Man: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

It is my distinct honor and privilege to welcome you to Submarine Base, New London, and the commissioning of USS Iowa.

[ Applause ] The crew of USS Iowa salute you.

We are proud to serve in America's Navy.

Iowa, ready, two.

Nebbe: In April 2025, the USS Iowa (SSN-797) officially became the newest submarine to join the U.S.

Navy's 71-sub fleet.

This state-of the-art Virginia-class submarine is the fourth vessel to be commissioned with the name Iowa.

Her story is split between those who worked for years to see the name Iowa back in the water, and the new sailors working aboard her today.

Before those crew members climbed down into their sub, they all start their sailing journey at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.

Known as the "Submarine Capital of the World," New London is home to the Navy's Submarine School, or Sub School, a required eight-week course to assess if a sailor is capable of the rigors of submarine living.

Moore: The submarine community, everybody getting into it has to have a little bit of dedication and acceptance of what they don't know.

It's not easy.

In the end, it's unlike anything you've ever gotten to experience.

You know, you might be sharing a room, nine to more people.

You live at work, but cool part about being in submarines, though, is I have yet to meet anybody that didn't love it.

Sutherland: So the state I'm from is Iowa.

After college, I was, like, not really sure what to do.

My dad was in the Navy.

My brother's currently in the Navy, so I was like, "Hey, why not?

Let's join the Navy."

Why submarines?

I like the idea that there's less people.

I don't want to be on a ship with 5,000 people.

I want to be on a submarine with, you know, 100 of the people that I trust.

Nebbe: Before seamen step foot on a submarine, Sub School starts with a few weeks of intense classroom work on the life-saving skills they'll need to know.

We've had to do the history and basics about submarines, you know, how the -- all the -- all the systems operate and what kind of weapons and propulsions and all that good stuff, so that when we get out there, we can fix it.

Nebbe: Once seamen make it through sub classes, hands-on learning starts.

The two most dangerous elements submariners can encounter are water and fire.

Managing those emergencies is known as damage control, or D.C.

Moore: So damage control is -- in simple terminology, it's something bad has happened, and it's not like you can just get out of the submarine and go to another one.

Fire!

Fire in the engine room!

Learning to be a firefighter on a submarine is going to be a life-or-death occupation, because we don't have the luxury of having separate D.C.

control men to handle all D.C.

cases on board.

Everybody on board is going to be a D.C.

man.

It's a lot to learn because a lot of these students have never held these extinguishing agents.

Everybody has to learn how to approach that and how to fight that fear.

Nebbe: Next to fire, water is the biggest concern on a sub.

Not only is a submarine surrounded by water, but if a sub starts taking on water, her crew needs to know how to stop the leak or risk catastrophe.

Moore: So our classroom portion is very hands-on, so we teach them a lot of the tools, and then we take those exact same tools and we put them in the training environment.

Nebbe: Fire may seem more dangerous than water leaks, but if submariners don't act fast, too much water could sink a sub.

Just like a real rupture, the water trainer does not go easy on seamen.

They have minutes to assess and patch leaks gushing at more than 1,000-pounds per second.

So the students that come into it, they originally see it, and it's kind of shocking.

They've never seen anything like that before.

But they get the training and then you put them in it and they're successful and, in all honesty, damage control wet training's probably one of the favorites.

Nebbe: With fire and water behind them, seamen finally learn what to do when all else fails.

Moore: So this is our aquatic training facility.

This is for pressurized submarine escape training.

It's a 40-foot tower of water.

If we're utilizing this, the submarines had a very bad day.

They're disabled, they're never going to return to the surface, So hopefully this training that we provide will never have to be utilized by the students.

Nebbe: To date, no actively deployed submarine has ever had to use the escape hatch.

However, with few exceptions, every seaman who has come through New London has experienced this trainer.

Moore: We teach them all about the suits and some of the pieces, parts, and components of the suit.

On day two, we bring them into pressurized training, where we pressurize them using the exact same components on a submarine.

That will equalize with the tank, and they will float up to the surface.

Nebbe: After eight weeks of Sub School, in front of gathered friends and family from across the country, seamen graduate.

While still months, possibly years from stepping foot on a submarine, the next step in their path is specialization.

Sutherland: I just graduated BESS -- Basic Enlisted Submarine School.

I'm about to head to my "A" school, which is ITS "A" school, essentially just computers and submarines.

I don't have orders yet, but I'm hoping to get on the USS Iowa.

Nebbe: The state of Iowa has shepherded thousands of young soldiers like Seaman Sutherland to the Navy.

In fact, veterans from Iowa have been championing the new Iowa sub for more than a decade.

Kirby: We have three different submarine groups in the state of Iowa, actually four.

Then when they named the Iowa, we wanted to get more involved, so we formed the Submarine Veterans of Iowa.

And then, as it progressed, the commissioning committee was started.

But just to see these people, all the people from Iowa that are non-military, that have supported them, it's -- it's touching.

Nebbe: In the days leading up to the commissioning, supporters of the Iowa were given private tours of the new sub.

The experience offered veterans a chance to reconnect with their service.

Kostlan: It's like, once you're a submariner, you're always a submariner, and I was excited about the idea of being able to go on the submarine and see what submarines look like today versus when I was on in the '70s, and it's so different.

Way different.

Nebbe: Finally, on Saturday, April 5th, the commissioning of USS Iowa was held.

Amidst blustery winds and frigid rain, speeches were given and long-standing naval traditions were performed.

First District of Iowa Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks was in attendance to give her remarks.

before ship sponsor and former First Lady of Iowa Christie Vilsack gave the ceremonial call for crew to man the sub.

Officers and crew of the USS Iowa, board our boat and bring her to life.

All: Aye-aye, ma'am!

Nebbe: Naval commissioning ceremonies follow a regular set of events.

However, the ship's sponsor is allowed to select the celebratory theme.

For the Iowa, the former First Lady of the state chose an Iowa State Fair theme, meaning the State Fair Board decked the pier out in state-fair signage and provided free Campbell's corn dogs and pork chops on a stick, Iowa delicacies fitting for a brand-new submarine named after the state.

It's the last one.

-How is it?

-Good.

It's good.

Nebbe: While held on the East Coast, the commissioning of the USS Iowa submarine is a piece of the state of Iowa's history, with the sub as backdrop, veterans and active seamen from Iowa in attendance, federal representatives present, the Iowa State Fair supporting the whole event, and Governor Kim Reynolds giving the keynote address, the day was a celebration of all things Iowa.

Reynolds: After nearly eight years as governor, some occasions stand out as special reminders of the great privilege it is to serve.

Today's ceremony is certainly one of those occasions, and, in fact, it may very well top the list.

For Iowans, today's commissioning will spark memories of our state's numerous connections to the USS naval history.

This history matters to Iowans.

The countless crew members living and dead who wrote that history matter to us.

And that's why so many from our state, including many veterans, have made the 1,200-mile journey here to Groton, Connecticut, to honor the much-loved name of USS Iowa.

May God bless the new USS Iowa and all who built her, may God bless her crew and give success to her mission, and may God bless Iowa and the United States of America.

God bless you.

[ Applause ]