It wasn’t a surprise, but news last week that the USS Abraham Lincoln, the symbolic centerpiece of Naval Station Everett, will be leaving in 2013 still came as a jolt.

It was well known that the Lincoln would have to leave one day for refueling of its nuclear reactors, a process that takes about three years. Still, as the first and only aircraft carrier to call Everett home, it has become a fixture here — a majestic vessel of prestige for this community and an emblem of the deep and mutually beneficial relationship between Snohomish County and the Navy. When the Lincoln departs Port Gardner Bay for the final time, it will leave heavy hearts in its wake.

Of course, those hearts will immediately open to the Lincoln’s successor here. According to U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, who was briefed recently by Navy officials, that will be the USS Nimitz, the lead ship of the class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers that includes the Lincoln. The Navy won’t confirm that, but Dicks’ office is sticking to its prediction.

Whether it’s the Nimitz, another carrier or — as Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson suggests — two carriers that eventually call Everett home, the accompanying personnel will find a homeport and community whose fibers are inexorably intertwined. It’s widely known in the Navy that sailors and officers want to come here for quality of life reasons, but in the decade and a half since Naval Station Everett formally opened, they and their families have made this a better place to live for everyone.

They’re valued neighbors throughout the county. They’re selfless volunteers who spend countless hours helping out in schools and every charitable organization imaginable. They’re positive role models for young and old alike.

And during this Independence Day weekend, the courageous part they play in keeping our nation strong and free isn’t lost on anyone here. The community’s gratitude overflowed in 2003 when some 30,000 people turned out to welcome the Lincoln back from the Iraq war.

The relationship between Snohomish County and Naval Station Everett is a success story to build upon. Indeed, the infrastructure inside and outside the base is designed to accommodate roughly double its current complement of ships, and the community would love to have even more Navy families as neighbors.

As the Navy decides where to assign its ships, it should keep that front of mind. It can’t do better than Everett.