USS Enterprise off to the scrapyard

The U.S. navy has officially decommissioned the USS Enterprise, the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

During Friday’s ceremony at a Newport News shipyard in Virginia, the Enterprise was described as a “legendary” vessel that helped shape history. It served more than 50 years, playing a role in the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Affectionately called the “Big E,” the ship retired from service in 2012. The navy has spent the past few years defueling its reactors. The ship will eventually be taken apart and its metal recycled.