USS Arlington: Commissioning Brings Ship to Life [Photos]

NORFOLK — The USS Arlington was commissioned this weekend before an estimated 5,000 people and formally joined the Navy's fleet of warships.

The ship is 684 feet long and weighs about 24,900 tons. It's designed to carry ground and some air vehicles close to shore in hostile situations.

"We are not a memorial. We are a warship," Cmdr. Darren Nelson told reporters on Friday. "But we carry the spirit of those 184 people who died that day."

The ship is laden with reminders of the men and women who died at the Pentagon on 9/11 and the first responders who assisted that day.

The commissioning ceremony Saturday was emotional at times. Military leaders took care to highlight the ship's connection to its namesake county.

"You don't get to do this every day," Arlington County Board member Chris Zimmerman told Patch on Saturday. "It's just amazing what they're able to do."

Arlington is home to both the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial and the headquarters of the Navy League of the United States, which Zimmerman said serves as an example of this county's relationship with those two branches of service — a relationship continued with the commissioning of the Arlington.

More:

• USS Arlington: Crew Talks About What 'Arlington' Means to Them [Video]
• USS Arlington Commissioned in Front of Thousands
• USS Arlington: 'Don't Mess With Us' [Video]
• USS Arlington: 'This is Awesome' [Photos]
• Fundraising for USS Arlington Tribute Room to Continue
• Video: USS Arlington Arrives at Naval Station Norfolk
• County Contributes $50K Toward USS Arlington 9/11 Tribute Room
• Washington-Lee Junior Designs Winning Arlington County Car Decal
• USS Arlington: Fundraising Under Way for Commissioning