Forging a legacy with the Navy's newest ship

After the boatswain of the USS Cleveland blew his high-pitched whistle and Robyn Modly of Siesta Key gave the call to “man our ship and bring her to life,” Modly stood on the dignitaries’ platform as a proud mother.

Or as the Navy sees it — as the ship’s godmother, sponsor and only permanent crew member.

Modly, along with her husband,  former Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly, and their three daughters and daughter-in-law, officially commissioned the Navy’s newest Littoral Combat Ship, the USS Cleveland, for duty on May 16 at the Cleveland Harbor in Cleveland before more than 1,000 people.

The tradition-bound ceremony was the culmination of four years of constructing the 3,500 metric-ton ship and preparing it and its crew for service. After the secretary of the Navy  named the ship in 2018, he appointed Modly as the ship’s sponsor, a prestigious role traditionally given to women who have a connection to the ship’s namesake. Cleveland is Modly’s hometown.

Modly will serve as the ship’s spiritual guardian and advocate throughout its service. As such, she carried on the traditions of carving her initials into the ship’s keel in 2021; breaking a bottle of champagne on its hull at its christening in 2023; and commissioning the ship for service May 16.

After calling for the crew to man the ship, Modly and her three daughters and daughter-in-law stood in a line to cheer and give high-fives to the 96 sailors as each one ran by to board the ship.

For Modly, the six years of bringing the ship to service was “gratifying to be able to honor Cleveland in this way. To have been in a position that allowed me to do that was a gift.”

“The most gratifying thing is the sailors felt the enthusiasm and pride that Clevelanders have for them,” she said. “And to be to be their sponsor is such a privilege to have a heart connection with them forever.”