EVERETT — Another ship will call Naval Station Everett home, Rep. Rick Larsen’s office announced Thursday. It’s the third such announcement in less than two months.
The USS John S. McCain is scheduled to change its homeport on Aug. 30, 2021, Larsen’s office said in a news release. It’s moving here from Japan.
Two other ships recently have been assigned to Everett. They are the USS Cape St. George and the USS John Paul Jones.
The USS John S. McCain has a crew of nearly 330. It is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer commissioned in 1994. Before arriving in Everett, the ship is to undergo maintenance and modernization.
The McCain is named for three members of the prominent McCain family — including the late Sen. John McCain III — all of whom served in the Navy.
“I look forward to welcoming the USS John S. McCain, her sailors and their families to Everett,” Larsen said in the news release.
USS John S. McCain departs Fleet Activities Yokosuka to conduct comprehensive at-sea testing on Oct. 28, 2019. (US Navy)
Not counting the three new additions, Naval Station Everett is currently home to five Navy destroyers and two Coast Guard vessels. It is the former home of the aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Nimitz.
In May, the USS Cape St. George was assigned to Naval Station Everett while it goes through long-term repairs at the Vigor Marine shipyard in Seattle. It won’t actually dock in Everett, but sailors and their families are expected to move to the Puget Sound area. That ship is set to arrive Sept. 15.
In June, Larsen reported that the USS John Paul Jones will temporarily move here from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. That ship is scheduled to undergo a major modernization and maintenance overhaul before its homeport is changed to Everett on June 15, 2021.
Larsen represents the 2nd Congressional District that includes parts of Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties, along with all of Island and San Juan counties. He’s a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and has long pushed for more Navy and Coast Guard assets to be based in Everett. Late last year he released a report outlining why the base here should be home to more ships, especially an aircraft carrier.
Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin has worked with Larsen to advocate for more ships and sailors in Everett.
“The Navy is an important part of our community’s diverse fabric,” she said in the news release. “Everett is honored to be the new homeport of the USS John S. McCain and we warmly welcome her crew and families.”
Stephanie Davey: 425-339-3192; sdavey@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @stephrdavey.
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