CHRISTENING CEREMONY September 12, 2020
Dear shipbuilders, colleagues, family and friends: Thank you for joining us to celebrate the christening of Montana (SSN 794), the United States Navy’s newest and most technologically advanced Virginia-class submarine. A time-honored Navy tradition that dates back more than 4,000 years, the christening is a special event that we always look forward to hosting at our shipyard. Montana’s christening is unique in that it is the first Newport News Shipbuilding event to be witnessed virtually. While Ship’s Sponsor Sally Jewell will smash a bottle of American sparkling wine across Montana’s bow here at the shipyard, and other elements of the ceremony will continue in the traditional way, the health and safety risks posed by the Coronavirus forced us to limit audience participation to a digital format. But COVID-19 will not get in the way of our mission and this important construction milestone. Our Navy needs our ships now more than ever, and despite the pandemic, our construction team, comprising shipbuilders here and at General Dynamics Electric Boat, and suppliers nationwide, has worked tirelessly to bring Montana one step closer to joining the Navy fleet. The christening recognizes the construction team’s dedication to the mission, officially names the boat and imparts on Montana her sponsor’s spirit. Having spent some time with Sally Jewell, I can tell you that when this submarine joins the world’s greatest fleet, she will possess an intense passion and sense of adventure that is unique to her sponsor, and Montana will carry with her tremendous skill and patriotism that embodies her crew and shipbuilding team. Thank you again for sharing in this historic occasion. Please enjoy the ceremony! All the best,
Jennifer Boykin President, Newport News Shipbuilding
Hosting a Christening During a Global Pandemic When Ship’s Sponsor Sally Jewell breaks a bottle of American-made sparkling wine across the bow of the submarine Montana (SSN 794), she will officially name the submarine as part of the time-honored ship christening tradition. The practice of christening ships dates back more than 4,000 years and has evolved since the early days, when Vikings used blood rather than champagne to mark the occasion. For more than a century, the tradition throughout the world has been that women christen ships. The custom was broken only twice at Newport News Shipbuilding, when a young boy christened a tugboat in 1909 and a 15-year-old boy christened a cargo ship in 1916.
Our audience will witness the christening virtually, we will follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s social distancing guidelines, and masks will be worn like the one pictured here. Safety is at the heart of everything we do at Newport News Shipbuilding, whether it’s building mighty Navy warships to protect our sailors and our way of life, or ensuring that our shipbuilders leave our gates at the end of the day as healthy and as safe as they were when they arrived. Please know that we’ve taken all possible precautions to ensure a safe christening celebration. We appreciate your patience, your flexibility, and doing your part to stop the spread of COVID-19.
While the Navy tradition will live on with the christening of Montana, the boat will also make history of its own. Montana’s christening is the first event to be held at Newport News Shipbuilding since the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The bottle of American sparkling wine used in NNS christenings is enclosed in a slotted aluminum casing – made in the shipyard – and then covered with a crocheted cotton sleeve. The covering prevents fragments of the glass bottle from possibly injuring the Ship’s Sponsor or other onsite spectators.
As such, we have worked to implement safety measures to protect the health of our employees and our minimal number of onsite guests, and to do our part to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Before shattering the ceremonial bottle, Sally Jewell will proclaim, “I christen thee United States ship Montana. May God bless this submarine and all who sail in her.” Following the ceremony, the boat will be launched and moved to a pier where outfitting will continue until the ship is ready for delivery.
Building
MONTANA Newport News Shipbuilding is teamed with General Dynamics Electric Boat to build Virginia-class submarines. This effort utilizes the most advanced undersea systems that American world-class science, engineering, technology and manufacturing can provide. A diverse team of highly skilled Newport News craftsmen and craftswomen have been building Montana, one of 10 ships that make up Block IV in the Virginia class.
In this photo, Montana’s stern unit awaits outfitting in an NNS submarine facility. More than 4,000 NNS shipbuilders have contributed to Montana’s construction. Pictured clockwise are: Devante Gibson and Desmond Shamlee, Sheniqua Johnson, Timothy Boyd and Samuel Morris.
