IAM Union-Built Naval Ship Commissioned for Duty

San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship Richard M. McCool, Jr. (LPD 29) departed from Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., recently en route to its commissioning site at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. Approximately 220 members of IAM Local 1133 (District W2021), are part of 13 different unions building the ship.

IAM Local 1133 members are responsible for:

1. Some Facility Maintenance in the shipyard Multi-Union Dept
2. Inside Machinists
3. Outside Machinists
4. Tool Room
5. Hydraulics
6. Non-Destructive Test (NDT)
7. Test & Trials
8. Panel Manufacturing
9. Metallurgical

The ship is named after former U.S. Navy Capt. Richard McCool Jr., who was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions off the coast of Okinawa in 1945. It is the Navy’s 13th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship.

“The departure of the USS Richard M. McCool Jr. marks not only the journey of a ship but the legacy of heroic service and craftsmanship,” said IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Craig Martin. “Built by the hands of over 220 dedicated IAM union members, this San Antonio-class vessel honors Medal of Honor recipient Capt. Richard McCool Jr., standing as a testament to bravery, teamwork, and American Naval strength.”

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