In less than four minutes in a welcome before thousands of visitors on the Naval Weapons Station pier in Leonardo and across the nation on Live stream video, Middletown Mayor Tony Perry managed to express the pride of Middletown residents in the honor they feel at having the USS New Jersey (SSN-796) the most modern nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarine in the US Navy, commissioned within the township.

Perry highlighted the fact that the Naval Weapons Station Earle installation on which the ceremony was taking place has already stood the test of time and defense of the nation and its military. He noted that as mayor he feels a sense of pride in the ceremony in a community “that values service, sacrifice and an enduring legacy. “

The commissioning in Middletown is also a demonstration of the township’s connection to the sea, to national defense and the ideals of freedom and security, Perry noted, in also expressing pride and thanks in all veterans. Like the state, he said, Middletown stands as a symbol of resilience, strength and “an unbreakable bond with the men and women in uniform.”

At the same time, Mayor Perry also let the Captain, Executive Officer, Chief of the Boat and the entire crew know the township recognizes the “courage, dedication and fitness” of the crew, describing them as the “embodiment of nature’s value. “It is their excellence,” he told the crowd, that “enables all of us to sleep soundly at night.”

Yet the mayor also left the crew with the town’s conviction the crew will continue to carry forward what others have done before them, the proud name and traditions of the state for whom their boat is named as well as the township of Middletown.

He thanked everyone who made the New Jersey possible from the shipbuilders, technicians and engineers to the Commission committee and families of the military members who “have contributed to the noble service the crew and the boat are doing.”

Perry told the crew that while he recognized that their time visiting Middletown is brief, he wanted them all to know that going forward, they should know they are now part of the Middletown family and will always have the support, prayers and gratitude of their family here “whatever corner of the earth you sail .”

He reminded them once again that they are “the embodiment of proud traditions and our nation’s values. “It is your duty to carry it forward,” while at the same time added his conviction they will do that with honor and bravery as those before them have done.

In wishing the traditional “Fair Winds and Following Seas” to Middletown’s newest family, Mayor Perry said that the crew will always have their Middletown family thinking, praying and grateful for their service and sacrifice.

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It was too great an opportunity to turn down.

The US Navy public affairs division invited me to tour the inside of the USS New Jersey (SNN-796). Besides feeling privileged to be able to tour the underwater boat that is the finished product of more than nine years of hard work, skill and perfection since her keel was laid in 2016, I was more than curious to see how and where more than 130 men and women can live , work, eat and sleep 24-7 in a closed very compact environment that does not see the light of day.

So we media were invited to tour the boat the day before she was commissioned. The Middletown Township trio of hardworking women who never seem to take a minute’s break in keeping everyone informed on everything the township and its officials are doing were also invited to tour. So it was a joy to go up and down ladders, squeeze through narrow hallways and oh and ah over the marvels and wonder of the Submarine New Jersey with Tara Berson, Gianna Piroso and Raven Rentas along with sensational photographer Bill Fischer who captured everything on camera, including proof that we truly were on the submarine New Jersey.

It got even better when I saw our tour guide through the boat was STS2 (SS) Christopher D. Baldwin, who by this time felt like an old friend. I had met Baldwin when he, the ship’s captain, Commander Steve Halle and five crew members visited MAST and thanked the NJROTC cadets for the gift they had presented to the crew.

Mr. Baldwin is part of the ship’s SONAR Division, known as the eyes and ears of the sub when she’s underwater. It’s he and the men and women sailors with him who make use of all that secretive equipment to detect, track and classify everything, be it surface or submerged, with which they come in contact. They’re the ones who help navigate the boat through all kinds of weather using their sonar equipment to ensure accuracy.

So Mr. Baldwin brought us aboard. I don’t know about anybody else, but my first shock was the texture of the deck. I knew it was curved and would take attention to walk carefully…fairly easy to fall over with lack of attention.

But I had not thought about the fact of course the deck would not be teak wood like the Battleship New Jersey, nor would it be shiny and smooth. Of course it was black, of course it was rough enough so appropriate footwear, sneakers and Skechers worked great, could grab a firm hold and make you feel secure. You’re walking on an angle, only a few feet off the water.

That worked just fine, felt wonderful and was a first step. So it was down the first ladder to get to the deck below.

