Chugach celebrates commissioning of USS Ted Stevens in the Chugach region
WHITTIER, Alaska – Chugach Alaska Corporation (Chugach) honored the legacy of the late Sen. Ted Stevens, whose advocacy helped create Alaska Native corporations, as the U.S. Navy commissioned the USS Ted Stevens (DDG 128) in the Chugach region on Saturday. Chugach sponsored the USS Ted Stevens Commissioning Committee, which hosted commissioning week events in Anchorage and Whittier, and its federal services arm, Chugach Government Solutions, helped prepare the ship for commissioning.
The Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer is the first Navy ship commissioned in Alaska since 2013. Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao delivered the keynote address, joined by Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Alaska’s full congressional delegation, U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and U.S. Rep. Nick Begich, and Adm. Steve Koehler, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Stevens flew for the Army Air Corps in World War II and was later appointed U.S. attorney in Fairbanks. He went on to serve at the Interior Department, where he worked toward Alaska statehood, and represented Alaska in the U.S. Senate from 1968 to 2009. When he left office, he was the longest-serving Republican senator in history. The ship’s sponsors are his wife, Catherine Stevens, and his daughters, Susan Stevens Covich and Lily Stevens Becker. The USS Ted Stevens, commanded by Capt. Mary Katey Hays and crewed by approximately 340 sailors, now sails for its homeport of Norfolk, Virginia.
For Chugach, the occasion is personal. Stevens was a determined advocate for the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971, the law that established Alaska Native Corporations, Chugach among them. Throughout his Senate career, he supported policies that opened a path for Alaska Native corporations to compete for federal work and build lasting benefits for their shareholders and descendants.
“Senator Stevens believed Alaska Native people should have both ownership and opportunity, and he spent his career working to make that real,” said Sheri Buretta, chairman of the board of Chugach Alaska Corporation. “Seeing a ship carry his name into service here in our region is something our shareholders and descendants will remember for a long time. We are grateful to the Stevens family and to everyone who worked to bring this ceremony home to Alaska.”
Whittier is known in the Alutiiq language as Oyotu (Tuxtaq). It sits on Passage Canal at the western edge of Prince William Sound, about 60 miles southeast of Anchorage. For thousands of years, the Chugach people used the area as a connection point between Prince William Sound and the Interior. The Army built Whittier as a military port during World War II. Today, its ice-free, deep-water harbor and its road, rail, and marine links serve commerce, tourism, logistics and national defense. Chugach’s Shotgun Cove Road corridor remains important to long-term regional planning and future development along Passage Canal. Chugach is also evaluating how resources such as Prince William Sound granite could help meet infrastructure needs across Alaska.
“Whittier has been a crossroads for our people for thousands of years, and it still is,” said Katherine Carlton, Chugach President. “Deep water, rail, and road all come together here, on the doorstep of Prince William Sound and within reach of Anchorage. We’re taking a careful, long-term look at what that could mean for our lands and resources in the area. This past week showed what Whittier can do, and we see real potential ahead for this community.”
Chugach Government Solutions, the corporation’s federal services company, has supported the U.S. Navy for more than 20 years across its shipbuilding, facilities, aviation, and information warfare commands. Its work spans shipboard systems, waterfront and facilities operations, logistics, and professional and technical services.
“As a Navy veteran, I know how much a crew puts into the day its ship comes to life, and our team was honored to help the USS Ted Stevens get there,” said Jonathan Dalrymple, CEO of Chugach. “As the ship advanced toward commissioning, our people worked to modernize its network backbone, strengthen its cybersecurity, and keep critical systems running reliably. This commissioning reflects the priorities that shaped Senator Stevens’ legacy: infrastructure, military readiness and economic opportunity for Alaskans. As Alaska’s role in Arctic and Pacific operations grows, Chugach is ready to help support the state’s future. Congratulations to Captain Hays and the crew.”
Chugach leaders and employees, among them Board Director Julie Kitka, President Katherine Carlton, Vice President of Marketing & Communications Randi Gause, and Chugach Government Solutions team members Elizabeth Nerland, David Melvin, and Tonia Burrough, took part in commissioning week events, including the Commanding Officer’s Luncheon and ship tour in Whittier, Meet the Sailors celebration on the Anchorage Park Strip, the Chair’s Reception at the Alaska Airlines Center, and the culminating ceremony in Whittier.
About Chugach Alaska Corporation: Chugach Alaska Corporation is an Alaska Native Corporation established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971. Representing more than 3,000 shareholders, Chugach operates a diverse portfolio of businesses serving government, commercial, and community markets while creating meaningful value through sustainable growth, opportunity, and stewardship.
