Washington Irving Chambers

Captain Washington Irving Chambers, USN (1856–1934) was a United States Navy officer who played a major role in the early development of naval aviation, serving as the first officer to have oversight of the Navy's aviation program.

Chambers was born in Kingsport, New York in 1856 and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1876. He served in various sea and shore billets from that time onwards, including on the celebrated Greely Relief Expedition under Winfield Scott Schley. In 1907-09, he was Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance. Later on, he was placed in charge of the development of aviation in the Bureau of Navigation. Among his other accomplishments, Captain Chambers arranged for the first take-off and landing of an airplane on a ship, in collaboration with pioneer aviator Eugene Ely, pioneered work on torpedoes, and submitted one of the first American designs for an all-big-gun battleship.

Chambers Field in Norfolk, Virginia, dedicated in June 1938, was named in his honor, as is the dry cargo ship USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE-11).

USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE-11)

USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE-11) is a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship of the United States Navy, named in honor of Captain Washington Chambers (1856–1934), a pioneer in US naval aviation. The contract to build Washington Chambers was awarded to National Steel and Shipbuilding Company on 12 December 2008. Her keel was laid down on 25 August 2009.

Washington Chambers was launched and christened on 11 September 2010 sponsored by Loretta Penn, wife of former Acting Secretary of the Navy, B.J. Penn. The ship will deliver ammunition, provisions, spare parts, potable water and petroleum products to US Navy and other navy ships at sea, allowing them to remain underway and combat ready for extended periods of time.

Washington Chambers was delivered to the US Navy's Military Sealift Command on 23 February 2011, following a series of tests and sea trials.

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United States Naval Ship

United States Naval Ship or USNS is the prefix designation given to non-commissioned ships that are property of the United States Navy.

Overview

United States Naval Ships are usually auxiliary support vessels owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by Military Sealift Command. They are crewed by civilian mariners rather than U.S. Navy personnel, although some ships include a small military complement to carry out communication and special mission functions, or for force protection. In comparison, U.S. Navy ships commissioned into service have the designation USS and are crewed by U.S. Navy personnel; commissioned and held in property by the United States Government. A few Navy ships have hybrid crews of both uniformed Navy personnel and civil service mariners; these ships are also designated USNS.

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