PCU Minnesota (SSN 783) Christening On Saturday
PCU Minnesota (SSN 783) will be christened on Saturday at Newport News by Mrs. Ellen Roughead,a native Minnesotan, and wife of the former CNO Gary Roughead. Word on the street is that the next day the boat will be rolled to the drydock and then floated a few days after that -- unless the incoming SNOWMAGEDDONPOLYNOREASTER ("You're all gonna die!!1!!1!(3-2)!!1!" -- The Media) interferes with those plans. Alpha and Bravo trials are tentatively scheduled for April and commissioning will take place early August of 2013, most likely in Norfolk.
The boat's Commissioning Committee has an active website here. You should be able to watch the christening ceremony here at 1000 EDT on 27 October; they should keep it in the archives for a while if you miss the live showing. In the meantime, please enjoy the boat's cool logo:
Have you ever done an official ceremony in crappy weather?
posted by Bubblehead at 11:17 AM
42 Comments:
Yep. USS Phoenix launch...straight into high winds (see flags on the pier).
We had our covers screwed down pretty hard that cold, windy day in Groton (8 Dec 79).
10/26/2012 11:56 AM
1 - in breaking news, USFFC has ordered the fleet in Norfolk to sortie.
2 - MONTPELIER is going to be towed back to Norfolk (after the hurricane, I presume).
10/26/2012 2:59 PM
DECOM of 683: cold, windy, and rain. To top it off a cold was running though the crew, so all the video shows sailors in ranks sucking snot for an hour.
— LT L
10/26/2012 3:29 PM
At precisely 12:08, 21 July 1984 USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 709) was placed in commission by the commissioning officer Vice Admiral Bernard M. Kauderer, Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. The ceremony was held in a downpour at Submarine Base Groton, Connecticut was well attended despite the weather and the one hour delay due to the late arrival of Representative Charles E. Bennett of Florida, the principal speaker.
10/26/2012 4:00 PM
Poor basterds.
Now is when the pain starts ramping up exponentially... the crew is entering six months of pure hell, which won't end until after alpha trials.
In about 3 months, they will be dreaming about how much better life could be if they could just deploy.
Good luck, guys.
10/26/2012 6:26 PM
I was on the SSN708, the Minneapolis St Paul. Have to say that design is bad ass compared to our lame bridge design that we had. I saw a picture of the old sewer pipe in Puget sound waiting to get cut up. Oh what I would pay to partake in some hull cutting of the POS boat :)
10/27/2012 5:59 AM
The logo is not only cool, it may just be the best in years.
Candidate Romney has endorsed construction of 3 new subs a year. That's one more commissioning than the current regime would average. The addition is certainly more affordable than having contemptible lawyers as CinC and Secretary of Defense Defense.
10/27/2012 7:43 AM
vaginis, let's be real here. As a taxpayer I firmly believe we spend way too much money on our military. 20% of GDP. That's just insane.
If Romney were to get elected, plan on a war, a f'd up tax plan, and a major recession to top the cake.
We need submarines but we don't need more than we already have.
Properly staffed boats and a Navy that works to retain who they have rather than putting them through hell and wanting to leave costs a lot of money.
I'll say it again, enlisted Nukes should get CWO.
Navy wastes so much money retraining people it's stupid. If a private company operated like the military does with human capital, they'd go out of business.
10/27/2012 9:29 AM
Vigilis, quit linking to your crappy blog. Nobody wants to read your stupid conspiracy theories.
10/27/2012 2:52 PM
"20% of GDP."
It's only about 3-4% of the GDP. It is about 20% of the overall federal budget though (and half the discretionary budget)
10/27/2012 5:07 PM
When we launched the Miami it was colder than a witch's tit and windy. We froze our asses off topside.
As commented previously, that's when the ass kicking work schedule started. We prayed for sea trials so we could get a break.
hagar
10/27/2012 10:47 PM
Update - The ceremony was awesome. Newport News does a great job Christening the boat in the Modular Outfitting Facility (MOF) so the weather is rarely a problem. It is quite spectacular seeing a brand new boat out of the water. Many people are surprised how large it is when they see it. The crew looks forward to this milestone because not only does the boat go in the water shortly afterwards, but it means we are that much closer to going to sea. The crew did a great job in formation the whole time during the ceremony, I am so proud of them and can't wait to take the boat to sea. It was a great day for the the shipyard, the boat, the crew, and absolutely a great day for Ellen Roughead.
For those of you that didn't know, the logo was the result of a contest we held in Minnesota. The winner was a high school senior who enjoys making logos. I think he did an incredible job.
10/28/2012 11:11 AM
Aside from the goofy fish on the bow, I think the logo is pretty good. Best of luck going forward Skipper, keep a close eye on morale going forward, the workload will get pretty brutal in the coming months, as mentioned above.
MMCS(SS)
10/28/2012 12:49 PM
"As a taxpayer I firmly believe we spend way too much money on our military. 20% of GDP. That's just insane." - Anon 10/27/2012 9:29 AM
Really? you are not only foolish, though probably "educated" at taxpayer expense and your views border on subversive:
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/27/3887076/obamas-battleship-jibe-has-big.html
and,
"I'll say it again, enlisted Nukes should get CWO."
You just told us you ain't a real nuc, probably no submariner, and definitely blood sucker (parasite) material.
Crawford, the best-looking R.O.
10/28/2012 2:09 PM
My husband and I arrived in Groton for SOBC a couple of days before christening of WYOMING (SSBN 742), it was the "hottest day on record" and several sailors passed out during the ceremony. The next year, the commissioning was held in the base theatre due to Hurricane Bertha. Several sailors passed out then too due to all of the people. Everyone was soaked between getting from the ceremony to the reception. Of course, everyone had already moved hhg to Kings Bay, so most of us changed clothes into what we had---which for most was shorts and t-shirts.
