BOISE, Idaho — Update: The USS Idaho was Christened on Saturday by ship sponsor Terry Shackley. You can watch the entire ceremony here.
Original Story:
The U.S. Navy in a time honored tradition will christen the USS Idaho in Groton, Connecticut on Saturday. This ceremony will feature something special on the 26th submarine in the Virginia Class.
Normally during this ceremony, a bottle of champagne gets smashed on the bow for good luck before a ship sets sail for the first time. However, the bottle for the USS Idaho has water from four different lakes in Idaho.
In the summer of 2022, we went out on Payette Lake with former Governor Dirk Kempthorne and the ship sponsor Terry Shackley as they collected the water for this ceremony. They also got water from Redfish Lake, Henry's Lake and Lake Pend Oreile.
"So the first water to bless the bow of the USS Idaho will be from Idaho," said Kempthorne back in 2022. "
Dirk Kempthorne is the chairman for the USS Idaho Commissioning Committee Board. He has worked the past few years to connect the sailors on the submarine to the people of Idaho. We caught up with the crew members when they visited the American Legion in Cascade.
"The support of our military, not just the Navy, not just the USS Idaho, but the military in general has been nothing short of amazing," said Master Chief Dean Marvin of the U.S. Navy.
This nuclear submarine is 377 feet long, can travel up to 25 knots and dive up to 800 feet. The main goal of the USS Idaho is to stay undetected on scene, but not seen. The sub comes equipped with the Mark 38 heavy weight torpedo and the Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missile.
"The technological advances of the Virginia Class Submarine are almost unfathomable," said Marvin. "The mission platforms we are capable of is unmatched across the world and the stealth capabilities allows us to operate in shallower water then we were able to before."
The USS Idaho will be the fifth ship to bear Idaho's name, the last one was a battleship that operated during World War II. This submarine should be a point of pride for Idahoans, I know it is for Dirk Kempthorne.
"We’ve told the crew you need to realize you have been adopted by us and we are so proud of you," said Kempthorne. "Thanks for defending us and know that anytime you come to Idaho you are welcome, because just as when you board the ship, when you come to Idaho you are also coming home."
General Dynamics built the USS Idaho at a cost of $2.3 billion dollars and the christening ceremony will take place on Saturday. Several watch parties have been set up to view this event all across the state. For more information click here.
