41st President George H.W. Bush at USS San Antonio commissioning.

Ingleside, Texas (Jan. 14, 2006) From left to right, the 41st President of the United States, the Honorable George H.W. Bush, ships sponsor for USS San Antonio (LPD 17) Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tx), pose with the ships Commanding Officer, Captain Jonathan M. Padfield, and Command Master Chief Willie De Santiago, during a commissioning breakfast aboard ship. As the first in her class, USS San Antonio (LPD 17) represents a key element of the Navys seabase transformation. Collectively, San Antonio-class will functionally replace over 41 ships (LPD 4, LSD 36, LKA 113, and LST 1179 classes of amphibious ships) providing the Navy and Marine Corps with modern, seabased platforms that are networked, survivable, and built to operate with 21st century transformational platforms, such as the MV-22 Osprey, the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV), and future means by which Marines are delivered ashore. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 2nd Class Anthony C. Tornetta File# 060114-N-0191T-056