In the Press...

Juan Carlos Castillo

Asbury Park Press USA TODAY NETWORK – NEW JERSEY

New Jersey’s Sandy Hook Bay witnessed the commissioning of the most complex warfare machine ever built in the country — the USS New Jersey, now dubbed as the fastest submarine in the U.S. fleet and the first to be designed with gender inclusion in mind.

The commissioning ceremony took place Saturday at the Naval Weapon Station Earle in Middletown, where close to 4,000 attendees including veterans, sailor’s family members, and Navy and government officials.

“It’s an absolute honor to be here with all of you today in this beautiful state, the birthplace, yes, the birthplace of the United States Submarine Force,” said Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro.

Gov. Phil Murphy was present at the event and said he was proud to witness the launch of this Virginia-class submarine, now nicknamed the “Jersey Girl.”

“This ceremony is a proud and joyous occasion, but it is also one that marks the beginning of a journey that will take the officers and crew of the USS New Jersey far from home,” Murphy said.

“On behalf of your nine-and-a-half million- member New Jersey family, let me say thank you for your service and thank you for your commitment to maintaining peace and freedom in our fragile world,” he added.

And the submarine is very Jersey. Besides the nickname given to the vessel by Newport News Shipbuilding President Jennifer Boykin, its interior spaces were decorated with all things Jersey.

'The deterrence that this USS New Jersey
helps to procure, makes us safer. Of course,
you never want a war, but the way you prevent
a war is by having a credible defense and
deterrence.'
                         - Rep. Smith

The walls of this nuclear-powered, fast-attack submarine feature posters from Rutgers University, New Jersey Devils memorabilia, a guitar gifted by Jon Bon Jovi and more. Members of the crew said they are even considering making the communal eating area look like a New Jersey diner.

This is the third naval vessel named after the Garden State. The first two, code-named BB-16 and BB-62, were battleships that contributed to the Navy’s efforts during World War I and World War II respectively. Vessel BB 62, which also participated in the Korean, Vietnam and Persian conflicts, is one of the most decorated ships in the Navy’s history.

The new USS New Jersey is prepared to continue the legacy of the ships with the same name that preceded it, being now the most complex warfare machine ever built in the U.S. said the vessel’s commander Steven Halle. Code named SSN 796, this submarine counts with enhanced stealth, special warfare enhancements, and sophisticated surveillance capabilities that can even detect sound waves from sea animals far away.

“The deterrence that this USS New Jersey helps to procure, makes us safer,” said Chris Smith, U.S. Congressman for New Jersey’s 4th district.

“Of course, you never want a war, but the way you prevent a war is by having a credible defense and deterrence,” Smith added.

What is a gender-inclusive submarine?

It wasn’t until 2010 when the Navy started allowing women to serve aboard submarines. Since then, some submarines have been modified to accommodate women aboard, however, the USS New Jersey embraced a gender-inclusive design from its inception.

That means that bathrooms come with longer stalls, more privacy in shower rooms, and secluded berths for sleeping.

“So before, the older submarines, they didn’t have, like, as much privacy. The bathrooms would have spaces in the stalls, and there wasn’t a specific berthing set aside that could be closed off completely,” said Claudia Casillas a sailor on the USS New Jersey. She has trained inside the vessel for about one year.

The USS New Jersey has a 131-member crew, 29 of them women, according to the roster of the USS New Jersey.

“I think it’s about time. The whole year I’ve been here, it’s been pretty obvious that U.S. females are just capable of just as much, sometimes even more, than the males on this boat,” she said.

At the ship, the crew decided to assign some berth rooms for women only, while keeping some co-ed berths, but specifying which beds are exclusively reserved for women.

“I think with everything that comes brand new, there’s gonna be struggles. There’s going to be some confusion, some problems, but I think the Jersey has been able to overcome every problem she has had.”

Congressman Smith, at left, on the pier at Naval Weapons Station Earle
in Middletown, NJ.

The seats and joysticks where the USS New Jersey are driven are shown during a tour of the nuclear-powered submarine on Friday. The boat was officially commissioned Saturday at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Middletown. THOMAS P. COSTELLO/ASBURY PARK PRESS

Media tour the USS New Jersey on Friday as crew members eat their lunch. THOMAS P. COSTELLO/ASBURY PARK PRESS

USS New Jersey crew stand among the crowd during the ship's commissioning Saturday at NWS Earle in Middletown.