Gloria Estefan is teaming up with a Miami submarine as the U.S. Navy announced its latest vessel would be named after the Florida city. She was on-hand for the announcement.
Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said in a Tuesday announcement that Miami is a great example of a city that welcomes everyone seeking a better life. The nuclear-powered attack sub will be called the USS Miami.
Estefan, a Grammy Award winner, will be the vessel’s sponsor. This means she’ll engage in “a lifelong relationship with the ship and crew,” according to the Navy.
The 66-year-old performer and her husband, Emilio Estefan, along with Blue Star Families founder and CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet, helped kick off the inaugural Miami Fleet Week concert for 1,800 sailors and Marines on Tuesday.
Estefan thanked the crowd, saying, “We are so thankful as citizens of this great country to have all of you out there protecting and serving all of us,” according to the Navy.
At the event, Roth-Douquet was recognized with the Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest honor for a civilian. The band The Wailers headlined the event.