November 25, 2019
NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Nov. 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
What:
Caroline Kennedy, President John F. Kennedy's daughter and sponsor of his namesake ship, will smash a bottle of American sparkling wine across the ship's hull on Saturday, Dec. 7, to christen the aircraft carrier. Media are invited to attend the ceremony, as well as a media day event, on Friday, Dec. 6. Media day will provide an opportunity to interview Newport News Shipbuilding President Jennifer Boykin, Kennedy shipbuilders and sailors.
The christening ceremony is not open to the public. Invited guests include shipbuilders and their families; Kennedy sailors and their families; the Kennedy family and invited guests; and Navy and government representatives. Retired U.S. Marine Corps Major General and former NASA Administrator Charles Frank Bolden Jr., will serve as the principal speaker. Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also will serve as one of the speakers. HII will provide a live, multi-camera satellite broadcast of the christening ceremony in its entirety. Coordinates are below.
When:
Friday, Dec. 6
10 a.m. EST
Media check-in: 9:15 a.m. EST
Saturday, Dec. 7
11 a.m. EST
Media check-in: 9 a.m.
Where:
For media day: Parking will be reserved on the first floor (third and fourth rows on the left) of the parking deck at the Virginia Advanced Shipbuilding and Carrier Integration Center (VASCIC), 2401 West Ave. in Newport News. Media must arrive no later than 9:15 a.m. to participate.
For the christening: Media will park at the Warwick Boulevard Satellite Lot at 7505 Warwick Blvd., Newport News and be escorted and transported by bus to and from the site for both events. See directions below. The bus will depart at 9:40 a.m. on Friday and 8:40 a.m. on Saturday. All equipment must be on the bus upon departure; media will not have access to their vehicles once they have entered the shipyard.
RSVP:
Confirmation of attendance is required. Media must RSVP online at https://hii.checkboxonline.com/John-F-Kennedy-Media-RSVP by 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2. A government issued photo ID and valid media credentials are required to be admitted. For more information, contact Duane Bourne at (757) 380-3581 or Duane.A.Bourne@hii-co.com.
A webcast of the event will be provided at www.kennedychristening.com. A livestream of the event will also be available on the Huntington Ingalls Industries Facebook page. A live, multi-camera satellite broadcast of the event also will be provided.
Satellite information is as follows:
HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII's mission is to deliver the world's most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world.
As the nation's largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII's workforce is 44,000 strong.
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