THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 16, 1996 TAG: 9602160505
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHARLENE CASON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
A little more than six years ago, some Greeneville residents began a campaign to have the Navy honor small-town America by having a ship named for their part of Tennessee.
Today the town of 15,000 can see its efforts fulfilled when the $908 million fast-attack submarine Greeneville is commissioned at Norfolk Naval Base.
The submarine was christened by its sponsor, Tipper Gore, in September 1994. Gore, wife of Vice President Al Gore, is scheduled to be one of the speakers at the 11 a.m. commissioning ceremony.
The crew of 141 began training and qualifying for the new submarine's systems nearly two years ago. Since its christening at Newport News Shipbuilding, where it was built, the Greeneville has gone through months of inspections and sea trials.
The Navy calls it the most advanced nuclear submarine in the world.
This next-to-the-last Los Angeles-class submarine to be built has an improved sonar system, vertical launch tubes for Tomahawk missiles and a hardened sail that enables the sub to surface through ice.
In addition, its sailplanes - rudders that control the depth and angle of the sub under water - have been relocated from the sail to the bow.
Commanding officer Cmdr. Duane Hatch says the Greeneville is capable of fulfilling every aspect of the submarine force's expanded mission.
``Since the end of the Cold War, we've been doing different operations,'' Hatch said. ``We're working with the Navy's special forces, we have mine capabilities, and we do forward deployment screening for battle groups.''
The submarine is not only unique because of its advanced technical improvements, but also because of the relationship between its crew and the residents of Greeneville.
More than 200 townspeople attended the christening ceremony, and about 300 are expected to be at the commissioning.
Over the past two years, crew members have made numerous trips to the town to talk with schoolchildren about their new submarine and to share in Fourth of July celebrations with residents.
The two groups have formed a bond, with host families in Greeneville opening their homes to visiting sailors and their families. As soon as the submarine finishes all its testing, Hatch said, and ``things calm down a bit,'' he plans to invite interested townspeople on a dependents' cruise.
After about six months of short cruises to continue testing, the Greeneville will return to Newport News Shipbuilding for its five-month ``post-shakedown'' period of fine-tuning. Then the submarine will move to Pearl Harbor, its homeport. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos by BILL TIERNAN, The Virginian-Pilot
Petty officer John Hart, left, a quartermaster aboard the
Greeneville, rehearses Thursday for today's events.
Below, Alma Brevard wraps bunting around pipes at Pier 23. The
Navy calls the Greeneville, a Los Angeles class sub with
vertical-launch cruise missiles, the most advanced nuclear submarine
in the world.
by CNB