Shipbuilders work to complete Montana. Pictured clockwise are: Marcus Bembry, Norman Pelletier and Mathew Peters.
In November 2019, Montana reached “pressure hull complete,� a significant milestone in the submarine’s construction that signifies all of its hull sections are joined to form a single, watertight unit.
The State of
MONTANA Known as “Big Sky Country” for its wide open spaces and vast countryside, the state of Montana is one of the most mountainous in the western United States. The earliest Spanish settlers named the state “Montaña,” which means mountain in Spanish. Gold was first discovered in Montana in 1852. The state’s motto, “oro y plata,” means “gold and silver,” and was adopted because of Montana’s gold and silver deposits. The Blackfeet Indian Reservation is located in Montana and home to the 17,321-member Blackfeet Nation, one of the 10 largest tribes in the U.S. Montana Ship’s Sponsor Sally Jewell’s maid of honor, Mariah Gladstone, is a member of the Blackfeet Nation. Pictured clockwise are: St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park, photo courtesy of Mariah Gladstone of Blackfeet Nation; Gold mining cars at Bannack Historic State Park, Montana; City lights of Great Falls Montana over the Missouri River.
Montana has the largest population of golden eagles in the United States. You can see more eagles on a single day there than anywhere else in the country. The state also has the largest migratory elk herd in the nation. Cowboys played an important role in settling the western United States. Ranching was an important industry and could not be done without the help of cowboys. They not only herded cattle, but helped repair fences and buildings and took care of horses. Montana’s lush, green hillsides and open terrain still provide the perfect location for ranch life.
Newport News Shipbuilding authenticated the keel for the 21st Virginia-class submarine, Montana (SSN 794), on May 16, 2018. Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior and Ship’s Sponsor Sally Jewell was present to chalk her initials onto a steel plate. Her inscription was then traced by NNS Welder Jacob McNulty, signifying the keel of Montana “truly and fairly laid.”
SALLY JEWELL Ship’s Sponsor
As a business executive and public servant serving as U.S. Secretary of the Interior under President Barack Obama, Sally Jewell focused her career on supporting a robust economy coupled with long-term sustainability of our natural world and its diverse people. During her tenure as Interior Secretary, Jewell was recognized for taking the long view, using a science-based, landscape-level, collaborative approach to natural resources management. She and her capable team were deeply engaged in rebuilding a trusting, nation-to-nation relationship with indigenous communities in the U.S. They championed the importance of science and sharing data to better understand our Earth’s systems; supported development of commercial-scale renewable energy on public lands and waters; encouraged investments for more sustainable use of water in the West; and worked with Congress, President Obama and his team on longterm conservation of our nation’s most vulnerable and irreplaceable natural, cultural and historic treasures. For the past three years, Jewell has lead The Nature Conservancy, a global environmental organization through a leadership transition, and engaged with the next generation leaders through fellowships at Harvard and the University of Washington. Prior to serving on President Obama’s cabinet, Jewell was President and CEO of REI, a $2.6 billion retailer dedicated to facilitating outdoor adventures. Throughout her adult life, she has been active in governance and board leadership for corporations and nonprofit organizations, receiving many awards for community service.
MARIAH GLADSTONE Maid of Honor
Mariah Gladstone grew up in northwest Montana with one moccasin in the Flathead Valley and one in the Blackfeet Reservation. She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in environmental engineering and returned home, where she began working on food advocacy, including developing a precolonial cooking show called “Indigikitchen.” Gladstone is currently finishing her master’s in environmental science at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry through the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership. She is recognized as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation “Culture of Health Leader” and is on the board of the Native Youth Food Sovereignty Alliance.
Previous Ship Named
MONTANA
USS Montana (ACR-13/CA-13), also referred to as “Armored Cruiser No. 13,” later renamed Missoula and reclassified CA-13, was a Tennessee-class armored cruiser. She was built by Newport News Shipbuilding. Her keel was laid in April 1905. The ship was launched in December 1906 and commissioned in July 1908. The final class of armored cruisers to be built for the U.S. Navy, Montana, like others in her class, was armed with a main battery of four 10-inch (254 mm) guns, and was capable of a top speed of 22 knots.
