Sense of Congress on naming a Navy ship in honor of the Battle of Cowpens

(a) Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) On January 17, 1781, at the Battle of Cowpens, near Chesnee, South Carolina, American forces engaged British forces as part of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution. (2) According to the National Park Service, the defeat of British forces at the Battle of Cowpens became known as the turning point of the war in the South and was part of a chain of events leading to Patriot victory at Yorktown. (3) The United States Navy has named two warships after the consequential Battle of Cowpens. (4) The first USS Cowpens (CVL–25) was an Independence-class light aircraft carrier and received 12 battle stars and a Navy Unit Commendation for service to the United States during World War II. (5) The USS Cowpens (CVL–25) was known by the nickname the Mighty Moo. (6) During service in the Pacific theater in World War II, the Mighty Moo conducted 2,452 action sorties, destroyed 306 enemy aircraft, sank 39 enemy merchant vessels, and was the first light aircraft carrier to enter Tokyo Bay. (7) On March 9, 1991, in Charleston, South Carolina, the United States Navy commissioned the second USS Cowpens (CG–63). (8) The crew of the USS Cowpens (CG–63) proudly carried on the tradition of calling the second vessel in the United States Navy to be named after the Battle of Cowpens the Mighty Moo. (9) Throughout 33 years of service, the USS Cowpens (CG–63) deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom as well as various humanitarian and disaster relief operations. (10) The USS Cowpens (CG–63) was decommissioned in 2024. (11) There is currently no United States Navy ship that carries the name Cowpens or the tradition of the Mighty Moo. (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of the Navy should name an appropriate United States Navy ship in honor of the pivotal American Revolutionary battle known as the Battle of Cowpens.