Commissioned in 2003, the Chafee honors John H. Chafee, who served as Secretary of the Navy under President Nixon and later as a United States Senator from Rhode Island—and who himself served as a Marine Corps officer in both World War II and Korea. A fierce advocate for veterans and a voice for naval readiness, Chafee's name on a warship honors a man who wore the uniform before he made the policies. The Chafee serves the Pacific Fleet.