We have just received word that the Navy has confirmed December 3rd as the date for USS Colorado Christening. For those interested in attending please see the instructions below.
Welcome
Welcome to USS Colorado (SSN-788) Commissioning Committee web site. USS Colorado (SSN-788) is the 15th Virginia Class submarine. She was delivered to the Navy on September 21, 2017. Having completed shakedown operations, she was commissioned on March 17, 2018 at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, CT. The Committee's purposes are to promote awareness within the state, provide support for the crew, and to help organize and raise money for the events surrounding commissioning.
The date for USS Colorado Christening is confirmed for December 3rd. Electric Boat has asked for input for those desiring an invitation to the event. Inputs are due to them before the end of the month, so if you would like an invitation, please complete the form by October 26th.
Once the list has been submitted to Electric Boat, the formal invitations will go out. You must respond to the formal invitation to gain admittance to the Christening.
The shipyard will have a reception after the Christening but space is very limited and only a few from Colorado will get to attend. The Commissioning Committee will be holding our own reception, but the details have not been finalized. We will send the information to those who indicate a desire to attend the Christening.
The list of individuals desiring invitations has been forwarded to Electric Boat
The latest visit of crew members from the PCU (pre-commissioning unit) Colorado was structured to take a different direction. On this trip two junior Culinary Specialists, CSSN’s Oyedolapo Oworu and Thomas Carswell, traveled the state working under the guidance of Chefs employed at the top 5 star resorts to learn Colorado cuisine. This was designed to add a unique personality to dishes prepared for the crew onboard the soon to be commissioned USS Colorado (SSN 788).
Throughout the visit the Chefs were heard to say “We want to teach basics that they can take out to sea, while sourcing food products that are generally available and approved through Navy supply channels”.
Factored into the thought process was the fact that 400 meals are prepared per day, 24 hours and day seven days a week. This is done with a team of seven Culinary Specialists led by a Chief Petty Officer…and in a galley measuring roughly 10 by 20 feet.
Throughout the week visits included the Four Seasons Resort, Vail; the Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, the Brown Palace, Denver; and Tom’s Urban in the lower downtown Denver entertainment district.
Not all events involved work as the crewmen were recognized during festivities at the Air Force/Navy football game and on the field as “Heroes of the Match” for the Colorado Rapids professional soccer team.
Projected in the Sailors’ manner was a pride of rating (training specialty), pride of being a Navy Sailor and submariner. “Cooking is more than a job, it’s an expression of creativity and an art form,” stated Seaman Oworu. This sense of pride does not come without superior leadership which is a cornerstone of U.S. Navy teamwork. This same uplifting style of leadership was observed throughout the various visits. The Chefs were noted for the respect they afforded all members of their staff. “Treat your employees as you would your guests,” was stated by Chef Johan Van Niekerk early in the visit, and observed throughout the week’s various events.
“In submarines where Sailors live in close quarters for months at a time, there are few distractions from their official duties. In this environment meals ARE morale”, stated Seaman Carswell, “They improve the ship’s ability to fight”.
This “namesake” crew visit provided high quality professional development and a bonding between the men and women of the U.S. Navy and many Coloradans. In summarizing the supporters who made this week such a resounding success, thanks go committee members Shauna and Yale King, Candice Green, Deb and Randy Zeller, Dan Puleio, and John and Florence Mackin.
Story by Committee Member and NRD Denver Public Affairs, Dan Puleio
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