{"id":28883,"date":"2021-05-11T22:20:19","date_gmt":"2021-05-11T22:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/05\/11\/expeditionary-sea-base-miguel-keith-commissioned-by-navy\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:37:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:37:48","slug":"expeditionary-sea-base-miguel-keith-commissioned-by-navy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/05\/11\/expeditionary-sea-base-miguel-keith-commissioned-by-navy\/","title":{"rendered":"Expeditionary sea base Miguel Keith commissioned by Navy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Navy\u2019s newest expeditionary sea base<\/a>, the USS Miguel Keith, was commissioned Saturday in Coronado, California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although expeditionary sea bases originally served as United States Naval Ships under Military Sealift Command, the Navy changed its policy and approved the commissioning of all ESBs. Doing so provides the ships with more mission flexibility while adhering to international law, the Navy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some USNS ESBs did carry a small military complement to carry out communication and special mission functions, or for force protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cConverting ESBs to a commissioned warship (USS) allow them the flexibility needed to meet challenges in the regions in which they operate,\u201d Navy spokesman Lt. Rob Reinheimer said in a statement to Navy Times. \u201cA warship must conduct potential missions, such as mine-countermeasure operations and special operations forces staging, under the law of armed conflict. In order to provide combatant commanders the maximum amount of flexibility, the Navy made the decision to commission ESB-5 as a U.S. warship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the change, crew composition has remained the same, with approximately 100 military officers and crew, and 44 Military Sealift civil service mariners, Reinheimer said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ship is named after Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Miguel Keith, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis ship is named after an inspiring leader \u2014 a Marine,\u201d Adm. Craig Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command, said in his remarks during the commissioning ceremony at Naval Air Station North Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keith, a machine gunner with Combined Action Platoon 1-3-2, was \u201cseriously wounded\u201d during a morning ground attack from a much larger enemy force on May 8, 1970, in Quang Ngai province of South Vietnam, according to his Medal of Honor citation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although injured, Keith ran across \u201cfire-swept terrain to check the security of vital defense positions and then, while completely exposed to view, proceeded to deliver a hail of devastating machine gun fire against the enemy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He then fired against five enemy soldiers making their way toward the command post as he advanced toward them. He successfully killed three of the enemy soldiers, and the two others dispersed, the citation said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this point, a grenade detonated near Keith, knocking him to the ground and inflicting further severe wounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFighting pain and weakness from loss of blood, he again braved the concentrated hostile fire to charge an estimated 25 enemy soldiers who were massing to attack,\u201d the citation reads. \u201cThe vigor of his assault and his well-placed fire eliminated four of the enemy soldiers while the remainder fled for cover.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this valiant effort, he was fatally wounded by an enemy soldier, but his actions \u201ccontributed in large measure to the success of his platoon in routing a numerically superior enemy force,\u201d according to his citation.<\/p>\n\n\n\t