The USS Jack H. Lucas Commissioning Committee, The Navy League of Tampa and Port Tampa Bay today announced that Port Tampa Bay would serve as the host facility for the Naval Commissioning of the USS Jack H. Lucas DDG 125 warship on October 7, 2023. Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship into active Navy service. The moment the commissioning pennant is broken at the masthead, a ship becomes a Navy command in her own right, and takes her place alongside the other active ships of the fleet.

The commissioning ceremony is one of the most significant milestones in the life of a U.S. Navy ship and includes a weeklong event of festivities for the ship’s crew, the U.S. Navy and the Tampa Bay community. The USS Jack H. Lucas DDG 125 is currently under construction in Pascagoula, Mississippi but will travel to Tampa Bay for the ceremony.