A new Navy medical ship will be named the USNS Bethesda EMS 1.
Maryland First Lady Dawn Moore is the ship’s sponsor. She and Gov. Wes Moore were guests of honor at a ceremony Monday at Naval Support Activity Bethesda.
The USNS Bethesda is lead ship in a new class of medical ships. It is named after the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, now consolidated into the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
It typically takes anywhere from 4-5 years to build the ship, said Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro. He said the ship, and all Bethesda-class ships, are designed to provide hospital-level care, to serve not just sailors and marines, but also give assistance to allies and partners around the world in times of need.
