US Navy ship takes on name of San Diego community

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Point Loma received a high honor Saturday as the U.S. Navy named one of its ships after the local neighborhood.

The ceremony, held in Mobile, Alabama, involved the christening of the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) medical ship, according to U.S. Navy officials .

USNS Point Loma will serve as a medical ship that features an embarked medical unit, two operating rooms and can support 147 medical patients and 38 civilian crew members.

“The ship is named in honor of the community of Point Loma and its decades long relationship with the Navy, beginning with the establishment of the Naval Coaling Station, La Playa, in 1901, and later the Naval Supply Center San Diego in 1943,” the Navy said in a news release.

The USNS Point Loma is the second ship to represent the San Diego community.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.