Commissioning of Virginia-Class Fast Attack Submarine Montana

I was updating the Home Page of Wifcon.com this morning when I found this.  I've never watched a commissioning of a ship before and I deleted all the political speeches before I started watching.  We can see it was a beautiful day at Naval Station Norfolk and I enjoyed the formality of the actual commissioning and learned from it.  I placed the post under Contracting Workforce to acknowledge the contracting workforces of Newport News Shipbuilding, its subcontractors and suppliers, and that of the Navy.

The actual commissioning begins at about 40 mimutes into the ceremony and lasts about 30 minutes more.  Of course, it you want to hear politicians talk, you can start from the beginning.

 

Thanks Bob! Designing and building a nuclear powered vessel (tempted to type wessel) is such a challenge -- and the successful completion of an important milestone is worth noting.

I have two friends who were submariners in Rickover’s Nuclear Fleet. One was an Officer on a Boomer.  The other was an enlisted Nuclear Reactor Specialist on an attack sub, who said that some stories of missions on his Boat were in one of Tom Clancy’s books. Yes, my USNA Grad friend (once dubbed “Deck Swabbies” by Gen. Robin Olds) was interviewed by Admiral Rickover for his acceptance  into the nuclear sub fleet.