Commissioned in 2010, the Gravely honors Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely Jr., who broke barrier after barrier in the United States Navy—the first African American officer to command a U.S. warship in combat, the first to command a fleet, and the first to reach flag rank. His career spanned from World War II through the Cold War, and he helped transform what the Navy could be simply by doing his job exceptionally well. The Gravely carries his name, and with it, a standard.