U.S. Representative Mike McIntyre has met with Pentagon officials and written to the U.S. Secretary of the Navy, Donald Winter, urging them to consider having the USS Kitty Hawk permanently based in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Congressman McIntyre stated, “As the home state of the first-powered flight, North Carolina is the logical choice for the namesake of where this flight occurred, and our state should have the USS Kitty Hawk’s final berthing spot. I am pleased that in my initial meeting with Navy officials from the Pentagon, they were quite receptive to this proposal.”

After unanimous passage of a resolution on Monday night by the New Hanover County Commissioners requesting assistance from the state’s congressional delegation, Congressman McIntyre immediately discussed the matter with Pentagon officials on Tuesday. Today, he wrote the Secretary of the U.S. Navy, making the official request for consideration.

Just last month, Representative McIntyre secured approval from the Navy to have the new SSN North Carolina submarine commissioning ceremony in Wilmington next May.

Representative McIntyre is a senior member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee.