The Navy commissioned the submarine USS Massachusetts in a traditional ceremony held March 28 at Boston Harbor.
The ceremony culminated a yearslong process to bring the Massachusetts into service. It is the fifth Navy vessel named after the commonwealth of Massachusetts, following the most recent, USS Massachusetts, a battleship that participated in nearly every major Pacific campaign from 1943 to 1945 and earned 11 battle stars for its World War II service.
Navy Cmdr. Michael Siedsma, the Massachusetts' commanding officer, spoke proudly of his crew's efforts.
"To the crew, the plank owners, the 'Iron Patriots' of the USS Massachusetts, we did it," he said. "Your hard work and unshakable dedication [are] evident. I am amazed and humbled by what we have accomplished."
Sheryl Sandberg, the ship's sponsor, gave the traditional order to "man our ship and bring her to life." The crew responded, "Aye, aye, ma'am," before ceremonially running aboard the submarine.
Sandberg spoke about the Navy's enduring legacy.
"In three months, our nation will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But as many of you here know, the Navy already celebrated this milestone last October. What does that tell us? It tells us: We don't have a Navy because we have a country; we have a country because we had a Navy!"
Following the hoisting of the colors and commissioning pennant, Navy Adm. William Houston, director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, highlighted the crew's hard work and the unit's role in national defense.
"[The] Massachusetts is playing an incredible role in our security," he said. "Your crew represents the best that our Navy and our nation [have to offer]. You train relentlessly to bring this warship to life and earned the trust placed on you."
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The Massachusetts is the 12th Virginia-class submarine and was christened at the Newport News Shipbuilding yard in Newport News, Virginia, May 6, 2023.
As it joins the fleet, the Massachusetts brings significant warfighting capability, underscoring the nation's asymmetrical advantage at sea. Virginia-class submarines have enhanced stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities and special warfare enhancements that enable them to meet the Navy's multimission requirements.
Each Virginia-class submarine is 7,800 tons, 377 feet in length and has a beam of 34 feet. It is designed with a reactor plant that does not require refueling during the planned life of the ship, reducing life-cycle costs while increasing underway time.