MONTANA (SSN 794) Ship’s Crest
The official crest of Montana reflects the history, culture and values of the sailors who sail aboard her. The crest is decorated in a majestic Glacier National Park scene that is representative of uncountable vistas that have been revered by the earliest Native Americans, settlers and today’s visitors. At the top of the crest is a solid gold star, signifying the only other Navy warship named for the state. On the right side of the Montana state outline are two eagle feathers. The feathers represent the values, culture and courage of Native American warriors and their tribes throughout Montana as they have defended their land and way of life throughout history. The feathers have leather thongs whose colors and designs represent the flags of the United States and Montana. Within the crest’s
state border is a representation of Virginia-class submarine Montana. She and her crew are escorted by a bow wave image of the fearless grizzly bear, the state’s official animal. At the bottom of the crest is 3-7-77. This symbol is associated with Montana’s early citizens who sought to bring frontier justice to parts of the Montana Territory. Disagreement remains about the exact origin of the numbers, but the warning was clear— if 3-7-77 showed up on a suspected outlaw’s property, he knew that bad things were about to happen. Even today the symbol can be seen on Montana Highway Patrol cars. Finally, the Latin inscription within the crest is the wish and fervent prayer of Montana’s citizens for their namesake warship: May it defend our way of life.
The Crew of
MONTANA As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the crew of Montana (SSN 794) remains committed to working alongside shipbuilders to deliver the submarine to the Navy. “I am very proud of the way Montana’s crew members have adapted to the new normal and focused on responsibly living up to our mission,” said Cmdr. Michael Delaney, the submarine’s commanding officer. “This is not all too surprising given the innate resiliency and toughness I’ve seen my whole career in the submarine force. We’re definitely a community that is ready to rise to any challenge.” To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the crew is minimizing group gatherings, cleaning extensively, using personal protective equipment like face coverings and screening those who come aboard Montana. Sailors also are following social distancing guidelines – which is especially challenging in the tight quarters of a submarine. Despite the pandemic, Delaney said Montana will be delivered as one of the most capable warships ever built. “We have taken prudent measures to limit COVID-19’s spread, and we’re also ensuring our people are trained and ready to defend the nation,” he said. “While there is a heightened level of awareness fighting a foe you can’t see, fighting an unseen adversary is what we train to do every day as submariners.” Crew (as seen here and prior to the COVID-19 outbreak) hold the Montana state flag that was flown over the state capitol in Helena. Opposite page: Members of Montana (SSN 794) crew wear masks to control the spread of COVID-19.
MONTANA (SSN 794) Facts:
• Contract award: July 19, 2012 • Navy names SSN 794 in honor of the state of Montana: Sept 2, 2015 • Construction start: April 1, 2015 • Keel laid: May 16, 2018 • Ship’s Sponsor: Sally Jewell, former Secretary of the Interior • Number of shipbuilders who support Montana construction: 4,000 • Officers and crew: About 135 officers and crew • Commanded by: Commander Michael Delaney • Montana is the 21st boat of the Virginia-class and the 10th to be delivered by Newport News Shipbuilding; First NNS delivery of a Block IV submarine • Ship’s motto: “Do or Die, Big Sky”
VIRGINIA-CLASS Submarine Facts:
• 377-foot-long nuclear-powered, fast-attack submarine. • Capable of submerged speeds in excess of 25 knots. • Able to stay submerged for three months at a time. • Armed with Tomahawk Cruise missiles, MK-48 torpedoes, advanced mobile mines and an unmanned undersea vehicle.
Beautiful red mountains over St Mary Lake at sunset, Glacier National Park, Montana.
Note: Newport News Shipbuilding has implemented social distancing and mandated the use of face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Photographs of Montana’s construction – which are included throughout this program – were taken before COVID-19 prevention guidelines were issued.