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.

Committee Reorganizes for Long Term Support

26. August 2018 · Comments Off on Committee Reorganizes for Long Term Support · Categories: Committee Event

With Commissioning complete, the USS Colorado Commissioning Committee is about to restructure and organize around the mission of long-term support of the crew and their families for the 30 year plus life of the boat. This will require revised organization, bylaws, and a new 501C3, essentially creating a new organization. We are reaching out to find people to help with this reorganization and assume leadership roles in the new committee. We are also interested in finding out who might be interested in supporting this long-term mission. For this purpose, we have created an online survey to gather this information.

In addition to drafting bylaws, creating a 501C3 and determining leadership, the reorganization committee will develop policies for committee meetings, proposed activities and financing including a possible dues structure.

If you know of others who might be interested in this effort, please let them know.

Please take the survey here:  Google Forms Survey

Commanding Officer Visits State

06. August 2018 · Comments Off on Commanding Officer Visits State · Categories: Crew VIsit, Uncategorized

Model of Submarine Presented to Governor

Commander Reed Koepp, Commanding Officer of USS Colorado (SSN 788), and his wife Aimee, visited Colorado from July 17th through the 20th. The main purpose of their visit was to participate in the presentation of a model of USS Colorado on Wednesday. Arriving about noon on Tuesday, their first event was a visit to Colorado Springs. Committee members Beth Burroughs, Florence and JJ Mackin joined them for a jeep tour of Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs. In the evening they were joined by several other Committee members for dinner at the Broadmoor.

On Wednesday morning a three foot long model of the submarine was presented to Governor John Hickenlooper for permanent display at the Capitol. It will join the replica of the Ship’s Crest which in mounted in the South Wing. The model was crafted by retired Navy Master Chief Jon Sorensen. Jon is a professional model maker who has restored the Boettcher collection of ship’s models that now reside at the Ship Tavern at the Brown Palace Hotel. He made the model several years ago and has had it on display at several of the Committee’s Events. CDR Koepp made remarks as part of the ceremony. Afterwards he and Aimee along with members of the Committee were given a tour of the Capitol. The group then went for lunch at the Brown Palace.

In the afternoon CDR and Mrs. Koepp were given a tour of the Schwab Campus by Committee Member Ryan Schwab.

Beth and Jerry Burroughs graciously hosted dinner on Wednesday evening . We were honored to have three Schwab volunteers with us. They not only attended the commissioning ceremony in Groton, but also volunteered at all of the committee-sponsored events during commissioning week

On Thursday the Koep’s visited the CU Boulder campus starting at the University Memorial Center. The UMC is dedicated as a tribute to all Colorado veterans, men and women, who have served or are currently serving our country. The veteran’s lounge contains many original artifacts from the USS Colorado (BB 45), including the ship’s bell and helm. It also contains the bell that served on the first two USS Colorado’s. The BB45 Association had donated a replica of the ship’s bell that is currently in use on SSN 788. After visiting the UMC, retired Navy Captain Stewart Elliott gave them a tour of the new facility for the Veteran’s Services organization and Marine Colonel Mike Goeff provided a tour of the NROTC spaces.

The tour of CU was followed by lunch at the Capitol Grill in Golden with Committee members Florence and JJ Mackin and then a visit to Lookout Mountain and the Buffalo Bill Museum and grave. Traveling to Centennial, they joined Committee members in presenting Colorado’s Adjutant General, Major General Michael Loh, with an Honorary USS Colorado Plankowner’s Plaque. In the evening several members of the Committee hosted them to dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe in Denver. The Hard Rock had just issued a pin honoring USS Colorado (SSN 788) in their collector pin series.

It was great to have CDR Koepp and Aimee visit the state and to give them a feeling for the great state that they represent..

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Committee Hosts Another Crew Visit

24. June 2018 · Comments Off on Committee Hosts Another Crew Visit · Categories: Crew VIsit

During the period of May 15th through the 19th, the Commissioning Committee hosted four crew members to our state. MMNC(SS) Brian Love, MMN2(SS) Todd Ault, STS2(SS) Alexander Gilbert and EMN3(SS) Robert Cooper arrived on Monday the 14th and were met by several Committee members. Gene Kellar drove the group to Glenwood Springs stopping for Mongolian Barbecue along the way. Garfield County Veterans Service Officer, Gregg Bak arranged for the crew to stay at Hotel Colorado, dinner at The Brew Pub and passes to the Hot Springs.

After breakfast at Hotel Colorado the crew visited Glenwood Springs High School, and met with two classes of Air Force Junior ROTC cadets. After a quick lunch, they headed for Grand Junction High School where they were met by Brian Oney, Mesa County Veterans Service Officer. Brian arranged a presentation in the auditorium to the Army JROTC and any interested students. The auditorium was practically filled and many questions were asked, mainly about life on a submarine. Dinner was with the local US Submarine Veterans at the Golden Corral, where they met Bob Magos, a WWII Submarine Veteran who served on USS R-2 (SS-79) and USS Pipefish (SS-388/AGSS-388)

After traveling to Montrose, on Wednesday morning they met with Sheldon Smith, Montrose County Veterans Service Officer, and Capt. Lance Bach, Navy JROTC instructor at Montrose High School. They made a presentation to the unit and other interested Students. Afterwords, the JNROTC students presented t-shirts to the crew and they were interviewed by the Montrose Press. In the afternoon Sheldon Smith escorted the group to the South Ranger Station of Black Canyon of the Gunnison, where the Rangers escorted the crew on a personalized tour of the canyon.

