USS Ted Stevens
We hope you'll join us for this once-in-a-lifetime experience
A celebration of the crew, the namesake, and Alaska. Browse this site to learn more about the ship, the event, and to plan your trip North.
The Commissioning will be in Whittier, a tiny, jaw-dropping spot at the edge of Prince William Sound about an hour south of Anchorage. Events run Wednesday–Saturday, with the main events Friday night and Saturday morning.
Fly into Anchorage (Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport) and stay either in Anchorage or Girdwood. Read on for where to stay, what the week looks like, and ideas for enjoying your time in Alaska.
Your official invitation to the ceremony will come from the Navy by email in the next few weeks.
To help us with communications and arrangements:
Schedule
Here's a rough schedule of events. Check back here or usstedstevens.org for exact times and details as we get closer.
Wednesday, Sept 30
AnchorageBlock party Tentative
Downtown Anchorage
Thursday, Oct 1
AnchorageStevens Friends & Alumni gathering Possible
Details to come
Friday, Oct 2
AnchorageOfficial reception No children
Tentatively 5–8 pm at the University of Alaska Anchorage campus
Saturday, Oct 3
Commissioning dayCommissioning Ceremony Main event
In Whittier
Getting there: No cars are allowed through the Whittier tunnel. Trains depart Anchorage around 7:00 am; buses leave the Alyeska Prince Hotel in Girdwood around 8:00 am. Exact times to come.
What to wear: You'll spend time outside, so look sharp if you like — but most importantly, bring warm layers and rain gear.
Travel & Lodging
Everyone stays in either Girdwood or Anchorage — here's how to choose, plus what to do while you're here. No cars go into Whittier on ceremony day: it's a bus from Girdwood or the special train from Anchorage.
Mountain-town vibe
About 40 minutes south of Anchorage, at the base of Mount Alyeska — tram, spa, and restaurants right there, plus darker skies for possible aurora viewing.
- Alyeska Prince Hotel
Discount code will be available soon, but book now and tell them you are with the Commissioning Group. Hotel will fill up quickly. - Airbnb / VRBO
Ceremony day: the bus to Whittier leaves from the Alyeska Prince Hotel.
City convenience
Great if you'd rather be in the city, close to the airport, food, and shops.
- Downtown Marriott
Discount code TBD. - Hotel Captain Cook, or another downtown hotel
Ceremony day: the special train to Whittier leaves from Anchorage.
Things to do in Anchorage
Local favorites
Humpy's · That Feeling Co. & Fire Island Bakery · Snow City Café · El Green-Go's · Wild Scoops · 49th State Brewing · Crow's Nest (fancy)
Things to do in Girdwood
Local favorites
The Bake Shop (hearty breakfast & homemade soups) · Jack Sprat · Double Musky Inn · Chair 5
The Commissioning
Whittier
Of all the places to commission a warship, few are as beautiful — or as fitting — as this one.
Whittier sits at the head of Passage Canal, a fjord of Prince William Sound, tucked in tight by steep mountains and hanging glaciers. Just past the harbor is the densest cluster of tidewater glaciers in the world. Whittier exists because of the armed forces: during World War II the Army built it as a secret, ice-free deep-water port — a hidden back door into Alaska, reached only by the rail tunnel — and it stayed an active Army port into the Cold War.
A commissioning is the ceremony that places a warship into active service — the moment she officially becomes “USS.” Until then, she is the future USS Ted Stevens. A Navy warship comes to life through a series of ceremonies, each centuries old. Here's the journey of the Ted Stevens so far.
Contract Awarded
The Navy awarded the contract to build DDG-128 to Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
Naming
The Secretary of the Navy announced the ship would be named in honor of Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska — for his lifetime of service, starting as a World War II pilot and finishing with 40 years in the U.S. Senate.
Keel Laying
The ceremonial “laying of the keel” marked the joining of the ship's first modular components — the official start of her life. The keel was “authenticated” when the sponsors' initials were etched into a ceremonial keel plate, permanently binding the sponsors to the ship.
Launch
The ship was moved from land to dry dock and floated for the first time.