No problem there. One giant step to the first step of the ladder then an easy step down the firm steps to the deck below, the narrow space and the first view of what life undersea looks like in a 377-foot-long boat. Mr. Baldwin was great, eager to share whatever information he could, eager to let us know the precise purpose for every little thing that took up any inch of space on the craft and obviously well-versed in everything about his home under the water.

Going through two decks of rooms, equipment, touching torpedoes and torpedo tubes, and hearing more than any of us neophytes could handle, Mr. Baldwin took us into Command & Control, the control room of the boar with tis huge screen visual displays of pictures from the mast, digital navigation and the sailors at work in front of the screens even as we paraded through their work area.

We learned about the ballast tanks and how they’re flooded to submerge the vessel or blown out to bring it to surface. We learned how the boat makes its own oxygen, water, and fuel, everything a boat and its crew needs except food.

We interrupted a team of sailors while they were chowing down some lunch, helping themselves from the buffet set up with salads, beans, vegetables and a wide variety of other healthy eats in the Ward Room.

Seeing the sailors eat sandwiches made me think of Commander Halle’s remarks at another event when he said given the atmospheric differences, pressure etc. on a boat, it takes a real talent to ensure great yeast rising bread in a sub.

We also learned that where they sit at tables for their meals is the same place where they have movies or any recreational activities. It’s also the area where those in any need of medical services are taken. That’s why it’s called the Ward Room, as in a wardroom in a hospital. There isn’t a wasted or unused spot on a submarine.

We saw the Captain’s quarters, a wee space complete with desk and lots of notes on his walls, the XOs space, a bit smaller, but equally efficient, and the side-by-side beds of the crew. Granted, this boat also has berths atop each other, with drapes in front similar to old sleeping cars on trains, only smaller. But it also has lines of beds side by side, with enough room between simply to tuck in linens. We learned how a sub cares for and conducts its own disposables, including waste that gets gobbled up by hungry sea life.

We laughed and were thrilled at the New Jersey Turnpike signs crew members had tacked on the walls, a daily reminder of the name of their boat and its main artery.

We learned about the value of water, since it’s made and stored by the boat. It’s the boat’s needs for water that are met first, then the culinary staff’s needs for cooking and cleaning, assuring cleanliness that prevents so much sickness and disease. Mr. Baldwin was great in describing that showers are more like a “wet, turn off, soap up, shut off, rinse off, shut off” all completed within two minutes or so, since water is at such a premium. Of course there is only one washer and one dryer aboard; shipmates often share a load since here again, the kitchen staff has priority to ensure cleanliness of cooking linens and materials.

What was most fearful was learning that fire is one of the biggest dangers for a sub and its crew, since it takes no more than 12 seconds or so for an area to fill with smoke. A whiff or appearance of any smoke brings the entire crew to immediate attention and action. It explained why there are so many fire hoses and equipment throughout the craft. It’s with pride you learn the United States hasn’t lost a submarine to enemy forces in 60 years or so; it is with a silent prayer you learn we have lost some to fire or flood in less time.

Forward on the boat, we learned about the watertight door and system that separates everything from the reactor, on the lower level we saw the torpedo room, all the while our expert guide trying to put into ordinary terms the sophisticated knowledge we could never absorb.

We learned our New Jersey submarine can go deeper than 800 feet under the sea, and can travel at speeds up to 25 knots, or better. We learned it’s the nuclear reactor making pressurized water that gets the boat moving….Commander Halle had told groups earlier that the New Jersey is a true Jersey girl…she doesn’t pump gas. And we even learned that our wonderful boat, design specifically to keep our nation safe, can surprise inland targets with land-attack missiles and carriers torpedoes, , lots of them, along with Tomahawk missiles, mobile mines and even unmanned underwater vehicles.

And yes, men and women work in all divisions on a sub, be it electrical, culinary, reactor control, or laboratory control, navigation, torpedoes or Sonar. Seeing them working together it is their camaraderie, their trust and their ability to recognize the need or assistance another needs than you notice; it seems to be a blend on fully integrated men and women who have one purpose in life….to do the best they can at the job they all want to do.

Heading back to the deck of the ship, the ladders were easy, and the narrow walkways effortless and simple. It was only that last hop up from the top of the ladder to the deck and sunshine that took a bit more effort and a firm hand from a shipmate to get to the top.

