Iowa’s Namesake Submarine to Have Commissioning Ceremony

A project years in the making, involving a vessel bearing Iowa's namesake, is finally coming to an end, and people will be able to bear witness to the commissioning of it in just a matter of days.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that the USS Iowa Commissioning Committee will see the USS Iowa submarine commissioned by the U.S. Navy in Groton, CT this month. The vessel is a fast-attack nuclear-powered submarine, known as USS Iowa SSN 797.

U.S. Navy veteran Tom Hudson, who is the Executive Director of the USS Iowa Commissioning Committee, spoke about this being a "bittersweet" moment because they've had a lot of interaction with the submarine crew over an extended period of time. He noted that their interactions have lasted five to six years.

Roughly 600 people from Iowa will travel to Connecticut this week to bear witness to the moment for themselves:

The last ship that was named Iowa was a battleship that was decommissioned 35 years ago. This will be the next ship named Iowa, and it will represent the State of Iowa during the 35-year life cycle of this submarine - Tom Hudson, Executive Director of the USS Iowa Commissioning Committee, per KCCI

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The USS Iowa is the first of its kind. KCCI added that back in 2010, a ban prohibiting women from serving onboard submarines was lifted. As a result, submarines were retrofitted to accommodate women. The USS Iowa is the first sub that was built to hold/house females. Hudson stated that the submarine has private berthing and bathrooms.

The last several years have seen the USS Iowa Commissioning Committee raise money to facilitate these necessary changes. They clearly went all out. The submarine will be equipped to show movies, house ice cream machines, and even gaming stations. Individuals on board might be out to sea for extended periods of time (anywhere from 90 to 200 days). The vessel was improved with quality of life in mind.

The commissioning ceremony for the USS Iowa will take place Saturday at 10am EST in Groton, CT. KCCI notes that there are more than two dozen watch parties for the ceremony taking place all across Iowa. You can visit the USS Iowa's website for information on watch parties and how to livestream the ceremony too.