The USS Little Rock is destined for the warm waters of Florida and, eventually, the stifling heat of the Persian Gulf. It will head out to sea later this year if the ice on the Great Lakes doesn't trap it first.
In the meantime, a contingent of crew members is visiting the ship's namesake city, meeting with local officials and learning about Arkansas history and culture.
The crew members' agenda included a visit to the USS Razorback, a tour of the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, a climb to the top of Pinnacle Mountain and a trip across the Big Dam Bridge.
On Monday morning, they had breakfast in the Pinnacle Room of the Little Rock Marriott, 20 floors above the Arkansas River, then spread out to do service projects around the community.
In the afternoon, several sailors stopped by the Arkansas Veterans Home.
Today, they are to meet with Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and tour the Clinton presidential library.
The ship's commander, Todd Peters, said the sailors hope to forge lasting ties with Arkansas' capital.
"We want to build a relationship with the city," he said. "This was a great opportunity to bring 15 of our sailors here so that they can meet as many of the residents as possible and get to explore the local area ... [so that] we can go out and reflect the character of the city on our ship as we represent you around the world."
The Little Rock, a Freedom-class littoral combat ship, is roughly 390 feet long and will have a core crew of about 50 sailors. It displaces 3,400 metric tons and will reach speeds of 47 knots -- faster than 50 miles per hour.
"We will go about twice as fast as most of the ships in the fleet," Peters said.
The ship was christened in July 2015 in Marinette, Wis., when the wife of a former Alabama congressman smashed a bottle of champagne across its bow. Work on the ship has continued since then.
The commissioning is tentatively set for late this year.
The two ceremonies are distinct, Peters said.
"The christening is basically where the name is imparted to the ship and the ship's put in the water, and that's really it," he said.
At the commissioning, which will be held in Buffalo, N.Y., the Little Rock's entire crew will be on hand and the ship will be officially designated a United States Ship (USS).
"As the ship is commissioned, they will run up the gangway onto the ship and take possession of the ship," he said. "At that point, the ship becomes an active warship."
A long list of dignitaries, including President Donald Trump, members of Congress and all of the top Navy brass, will be invited to attend.
Buffalo officials envision a weeklong celebration.
Before that can happen, the work on the Little Rock must be completed and it must pass all its tests.
The precise date is still in flux.
Plans for a September send-off have been canceled. Now officials are looking at November or December.
"I am very hopeful it will be this year," Peters said.
The ship is still in Marinette. Once the work is completed, it must go from northern Wisconsin to Buffalo, traveling along Lakes Michigan, Huron and Erie. The entire journey should take roughly a week, officials said.
The later in the year it gets, the colder it's likely to be. The average low temperature in Marinette is 28 degrees in November, dipping to 15 degrees in December and 10 in January.
Eventually, ice forms and the Great Lakes waterway shuts down. If it closes before the Little Rock escapes, the commissioning would likely be delayed until April or May, Peters said.
Buffalo is a fitting place for the commissioning; it is the home of the original USS Little Rock, a Cleveland-class light cruiser that was commissioned during the closing days of World War II.
After being converted into a guided-missile cruiser, it was decommissioned in 1976 and towed to what is now the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park.
This will be the first time in the nation's 240-year history that a new ship will be commissioned beside its namesake vessel, officials said.
A large group of Arkansans plans to be on hand for the ceremony.
"As the mayor, that's one of my official responsibilities," said Little Rock's top elected official, Mark Stodola.
The mayor said he looks forward to the commissioning and that he's glad the crew members have been able to visit Arkansas.
The ties between the Little Rock and Arkansas' capital city will be long-lasting, he predicted.
"It's a partnership, it's a relationship, for the entire life of the ship," he said.
The sailors said they're looking forward to serving aboard the USS Little Rock, which will have its home port in Mayport, Fla.
The ship is agile and can navigate shallow waters, said Petty Officer 1st Class Keenan Rogers of St. Paul, Minn. "It gets in, does the job and gets out very quickly," he said.
Ensign Brandon Alcorn of Avon, Ind., said the ship is innovative.
"There's a lot of technology that allows us to operate valves and start engines from a touchscreen on the bridge instead of having to send people into the spaces to actually do it. The automation is awesome on these new ships," he said.
Ensign Samantha Robbins of Fort Myers, Fla., said it's an honor to serve in the Navy and a privilege to have ties to Arkansas.
"The people of Little Rock have been so welcoming and we've already fallen in love with the city, so we're looking forward to having 'Little Rock' on the side of our ship when we set sail," she said.
A Section on 06/13/2017
