Ingalls lays keel of future USS George M. Neal

Kelley Jean Grey, ship’s sponsor and daughter of the namesake, signs her initials onto a steel plate that will be welded within DDG 131, the future USS George M. Neal. [Photo: Huntington Ingalls Industries]

The keel for the future USS George M. Neal (DDG 131), a Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, was ceremonially laid at HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division, December 15.

The ship is named for the late Aviation Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class George M. Neal, who was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions during the Korean War. As a volunteer crewman on a helicopter mission, Neal flew deep into the North Korean mountains to attempt the rescue of a marine aviator. After his rescue helicopter was disabled and crashed, he assisted his helicopter’s pilot and rescued the aviator, evading enemy forces for nine days before being captured and held as a prisoner of war.

The contemporary keel laying ceremony represents the joining together of a ship’s major modular components at the land level and is a significant milestone in the production of a ship. The keel is authenticated with the ship sponsors’ initials etched into a ceremonial keel plate that is later incorporated into the ship. On this occasion, George M. Neals daughter, Kelley Neal Grey, participated in the ceremony as the ship sponsor, joining Ingalls structural welder Morris Johnson in welding her initials onto a steel plate that will remain affixed to the ship throughout its lifetime..

“The late George M. Neal inspired his fellow servicemen, and we are honored to have his daughter with us as we marked this important milestone in the life of the ship, “ said Capt. Seth Miller, DDG 51-class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. “The future USS George M. Neal will provide our sailors with the latest air and missile defense capability.”

“Laying the keel of another Flight III DDG is a great way to celebrate the namesake of the ship and our world-class shipbuilders,” Ingalls Shipbuilding DDG-51 program manager Ben Barnett said. “Our ship namesake displayed the kind of courage and leadership that inspires us at Ingalls to have the same dedication to our mission. We are so grateful to our ship sponsor for being a part of the life of this ship and for sharing her family’s legacy with us.”

The future George M. Neal (DDG 131) is the fourth Flight III destroyer to be constructed at Ingalls. Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers incorporate a number of design modifications that collectively provide significantly enhanced capability including the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) and the Aegis Baseline 10 Combat System that are designed to keep pace with the threats well into the 21st century.