Boxer is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship commissioned February 11, 1995 and is the sixth ship to bear the name.
USS Boxer (LHD 4) celebrated one of the Navy's oldest traditions with a ceremony in the ship's upper vehicle deck on 18th Feb.
Sailors and guests joined Boatswains Mate 2nd Class Steven Valdez and his family for the baptism of Valdez's first child.
Shipboard baptisms began hundreds of years ago with the British Royal Navy in foreign ports and at sea.
Before the ceremony, the ship's bell is removed from the headstock and placed in a stand upside down.
During the ceremony, the minister baptizes the baby inside the bell and after the ceremony, the child's name is engraved inside the bell.
It’s a Navy tradition to be able to remember the commemoration of a child to God as people understand him.
After Boxer's decommissioning, the bell will be preserved by the Naval History and Heritage Command.