Commissioning of USS John L. Canley

On 17 Feb, MCRA Board of Director member William Bentley and our SJA Richard Protzmann were on hand as the Navy commissioned the USS John L. Canley in Coronado, CA.  The Canley is the newest Expeditionary Sea Base ship (ESB) designated ESB 6.  ESB 6 joins the USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3), USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4), and the USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5). This ship supports a variety of maritime-based missions, including Special Operations Forces (SOF) and Airborne Mine Counter Measures (AMCM). ESBs have a four-spot flight deck, mission deck, and hangar, designed around four core capabilities: aviation facilities, berthing, equipment staging support, and command and control assets. Follow-on ships Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7) and Hector A. Cafferata Jr. (ESB 8) are under construction. The commissioning of ESBs provides combatant commanders greater operational flexibility to employ this platform in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.

The commissioning ceremony's principal address was delivered by the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy.  Remarks were also provided by General Joseph P. Dunford, Jr., 19^th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and 36^th Commandant of the Marine Corps; Sergeant Major Carlos Ruiz, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps; and Mr. David Carver, President of General Dynamics NASSCO. The ship's sponsor is Patricia Sargent, Sgt. Maj. Canley's daughter.

The first of its name, the ship honors United States Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. John L. Canley, Ret., who was awarded the Medal of Honor 50 years after his actions during the Battle of Hue City. Canley served as Company Gunnery Sergeant, Company A, First Battalion, First Marines, First Marine Division in the Republic of Vietnam from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, 1968. Sgt. Maj. Canley passed away in Bend, Oregon May 11, 2022.

The MCRA was honored to support the commissioning.