More than 8,000 friends, family members and guests watch Sailors and Marines man the rails as they “bring the ship to life” during the commissioning ceremony of amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6). America is the first ship of its class and the fourth to bear the name. She replaces the Tarawa-class of amphibious assault ship as the next generation “big-deck” amphibious assault ship and is optimized for aviation and capable of supporting current and future aircraft such as the MV-22 Osprey and F-35B Joint Strike Fighter. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jonathan A. Colon/Released)