Traveling through southern Colorado they returned to the Denver area on Thursday. On Friday Committee member Bill Emslie arranged for the sailors to visit four middle schools, have lunch in Old Town Fort Collins and visit Veteran’s Plaza. Returning to Denver they attended the Navy League Denver Council’s meeting and dinner that evening.

On Saturday the crew visited Estes Park where there was a welcome ceremony for them at eh Estes Park Veteran’s Monument by Mayor Pro Tem Cody Walker and several others. Following they were treated to lunch at the historic Stanley Hotel ant then a visit to Estes Park. In the evening they attended the Honorary Plankowner’s Reception at the Governor’s Mansion Carriage House with about 90 persons in attendance.

Overall it was another great visit to Colorado by the sailors of our namesake submarine. They proved to be great representatives of the Navy and the Submarine Force and impressed all who met them.

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Colorado Gets New XO

09. May 2018 · Comments Off on Colorado Gets New XO · Categories: Boat Happenings

On April 13th, LCDR Stephen Col, Executive Officer of Colorado since October of 2015, was relieved by LCDR Matthew Wolff. LCDR Col, a native of Modesto, California, had made several trips to Colorado with the various crew visits and presided as Master of Ceremonies at the Commissioning Ceremony on March 17th. He worked closely with the Commissioning Committee on all aspects of our support for the boat and will be missed. Steve will be reporting to the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations as N9i. N9 is the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Systems Division and determines, validates and integrates requirements and resources for manpower, training, sustainment, safety, modernization, and procurement of the Navy’s air, surface, undersea and expeditionary warfare systems. We wish him the best of luck.

LCDR Wolf is a native of Nacogdoches, Texas and a 2004 graduate of the University of Texas. He reports to COLORADO from the staff of the President, Board of Inspection and Survey in Norfolk, Virginia. For more on his background visit the Leadership Page 

Commissioning Committee Hosts Other Events

27. March 2018 · Comments Off on Commissioning Committee Hosts Other Events · Categories: Commissioning, Other Event

In addition to the events on Saturday, the commissioning committee hosted a number of other events starting on Thursday. On Thursday evening they hosted a party for the crew featuring a New England clambake. About 500 of the crew, their families, former crew and Commissioning Committee attended. During the event the Commanding Officer, Commander Reed Koepp, presented dolphins to several of the ship’s crew and held a promotion ceremony for the new ship’s engineer, Derik Rothchild, to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. The Commissioning Committee took this opportunity to present plank owner plaques to the crew along with other gifts. The Committee donated to each crew member Spyder jackets embroidered with the ship’s crest, a coin set commemorating each of the key events in the ship’s construction, and a special silver coin minted with silver from Colorado.

On Friday a special brunch was held for the ship’s sponsor Annie Mabus and was hosted by Mrs. Mary Anne Pitts, wife of Rear Admiral Pitts, at their quarters on the Submarine Base. It was a small event, including her dad, former Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, her Maid of Honor Jess Ladd, the Commanding Officer, Executive Officer and Chief of the Boat and their spouses. Representing Colorado were a few members of the Commissioning Committee as well as Larry Mizel, Chairman of Richmond American Homes Foundation, presenting sponsor for the committee events, Maj. Gen. Michael Lowe and his wife Diane, the Adjutant General of the State of Colorado.

In the afternoon another New England clambake was held for sponsors, major donors and special guests. The Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) department on the Submarine Base did another fantastic job in serving this clambake. Approximately 400 people attended this event including Governor Hickenlooper, photographer John Fielder, sculptor George Lundeen, CEO of Left Hand Brewing, Eric Wallace, Annie Mabus and her dad, former Secretary of the Navy Mabus, Maj. Gen. Loh and Mrs. Loh and the veterans from battleship Colorado. During the day on Friday a number of people were given tours of the submarine.

That evening the Chairman’s Reception was held at the Mystic Marriott Hotel. There were about 400 people present to enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and beer and wine supplied by our Colorado sponsors. During the reception, Steffan Tubbs broadcast live on 710KNUS to his audience in Colorado as he interviewed members of the crew, Committee and other in attendance, including Governor Hickenlooper. To start off the program the Electric Boat singing group, the Subtones, sang several songs related to Colorado with a backdrop of John Fielder’s Colorado landscape photographs. Several sponsors and individuals presented gifts to the ship, including Julianne Hish who presented a stained-glass replica of the ship’s crest. The Commissioning Committee also presented several gifts including exercise equipment donated by TRX company and a special plaque with a challenge to the crew from battleship veterans that will be mounted in the boat. All the battleship veterans present joined onstage to present a specially engraved ship’s bell created by sculptor George Lundeen on behalf of the BB-45 Association.

Overall the activities of Commissioning Week were a memorable, once in a lifetime experience. All present seemed to overwhelmingly enjoy the events.

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