10/28/2012 8:59 PM
Anyone hearing any of this on Benghazi from other sources?
10/28/2012 9:21 PM
Has anyone heard of the unexpected death of a PCO in the pipeline in the last few days?
10/28/2012 10:40 PM
Regarding replacement of Gen. Carter Ham (Africom), yes, it has been reported by the Marine Corps Times:
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2012/10/army-forces-command-head-david-rodriguez-tapped-lead-africom-101812w/
As Vigilis forecasted, SecDef is going to be toast over this contemptible b.s..
10/28/2012 11:32 PM
On the 763 we had our launch in an ice storm and our commissioning in a blizzard. I don't remember much about the commissioning, but the slide into the river is still clear in my memory. Wind and freezing rain and all of us trying to hold salutes.
10/29/2012 9:50 AM
As opposed to the expected death of a PCO?
10/29/2012 11:07 AM
I remember the 763 as well. Snow and freezing rain was so bad that it closed the gold star bridge from New London to Groton and the Coast Guard band had to cancel. The boat still launched and we still froze.
10/29/2012 12:06 PM
The unexpected death of a PCO may actually refer the faked death of CDR Ward some months ago. It would not be the first time old news gets recycled with details confused.
Guessing anon (yesterday 10:40PM) recently returned from a deployment and is just catching up from a submariner's 'time bubble'.
10/29/2012 3:03 PM
I also heard small portion of the rumor of the death but no names or circumstance.
10/29/2012 8:06 PM
Deleted a duplicate comment.
10/30/2012 6:44 AM
Speaking of "crappy weather": here is a hi-res visual of the HMS Bounty replica after the hurricane, regrettably with "decks awash."
Rough ride, but somewhat thankfully with relatively little loss of life. Still missing: her skipper. Condolences to the families.
10/30/2012 10:27 AM
ANON @ 2:09 re Enlisted Nukes -- CWO...
if they're warrants, will thay field day and paint?
10/30/2012 10:32 AM
P.S. Her last port of call: New London, Connecticut.
10/30/2012 10:33 AM
And here's a video of the CG's rescue of Bounty crewmembers. Pretty dramatic.
10/30/2012 10:46 AM
USS La Jolla (SSN 701) Commissioning 24 October 1981 in Groton Ct. Damn it was cold. They would not let us wear coats or gloves. Miserable, frozen and they would not shut up.
That Damn Good Looking Aganger From Iowa
10/30/2012 1:36 PM
Who cares, they don't now. They act like premadonna specially privileged officers and we treat them like that so we should advance them the rest of the way!
10/30/2012 1:37 PM
pco pipeline - there was a suicide but since I have not seen anything anywhere else except for an oblique comment on facebook, that is all I am going to write
10/30/2012 2:42 PM
Ya gotta wonder: just what was the world like "pre-madonna?"
YCMTSU
10/30/2012 3:51 PM
This post is directed to "Crawford"from Anon 10/28/2012 2:09 PM
My DD214 will quickly squash the crap from your keyboard.
And I do NOTHING nuke related in civvy world. Been out since 1992 and Uncle Sam did not pay one dime towards either of my college degrees (EE & MBA).
I never paid the $100/mo when they offered it.
Your post is classic. You can't have discussion of facts so you try (and fail) to marginalize. I bet you don't get along with your peers either.
When you look at the amount of training and the cost to do that training having CWO as the normal track for Nukes makes total sense.
My guess is you are either still in or haven't been out for that long and still have the programming embedded in your head. That or you're te typical enlisted nuke who realizes just how little the pipeline helps you in civilian life unless you want to 1) work in a shipyard/builder/defense contractor environment or 2) spend your life on shift work in civ nuke plant.
We, as a nation spend, too freaking much money on the military. If the Navy retained people with better pay and better working environment, the overall cost to the Navy would be lower overall.
You're an internet troll (read: punk)
10/30/2012 7:09 PM
CO Minnesota, remember that you're only as good as your crew.
You've been around long enough at this point to know how it works. Do you want to kill them with assinine field days (like at 3AM on Friday AMs), and crap like that.
Do things to build cohesion off the boat and do it often.
It's the simple things that make the difference between a happy crew and one's that make them hate the boat.
It's the biggest issue boats face but using your collar device as and being a tyrant will work against you.
It doesn't HAVE to be misery and that rests on your shoulder, shipmate.
Good luck.
10/30/2012 7:17 PM
CDR Matt Drag was the PCO that died. Subpac sent out a staff email. No details. He was a great guy and a real friend.
10/31/2012 4:48 AM
Submarine Officer suicides have been a problem this year. There have been several including the Asheville Navigator in March 2012. Really sad.
10/31/2012 6:10 AM
Prayers go out to CDR Drag's family.
10/31/2012 8:50 AM
And he sells real estate too. The Cheyenne must not go to sea very often.
11/01/2012 11:05 AM
^^^Sort of like if you drink, and have problems, then you have a drinking problem: if you Google and just say stupid shit, you're a Google shit.
11/01/2012 4:49 PM
This comment has been removed by the author.
11/02/2012 9:20 PM
Additionally - We've got some stuff at www.ussminnesota.org to come grab, and the ships store on facebook can get you a coin. We don't have them, the crew has them.
11/02/2012 9:22 PM
A lot of times in treason cases like this, the prosecutors end up having to bargain away the death penalty in order to get the traitor's help in determining what he had previously given to the foreign country. In this case, since there's no evidence so far that the doofus was ever successful in passing along his information, prosecutors are under no such impediment.
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1/24/2013 2:38 AM
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