Cannons roar in preparation for commissioning ceremony of USS Beloit Navy warship Saturday

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Go along Milwaukee's lakefront and you'll see a giant combat ship docked outside McKinley Marina, ready for a day in the spotlight.

On Saturday, Nov. 23, the US Navy will commission the ship at 10 a.m., officially making it a US warship.

As fast as a shark and longer than a football field, the USS Beloit combines size and speed.

Ready for the ceremony, the ship strikes an imposing presence along the lakefront and attracted a lot of admirers.

Military cannons blasted across Veteran's Park as the Army and Navy rehearsed for Saturday's commissioning ceremony.

Young children and adults covered their ears as they marveled at the ship's size.

Because commissioning ceremonies are rare, crew members told us it's a once-in-a-career opportunity for the roughly 80 members of the USS Beloit's crew.

Ensign Ainslee Gabriel is the Beloit's assistant chief engineer. She said, "I'm incredibly blessed. The crew is amazing, the captain is amazing. We couldn't have a better team to do this with."

And she added, "We do the most that we can with the fewest people possible. It's a very cool mission."

The Beloit is a Littoral class combat ship: optimally manned and fast.

Nearly 400 feet long, it can reach speeds of more than 40 knots, or 46 miles per hour.

And it will eventually be equipped with long-range anti-surface strike capability.

Very much expected to be a world traveler, the Beloit has Wisconsin roots, having launched in Marinette two years ago; its engines were manufactured in Beloit.

Yet Ensign Gabriel said the ship will travel wherever it's needed.

The ship’s sponsor is retired Army Major General Marcia M. Anderson, a Beloit native who became the first female African American officer to earn a second star in the US Army Reserves.

Several people gathered along the lakefront Friday to see the ship, including historian Harrison Frailing and his father.

Harrison told us, "I have this Army set from my dad. But the ships are blue."

Joseph Zeugner has four family members serving in the Army and Navy.

He said he appreciates what the Beloit represents. "You got the corpsmen; you got everybody that's out there trying to save life when there's something going on."

It's unlikely the USS Beloit will return to Wisconsin after leaving port, but Ensign Gabriel said the crew will have fond memories of its origin. "It was a joy to be here and have our ship be built here. There's a lot of good things that happened here."

Saturday's ceremony starts at 10 a.m.

Governor Tony Evers and Senator Tammy Baldwin are among the scheduled speakers, along with the Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro.

The Beloit will soon sail to its home port in Jacksonville, Florida.