New ship’s Capt. Kirk is used to ‘Star Trek’ jokes

BATH, Maine: Captain Kirk’s futuristic-looking vessel sports cutting-edge technology, but it isn’t the Starship Enterprise.
The skipper of the technology-laden Zumwalt that’s taking shape at Maine’s Bath Iron Works is Navy Capt. James Kirk, and yes, he’s used to the jokes about the name he shares with the TV starship commander played by actor William Shatner.
Kirk tells The Associated Press in an interview that he’s heard the jokes since early in his career. His colleagues would tell him they couldn’t wait for him to reach the rank of captain.
Kirk and his crew are working to be prepared to bring the ship to life. The Zumwalt is due to be christened in the spring, delivered to the Navy the following year and commissioned into service in 2016.