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Dr. Susan DiMarco called out to the crew to “Man our Boat and Bring Her to Life,” Saturday morning. An entire crew of more than 130 sailors shouted out an enthusiastic “aye, Aye Ma’am”.

Then, their hands over their hearts, the uniformed sailors marched double time from the rear of the Naval Weapons Station Pier to pass through the crowd of thousands and aboard the USS New Jersey, (SSN796) the fast-attack Virginia-class submarine that officially became a working part of the United States Navy at the traditional commissioning ceremony.

Dr. DiMarco, a retired dentist and wife of former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson is the sponsor of New Jersey, the third naval vessel honoring the Garden State.

Governor Phillip Murphy, three New Jersey Congressman and the Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro were all present and spoke at the ceremony under sunny skies and with cool winds on the pier of Naval Weapons Station Earle,. It was the traditional centuries old ceremony for the boat whose keel was laid eight years ago and christened three years ago. It also meant she had completed all her testing ,training , along with three phases of phases of sea trials that tested every facet of performance and capabilities and was deemed ready for service.

The submarine’s commanding officer Commander Steve Halle called the event “a truly historic moment” during his speech, praising all the distinguished guests, shipbuilders, and supporting organizations before addressing his crew.

“To the crew, the plank owners, this ceremony is about you” Halle emphasized. “You operate the most complex platform on the planet, and you continuously strive for excellence. I’m amazed and humbled at what we have accomplished. Our superior professionalism is enhanced by our crew integration and our diversity,” Halle said of his crew, which is the first fully gender integrated fast-attack submarine. “We have exceeded expectations at every turn and overcome every obstacle set before us.” As a result, Commander Halle concluded, “We commissioned our ship, and she is the fastest, most advanced, fully integrated fast attack to date.”

The submarine is 377 feet long, has a 34-foot beam and is able to dive to depths greater than 800 feet and operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots. As a fast attack submarine, she has multi-mission platforms enabling core maritime strategy core capabilities of sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence. She is designed to excel in anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare, and mine warfare. Fast-attack submarines also project power ashore with special operations forces and Tomahawk cruise missiles in the prevention or preparation of regional crises.

The boat’s executive officer,Lieutenant Commander Andrew Hutchison of Jonesboro, Arkansas, was master of ceremonies and introduced the guests on the platform. Along with Governor Murphy and Secretary DelToro, they included Jennifer Boykin, president of Newport News Shipbuilding, Larry Runkle, vice president of General Dynamics Electric Boat.

Admiral William Houston, Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, and former commander of the Naval Submarine Forces, Submarine Force Atlantic and Allied Submarine Command served as master of ceremonies and Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher was the presiding officer for the day.

Congressman Frank Pallone, in whose district the Leonardo pier is located, Congressman Chris Smith, in whose district is the headquarters and offices for the Leonardo pier at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck, and Congressman Donald Norcross, whose district includes Camden where the Battleship New Jersey (BB62) is a naval museum, all expressed their congratulations to the crew and the builders of the boat, the 135 year old company that is one of only two companies in the nation that builds nuclear submarines ;.

Lieutenant Commander Hutchinson gave a history of the two previous ships in the Navy named after New Jersey, the first, New Jersey (BB16) built in 1902 and commissioned in 1906,and the New Jersey (BB62) the second Iowa-class battleship named for the state and the most highly decorated ship in history recognizing her historic battles from the day she was launched on December 7, 1942 until her decommissioning in 1991.

Secretary Del Toro directed the commissioning pennant be raised at the masthead, a red, white and blue pennant with seven stars.

The Submarine New Jersey’s motto is VIrtute Ignis pro Libertas, Firepower for Freedom.

You can watch the Commissioning Ceremony HERE

Man our Boat and Bring Her to Life Man our Boat and Bring Her to Life Man our Boat and Bring Her to Life Man our Boat and Bring Her to Life Man our Boat and Bring Her to Life Man our Boat and Bring Her to Life Man our Boat and Bring Her to Life

The Commissioning of the USS New Jersey, (SSN-796) will be live streamed, starting at 10:45 EST later today.

DVIDSHUB.net/webcast/33459

Don’t miss out on America’s newest submarine joining the fleet!