BETHESDA, Md. — Maryland first lady Dawn Moore received an honor Monday, from the U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, during a naming ceremony at the Naval Support Activity Bethesda. Accompanied by her husband, Gov. Wes Moore, Dawn Moore was named the sponsor of the new medical ship, USNS Bethesda.
The ship, named after the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, will deliver medical aide to Navy and Marine Corps servicemembers around the world.
As a sponsor of the ship, Dawn Moore will maintain a lifelong relationship with the ship and the crews.
In an exclusive sit-down interview with WUSA9's Lesli Foster, Maryland's first lady said, “There will be times when I will send words of encouragement or send care packages. So there are many things that I will be able to do, along with Marylanders, to be able to serve this ship in the way that its more than deserving of."
Construction of the USNS Bethesda is due to start in 2025, with delivery expected in 2029.
“This is so exciting,” said Dawn Moore. “This is a world class facility on the water. They can do anything a hospital can do. And it really is like a floating hospital with world class therapies and treatments. It’s a state of the art facility. And so when we think about what this ship is going to be able to do, we think about the lives that it is going to be able to save. We think about the hope that it is going to be able to provide.”
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