The deadline to request free tickets to the April 6 commissioning of the USS Arlington in Norfolk is rapidly approaching.
Arlington County issued a news release Tuesday urging residents to join them at the "festive, free and historic event."
Ticket reservations for the commissioning may be made online by going to www.ussarlingtonlpd24.org and scrolling down to the bottom of the page.
The event is free, but you must apply for tickets by March 15.
The ceremony will begin at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 6, at Naval Station Norfolk, Pier 14. This is an official United States Navy event.
The USS Arlington is the eighth San Antonio class of landing platform docks, or LPDs. Such ships are about 684 feet long, carry a crew of 360 sailors and can support a surge force of up to 800 Marines.
The USS New York and the USS Somerset were also named in honor of 9/11 victims and first responders.
Arlington's sister ships have already served as flagships for anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and have provided humanitarian assistance and foreign disaster relief operations in support of the government of Haiti, according to a 2010 news release.
The Arlington will be featured on the county's 2013-14 car decal.
