Navy commissions latest Virginia-class submarine in Groton ceremony
Groton — In the 1960s, 82-year-old Navy submarine veteran Bob Kirby was part of the crew of USS Entemedor and remembers hopping on the USS Nautilus on a regular basis to get to his New London-based submarine.
It would be years later during a return trip to Connecticut that he would discover that the Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine, is now a museum.
Kirby was back in Connecticut on Saturday to witness the latest in submarine technology — modern submarines are bigger, faster and quieter than the diesel-powered submarine Kirby served on — at a commissioning ceremony for the Virginia-class USS Iowa (SSN 797).
The 377-foot long nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine docked in the Thames River at the Navy submarine base served as the background for Saturday's celebration, attended by hundreds of onlookers, including a large contingent of Navy veterans and Iowans.
Kirby said he wasn't surprised by the turnout, especially among submarine veterans, because there's a mutual respect and camaraderie among submariners, regardless of whether they wear silver or gold dolphins — symbols that differentiate enlisted from officers.
'They've worked together. They're in that steel tube together,' Kirby said.
Kirby, who lives in Iowa, attended with a group of members of the Submarine Veterans of Iowa. The Iowa group's president, retired submariner Paul Jensen, served in the Navy from 1989 to 1998 and was at one point stationed in Groton aboard the USS Billfish. During a night out at the Outer Light Brewing Company in Groton this week, Jensen said he ran into shipmates he hadn't seen in 25 years.
'We're all here in support,' Jensen said.
Saturday's ceremony was attended by dignitaries that included U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, U.S Rep. Joe Courtney and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan was on hand for his first submarine commissioning. Phelan credited the 'world class public-private partnership' between the navy and shipbuilder General Dynamics Electric Boat and called it a 'fitting tribute to Groton's history of maritime excellence.'
'This is not just a milestone for the USS Iowa, but a crucial step forward in strengthening our Navy and ensuring America's global maritime dominance. The president and I are deeply committed to revitalizing our shipbuilding and maritime investment base. This commissioning is just the beginning of that effort,' Phelan said. 'We need to modernize our acquisition and procurement systems to deliver the capabilities our Navy deserves without unnecessary delays or overruns.'
Courtney, ranking member of the bipartisan House Seapower Subcommittee, said Groton's navy base is home to 15 fast attack submarines, 8,000 sailors and officers and hundreds of civilians who are operating at 'heel-to-toe tempo.'
Courtney recited a list of upcoming submarine deliveries and said, in a prepared statement, 'this torrent of post-pandemic deliveries is a powerful rebuttal to some armchair naysayers in Washington who disparage the men and women of our nation's submarine industrial base.'
'They are wrong. Since 2018, Congress has stepped up investment in workforce, facilities and supply chain all across the country, including Iowa — and its working,' he said.
The USS Iowa is the 24th Virginia-class submarine to be commissioned and the first specifically designed to accommodate women. The ban on women serving aboard submarines was lifted in 2010 under Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates. Julia Panepinto, 26, of Buffalo, N.Y., is the supply officer for the USS Iowa and said she's been sailing on the Iowa during its sea trials for the past year.
'At this point, there are so many women on board it's par for the course,' Panepinto said.
The USS Iowa was christened on June 17, 2023, at Electric Boat in Groton by its sponsor Christie Vilsack, wife of former Iowa governor and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. Vilsack on Saturday made the traditional 'man our ship and bring her to life' announcement that led Iowa's crew to run and board the submarine.
The USS Iowa has a crew of 15 officers and 117 enlisted and carries torpedoes and Tomahawk missiles with a range of 1,200 miles. It is the first submarine, but third naval vessel, to be named Iowa. The previous vessels named Iowa were battleships. Iowa's commanding officer, Commander Gregory Coy, in his closing remarks on Saturday, promised he would take the USS Iowa 'to the frontline, continuing the Navy's overwhelming display of undersea dominance and lethality.'
g.smith@theday.com
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