HR6198-119

What This Bill Does

The Rear Admiral Alene Duerk Ship Renaming Act is a sense-of-Congress naval naming bill. It states that the Secretary of the Navy should name a U.S. Navy vessel the U.S.S. Rear Admiral Alene Duerk. The bill grounds that recommendation in Duerk’s Navy Nurse Corps commission in 1943, her wartime care for wounded members of the Armed Forces at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth and Naval Hospital Bethesda, her service on the USS Benevolence in the Pacific Theater treating casualties from Third Fleet operations, her later Navy Reserve and active-duty posts, and her 1972 selection as the first woman to become a flag officer. It also lists her medals, including the Naval Reserve Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with Bronze Star, World War II Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia Clasp, and National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star.

Who Benefits and How

Rear Admiral Alene Duerk’s legacy benefits because Congress would formally support naming a Navy vessel in her honor. Navy Nurse Corps heritage programs benefit because the bill highlights wartime nursing service and the first woman flag officer milestone. Women veterans benefit from national recognition of a woman naval officer’s path from World War II nurse to rear admiral. Navy public affairs offices benefit from a detailed congressional record explaining the basis for a vessel naming decision.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Secretary of the Navy staff would need to evaluate the sense-of-Congress recommendation within the Navy vessel naming process. Navy historical offices may need to prepare supporting materials if the Secretary chooses to implement the naming recommendation. No private party receives a mandate, fee, tax, or penalty from the sense-of-Congress statement.

Key Provisions

• Provides sense-of-Congress support for naming a Navy vessel the U.S.S. Rear Admiral Alene Duerk.
• Uses Duerk’s Navy Nurse Corps service, USS Benevolence casualty care, and first-woman flag-officer milestone as the stated basis for the naming.
• Provides a congressional record of Duerk’s military awards and Navy leadership service.