Mast Stepping
In one of the Navy's oldest traditions, a steel box of coins and mementos was welded to the base of the ship's mast for good luck and safe passage — a custom dating to ancient mariners. It will be opened only when the ship is decommissioned, in about 40 years.
Christening
The sponsors — Lily Stevens Becker, Catherine Stevens, and Sue Stevens Covich — broke bottles of champagne across the bow and officially gave the ship her name. Watch below.
Sail Away
The completed ship departed Ingalls Shipbuilding for the last time, sailing for her homeport of Norfolk, Virginia.
Commissioning
The culmination of years of work by the shipbuilders and the crew: the ship is placed into active service and officially becomes USS Ted Stevens. This is the moment you'll be there for.
The Ship
USS Ted Stevens — the most powerful warship in the world.
Motto: “Lead with Courage!”
The Arleigh Burke class of guided-missile destroyers (DDGs) is a U.S. Navy class centered around the Aegis Combat System and the SPY-1D multi-function radar. The class is named for Admiral Arleigh Burke, an American destroyer officer in World War II and later Chief of Naval Operations. With an overall length of 505–509.5 feet, a displacement of 8,300–9,700 tons, and weaponry including over 90 missiles, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are larger and more heavily armed than many previous classes of guided-missile cruisers.
Ted Stevens enlisted in the Army Air Corps at 19 and flew transport planes with the 14th Army Air Corps in China — the “Flying Tigers.” He helped bring Alaska into statehood, served in the State Legislature, and served 40 years in the U.S. Senate — all while being one of the military's fiercest champions.
USS Ted Stevens & USS Daniel K. Inouye
An unlikely brotherhood — and a partnership that guarded our defense
Ted Stevens and Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii had a friendship forged in service that became a model for bipartisan leadership. For twenty years, the two jointly led the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee — a Republican and a Democrat who traded the chairman's gavel back and forth five times between 1989 and 2008. At one point they decided it was better for continuity and the country to lead as “co-chairmen,” eliminating the usual majority-party hand-off. Both veterans of World War II (Inouye a Medal of Honor recipient), they built a bipartisanship in national defense that hadn't been seen before, keeping the country's security steady no matter who held the majority.
Opposite parties, opposite temperaments. They campaigned for each other, traveled the globe visiting troops together, and came to call one another brothers. Both arrived in the Senate in the early days of statehood for their far-flung Pacific states, and together they made sure Alaska and Hawaii were never forgotten.
Fittingly, their ships were set in motion together: in 2013, the Senate passed appropriations legislation authorizing the Navy to name two warships for the two friends — Senator Ted Stevens and Senator Daniel Inouye.
USS Daniel Inouye
Commissioned at Pearl Harbor in 2021. Motto: “Go For Broke!”
Visit the USS Daniel Inouye site →Captain & Crew
- Commanding Officer: [name, title]
- Executive Officer: [name, title]
- Command Master Chief: [name]
Roughly 300 sailors will take this powerful warship on missions around the world.
FAQ
Don't see your question? Just reach out.
When should I arrive and leave?
Fly into Anchorage on Friday or earlier and head home Sunday afternoon or later. (Come earlier if you'd like to catch the Wednesday and Thursday events.)
Where should I stay?
In Girdwood or Anchorage — see Travel & Lodging for the full rundown.
Do I need a rental car?
Not to get to the ceremony — but if you stay in Girdwood, you'll want one to get around.
What should I wear to the commissioning?
Dressy, but bundled — you'll be outside in the cold. Wear something nice and pile warm, waterproof layers on top. We'll confirm exact dress guidance.
What do I need to get in?
It's a Navy event with security, so bring a photo ID. We'll share more details closer to the ceremony.
How's the weather in early October?
Cool and often rainy — roughly 35–50°F.
Will I see the Northern Lights?
We hope so! If the weather's clear, you can watch from a dark spot in Anchorage — or better yet, from Girdwood. Track the aurora forecast at the UAF Geophysical Institute aurora forecast.
Can I bring my kids / extended family?
Each guest must have an invitation to the Commissioning. If you would like to request additional family, please reach out.