Navy commissions first USS Jackson ship named after city

The Navy commissioned the  USS Jackson, the newest member of the fleet, on Saturday in Gulfport, Mississippi.

"As we welcome USS Jackson to the fleet, we are reminded of the importance of the partnership between our Navy and our nation's shipbuilding industry, a relationship that has brought us to the Jackson's commissioning, a time-honored tradition during which the sailors who make up her crew will breathe life into the hull of this great warship," Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said. ”We also celebrate the lasting bond this ship will share with the great people of Jackson, Mississippi, as it sails the globe, providing a presence that only our Navy and Marine Corps can maintain."

The Independence-variant littoral combat ship is named after Jackson, Mississippi, which is named after 19th century President Andrew Jackson. This is the first ship to be named after the city, but it isn’t the first shipped named Jackson. Two previous ships were named after Andrew Jackson. The first was built in the Washington Navy Yard in 1832. It was used along the East and Gulf Coasts to prevent smuggling. The second was a ballistic missile submarine, commissioned in 1963.