MS SC635

Recognizes and salutes the commissioning ceremony of USS MISSISSIPPI (SSN-782), a Virginia-class attack submarine, scheduled for June 2, 2012, at the Port of Pascagoula.

Acknowledges this is the fifth Navy ship to bear the name Mississippi, with previous vessels serving in the Mexican-American War, World War II, and Operation Desert Storm.

Honors Mississippi's shipbuilding tradition, particularly Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, which has built over 70% of the Navy's fleet of warships and began constructing nuclear submarines in 1958.

Notes the submarine is 377 feet long, represents the Navy's next generation of attack submarines, and honors Mississippi's resilience following Hurricane Katrina.

Extends appreciation to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, Mississippi's congressional delegation, and local community leaders for bringing the commissioning ceremony to Mississippi.