The Key West Council of the United States Navy League is Proud to lead the Commissioning Committee for the USS LENAH HIGBEE (DDG-123)
USS Lenah Higbee
The Key West Navy League is the proud sponsor of the Commissioning Ceremony for USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123), a United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA guided missile destroyer, the 73rd overall for the class. She is named for Chief Nurse Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (1874–1941), a pioneering Navy nurse who served as Superintendent of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps during World War I
Commissioning Ceremony
May 13, 2023
USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123) will be commissioned, Saturday, May 13 at 10:00 a.m. EST at the Port of Key West in Key West Florida (date/time subject to change).
Commissioning Committee
A Commissioning Committee is established to manage the events surrounding a US Navy ship commissioning. The formation of a commissioning committee is a non-Navy function. The purpose of the committee is to act as a liaison between the ship, the Navy and the community for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a continuing relationship between the ship and the area. The Commissioning Committee is responsible for managing all activities associated with pre- and post-commissioning events and for raising and disbursing funding for those events surrounding the formal Commissioning Ceremony where the new ship is “brought to life” and officially joins the Navy fleet.
Commissioning Events
There are a wide variety of events in the months and days leading up to the commissioning ceremony itself. Starting with a kick-off event on 8 November, there will be a series of presentations given by the Commissioning Committee to educate the community about the ship, her namesake, and her role in the Operational Fleet. A detailed calendar of events will be provided on this website as they are scheduled.
There are many ways for you, your company or organization to support the Commissioning of the USS LENAH SUTCLIFFE HIGBEE at Key West. Your individual donation is tax-deductible and will help make the Commissioning a memorable experience for the first Sailors and Officers
The Ship
DDG-123 is the US Navy’s newest ARLIEGH BURKE Aegis Guided Missile Destroyer. DDG 123 will be capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously and will contain a combination of offensive and defensive weapon systems designed to support maritime warfare, including integrated air and missile defense and vertical launch capabilities.
Lenah Sutcliff Higbee
Lenah Higbee was the first woman Superintendent of the US Navy Nurse Corps. She recruited, trained and deployed Navy nurses just prior to WW I. These nurses served on transport ships and, thanks to Superintendent Higbee’s vision, planning and direct involvement, were extremely effective in treating soldiers going to and coming from the war.
Sponsorship
Sponsorship opportunities are open to all donors and are outlined in the “Donate” section of the website. In addition, all Sponsors are listed in all material published by the Commissioning Committee.
Commissioning Sponsors
