Submariners nationwide celebrated the 1,000th Trident strategic deterrent patrol last month, but Thursday, Feb. 26 was Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor’s day to recognize the milestone.
The USS Wyoming blue crew, a Trident ballistic missile submarine homeported in Kings Bay, Ga. completed the 1,000th patrol in early February and that submarine base celebrated the achievement the week of Feb. 16.
“Today we celebrate a tremendous milestone in the history of our Navy and our nation,” said Rear Adm. Douglas McAneny, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Submarine Force, at last week’s ceremony on Bangor.
McAneny was one of several admirals who spoke at the ceremony. Sailors from each of Bangor’s eight Trident submarines were in attendance along with hundreds of family members, veterans and supporters.
Six Trident submarines operate out of Kings Bay. The country’s 14 Tridents carry more than half of the nation’s nuclear warheads.
Each admiral spoke to the Trident submarines’ sole purpose of strategic deterrence during Thursday’s ceremony.
“It is the dedication and commitment of our sailors and ‘Team Bangor’ that make nuclear deterrence so successful,” said Rear Adm. Cecil Haney, director of Submarine Warfare Division. “Well done ‘Team Bangor.’”
The first Trident submarine, the USS Ohio, arrived at Bangor in 1982. Tridents, or Ohio-class submarines, are 560 feet long and were built in the 1980s and 1990s.
Adm. Kirkland Donald, director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion, said the Cold War created a need for nuclear deterrence and the Trident submarine force continues to keep the country and its allies safe by having highly qualified individuals to maintain state-of-the-art equipment.
“To all of you in Team Trident, your predecessors met that challenge and you must as well. Success in the deterrence line of work is a team effort,” Donald said. “I tell you we’re in good hands.”
The USS George Washington was America’s first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine and went on its first patrol in November 1960. The Tridents’ 1,000th patrol also was the 3,839th strategic deterrent patrol nationwide.
All of the admirals thanked the submariners and their families for supporting the Trident submarine force’s mission of strategic deterrence.
“Together we salute our sailors for their dedication, sacrifice and commitment,” McAneny said. “May God bless our sailors and their families as they continue to strive for peace around the world.”
