USS Missouri (SSN 780) Commissioned
USS Missouri (SSN 780) was commissioned this morning in Groton. Here's her seal:
If you'd like to see a video of the ceremony, you can find it here. Looks like it was nice weather (low 70s, partly cloudy), as opposed to the cold weather during the Dec. 1998 commissioning of USS Connecticut (SSN 22), the only one I participated in. (I was the "officer in charge of the formation that stood on the pier for the whole ceremony".) Anybody have any good stories about formal boat ceremonies?Update 1346 31 July: Here's a news release from SUBGRU 2; they say hi-res photos of the ceremony will be available here later.
Update 1353 31 July: Here are some of the first pictures, including the one where they cycle the masts and antennas after the ship is officially placed in commissioned and manned:
Whenever I saw this, I always wondered why we went to all the trouble to water the masts when cycling them inport when it clearly doesn't hurt them to dry-cycle in the case of commissioning ceremonies.
posted by Bubblehead at 12:07 PM
15 Comments:
AS I sat in the audience at this commissioning, my mind went back to a commissioning nearly forty years ago (AUG 1970) when I was a member of the commissioning crew of TREPANG. Interestingly, the ship's sponsor for TREPANG was the spouse of the then SecDef, Melvin Laird. I was impressed that Secretary Gates did not participate in the ceremonies but left the spotlight on his wife and Navy Secretary Mabus. The Commissioning crew has some fun times ahead of them on the shakedown cruise to the Bahamas, ets.
7/31/2010 1:05 PM
1990--Pearl Harbor--USS Sam Houston (SSN-609), the "change of command" ceremony. Anyone who was in Pearl at that time knows of which I speak. Not a pleasant day.
7/31/2010 1:56 PM
I have a good COC story on 609B though squadron CoC,and a lot earlier. Flew to GUM for crew change,about a week later, the POD says no starting beards or such until we leave on patrol. Me, dumbass 3rd class sonarman, not yet SS, noted that I'd already started same when we left Pearl.Fast forward to Squadron Coc day, I'm TPoW. #0 min.prior, arrive i sonar, Chief say when are you going to be ready for watch?....I am ....No, you have to shave...POD, blah blah. No, says I. Go to COB, shave says he, no says I. report chit, fast run to XO; PO Blank, is this the beard in question? Yessir it is. Explained mt (idiot sea lawyer position.) and he said it was OK, go relieve the watch.COMSUBPAC and all the other brass did not stroke out at my 6 wk. growth, and a jolly time was had by all.
Now, half way in the run I qualify. Have to leave sonar watch after evening meal.Report to OOD on my relief, COB, (Dive)says see me
after you get your fish. Lay to messdecks, whitelight, Capt gives and blesses fish, lay to control to report reliving my relief,,,Cob says come, I'm blind, touches ny fish, and then a haymker to them. I stagger STBD to the chart table, wind gone. He says COME. Shakes my hand and say We're even.$ groken ribs, and the rest of the run in agony,,,,,I knew he did the right thing. Word went through the boat in milliseconds,,,about the same as when I hung my crank out at Change of Command day.
7/31/2010 5:11 PM
^^^^^^
Are you retarded? Has to be the worst post I've ever read at this blog.
8/01/2010 4:05 PM
Concur with last...
8/01/2010 4:09 PM
I'm not sure how hard your COB hit you but I would have hit you harder.
I get the feeling that you were the pride of the submarine force.
8/01/2010 4:29 PM
"cycle the masts and antennas"
Hey thanks! I was posting about this and I didn't know what the term was to describe what was happening.
It was awesome, but I did get a wicked sunburn.
One of the people with me mentioned that she had attended the USS New Mexico commissioning and the turnout was nothing like yesterday. She was very impressed with the level of participation by the people and politicians of Missouri.
the only other commissioning I have attended was USS New York this past December. That was huge and chaotic (or so it seemed to me). I liked this much better.
8/01/2010 7:14 PM
Now I'm not a tee-totaler by any stretch of the imagination, but with all the anti-DUI beatings and the 'Right Spirit' campaign, I find it amusing the one photo of a commissioning ceremony gift on the Navy website photos was a guy displaying a case of beer.
8/02/2010 5:20 AM
Not really a story, but I will never forget how hot it was for the commissioning of NEBRASKA at State Pier on 10 July 1993. The high in Groton was 94, so standing on a black hunk of steel in dress whites was not at all pleasant.
8/02/2010 10:02 AM
The Louisiana in August of 1996 at EB was a ball cooker as well. The blue Navigator almost passed out. Looked like he was doing an ancient ritual dance with all the swaying.
8/02/2010 3:36 PM
bostonmaggie said...
"cycle the masts and antennas"
Hey thanks! I was posting about this and I didn't know what the term was to describe what was happening.
It was awesome, but I did get a wicked sunburn.
One of the people with me mentioned that she had attended the USS New Mexico commissioning and the turnout was nothing like yesterday. She was very impressed with the level of participation by the people and politicians of Missouri.
the only other commissioning I have attended was USS New York this past December. That was huge and chaotic (or so it seemed to me). I liked this much better.
The wife & I got burned as well. We stood in line for the tour, and got fried. We eventually gave up & just went to the Sub Museum.
I was very impressed with the turnout. I was especially moved by the USS Missouri (BB-63) crew members there.
My wife actually teared up at the "bring our ship to life" part.
All-in-all a great day!
8/03/2010 3:56 PM
We commissioned Jimmy Carter on a sunny day in Groton where the outside temp was about 7 deg F. There was a large heated tent to keep everyone toasty. The crew stood in formation at the back of the tent where a steady wind blew the cold air across our feet and ankles for about 90 minutes. When Rosalynn Carter stated, "... bring this ship to life!" we couldn't feel our feet as we ran from the tent to topside. Luckily nobody was hurt.
8/04/2010 6:38 AM
I've had a chance to serve with CDR Tim Rexrode. Awesome to see things going so well for him, the crew, and the ship.
Reminder. VA class is the ONLY ship building program in the free world that is under time and under budget. Eat it skimmers.
8/04/2010 4:20 PM
Got dragooned into serving as one of the ushers at the Commissioning ceremony for the Pennsylvania (my roommate's boat). Go grab the off-crew guys - they are not doing anything and can be ushers...!
Had some Greenpeace guy stop by our house the night before looking for signatures for a petition to stop the ceremony - he realized his mistake when we informed him that one of the guys was on the crew and the other two were going to be part of the ceremony - but hey, if he thought that a couple of signatures would stop the ceremony, then perhaps I could sleep in that Saturday!
I was standing there shooting the shit with one of my shipmates when some old guy in a blue vest asked me where he was allowed to sit. I looked him over, saw the blue vest was the one worn by the WWII sub vets (including the names of the boats he served on...) and replied that as far as I was concerned he could damn well sit wherever he wanted to and I would gladly make room for him.
He laughed and took a seat down near the front.
8/04/2010 6:20 PM
Well, I don't really think it will work.
12/02/2011 1:45 AM
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