The U.S. Navy has commissioned its newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, the USS Carl M. Levin. The ship honors Michigan’s longest-serving senator for his years of service as a member and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The senator’s three daughters — Kate, Laura and Erica — participated in the keel laying, mast stepping, and christening ceremonies held on June 24 in Baltimore.

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet, said Adm. Michael M. Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations, noting that these ships conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence to national security. Home port for the ship will be Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.