Navy
Future USNS Solomon Atkinson, named for one of first Navy SEALs, christened in Alabama
Stars and Stripes
May 2, 2026
The future USNS Solomon Atkinson, a Navajo-class rescue and salvage ship, was christened during a ceremony Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. During the ceremony, the ship’s sponsors, JoAnn Atkinson, Michele Gunyah and Maria Hayward — the wife and daughters of the ship’s namesake — performed the traditional bottle break against the bow. (Tad Denson/Austal USA)
The future USNS Solomon Atkinson, a Navajo-class rescue and salvage ship, was christened during a ceremony Saturday at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala.
The ship is named in honor of retired U.S. Navy Chief Warrant Officer 4 Solomon Atkinson, who was one of the first Navy SEALs.
A veteran of the Korean War, Atkinson served aboard the USS Washburn. He later completed three combat tours during the Vietnam War, earning a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and the Navy Commendation Medal with a Combat “V.” His naval service included training 48 astronauts in the Apollo and Gemini space flight programs, including Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the Navy said in a news release.
Atkinson, who died in 2019, was born in Metlakatla in 1930 and raised in Alaska’s only federally recognized Indian reservation. Before enlisting in the Navy in 1952, he worked as a commercial fisherman. After his retirement from the Navy in 1973, Atkinson founded the first veterans organization on Annette Island and served as mayor of Metlakatla, among other roles in the community.
The ship’s sponsors, JoAnn Atkinson, Michele Gunyah and Maria Hayward — the wife and daughters of the ship’s namesake — performed the traditional bottle break against the bow.
Navajo-class rescue and salvage ships can support a range of missions, including towing, rescue, salvage, humanitarian assistance, oil spill response, and search and surveillance, according to the Navy. Navajo-class ships can tow U.S. Navy ships and will have 6,000 square feet of deck space for embarked systems.