has the pier space
available to host a carrier and multiple surface combatants. The base is
located on a deepwater port that never needs to be dredged, providing
unobstructed access to Puget Sound for ships with drafts of over 50 feet.
Further, the presence of multiple deep-water sea lanes in the vicinity offers
the possibility of a quick deployment in the event of a terrorist attack or
other crisis.
Naval Station Everett’s location on the Pacific Rim
offers a clear strategic benefit as a carrier homeport. The 2006
Quadrennial Defense Review outlined the importance of placing naval assets in
the Pacific Ocean, stating “The fleet will have greater presence in the Pacific
Ocean, consistent with the global shift of trade and transport.” The Pacific
continues to be an area which offers our Navy many challenges as well as
opportunities for building positive relationships with emerging powers.
Naval Station Everett provides carriers and surface combatants with
direct access to the vital Pacific Ocean area of operations.
We urge you to consider the strategic advantages of
stationing an aircraft carrier at Naval Station Everett when the USS Abraham
Lincoln begins its mid-life refueling operation. This will ensure
the Navy has adequate access to needed carrier resources and support in the
Pacific, while demonstrating dedication to a local community that has formed a
warm and supportive relationship with the United States Navy.
We look forward to your response.
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