Port scuttlebutt

USS TRENTON Welcomes Visitors at the Port of Wilmington WHAT: USS TRENTON – Free Public Tours MORE NEWS WHEN: June 28-29, 9:00am – 5:00pm Rain or Shine WHERE: Port of Wilmington, Delaware, I495 Exit 2
Wilmington, DE - The Port of Wilmington will host the USS TRENTON (LPD-14) on June 28-29 for public tours. The ship will welcome visitors from 9:00am to 5:00pm. “We are very excited about this opportunity for our Delaware residents and our neighbors in the adjacent states to enjoy top-side tours onboard this very capable amphibious assault ship”, said Eugene R. Bailey, Executive Director of the Diamond State Port Corporation (DSPC). “This is the largest US Navy ship ever to visit Delaware”, he added.

USS TRENTON (LPD 14) is an amphibious warfare ship, and a member of the US Navy’s Atlantic Fleet. TRENTON’s mission is to conduct sustained combat, amphibious and special operations. She delivers combat forces to enemy shores along with military equipment, weapons, ammunition and supplies needed to gain a tactical foothold and push inland. TRENTON is commanded by Commander Robert P. Irelan, USN, and has a crew of 30 officers and 396 enlisted sailors, and in addition, can carry 900 combat ready US Marines. She is equipped to handle up to 24 amphibious assault vehicles, has a telescopic hangar and a flight deck which has space for up to six CH-46 utility helicopters. USS TRENTON is named for the historic capital of the State of New Jersey which was founded by an 18th century ship-owner and businessman, Colonel William Trent. The original TRENTON was a steam sloop of war commissioned in 1874 that foundered off the coast of Samoa in 1889. The second TRENTON (CL-11) was a light cruiser commissioned in 1924, which served with the Asiatic, Caribbean and Southeast Pacific fleets during World War II. LPD-14 is the third US Navy ship to bear the name TRENTON. The USS TRENTON was commissioned on March 6, 1971. She is 569 feet (173.4 meters) long, has a 105 feet (32 meters) beam, and a draft of 34 feet (10.4 meters). The ship’s displacement is 16,900 tons, and it has a top speed of 21 knots. Her homeport is Norfolk, VA. Note: For visitors, rubber soled flat shoes are suggested to assist your use of the ship’s 30 foot angled ladder to board the USS Trenton.
Founded in 1923, the *Port of Wilmington* is an important asset for the local and regional economy, generating more than 5,800 jobs and contributing over $18 million in annual tax revenues to State and local government. The Port is owned and operated by the Diamond State Port Corporation, a corporation of the State of Delaware. For further information, digital photos, free tours of the Port and free speakers contact: Vered Nohi-Becker, Marketing Services Manager at the Port of Wilmington @ (302) 472-7819, e-mail: vnbecker@port.state.de.us