By Lynn Hendy
May 21, 2018
On May 11 Ship Sponsor Darleen Greenert laid the keel of the submarine Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 795), her initials welded onto a steel plate that will be permanently affixed to the submarine. Mrs. Greenert is the wife of former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert (retired). EB hosted the ceremony at its Quonset Point facility with more than 500 people in attendance including local and Congressional dignitaries, Navy officials, employees and special guest Mrs. Eleonore Rickover, widow of Admiral Rickover.
EB President Jeff Geiger recounted that EB’s relationship with Admiral Rickover started with a phone call. “While Westinghouse was developing a compact and practical nuclear reactor in 1950, then-Captain Rickover telephoned O.P. Robinson Jr., EB’s general manager and a man he had never met. ‘Can you build a hull for an atomic submarine?’ Rickover asked. ‘Why, sure,’ Robinson replied. ‘But what do we have to do?’ ‘I don’t know myself,’ Rickover replied. ‘But we’ll work it out.’ And work it out they did,” said Geiger.
Adm. Frank Caldwell, Jr., Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, stated, “Admiral Rickover’s gift to our nation’s defense — safe, reliable, and militarily superior naval nuclear propulsion — is as vital to our warfighting edge today as it was at the beginning of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program 70 years ago. The U.S. Navy and our nation are proud to honor his achievements and legacy with this submarine.”
Joe Walsh, who recently retired from EB as vice president of The Virginia and Moored Training Ship programs following a 32-year career in the Navy, was a former commanding officer of SSN 709, the first submarine Hyman G. Rickover.
“Admiral Rickover is referred to as the father of the nuclear Navy, but he was much more than that. He defined the culture of the nuclear Navy — excellence is standard,” said Walsh. “When you perform a drill or an evolution flawlessly in the nuclear Navy, you don’t get a ‘great job’ or a ‘well done.’ You get ‘no deficiencies were noted’ because you didn’t exceed the standard, you merely met it.
“The new Hyman G. Rickover could not have been more fortunate than to be blessed with Mrs. Darleen Greenert, who will serve her ship with the same level of love, dedication, and energy that Eleonore provided to SSN 709.”
In her moving, emotional remarks, Mrs. Greenert thanked the shipbuilders in the audience. “When someone comes up to you or your family and asks if what you do matters, I want to tell you it does. Now we have the 795, and I’ve seen her beautiful parts. You’re building her strong and safe. The families of the crew — their children, their moms and dads, their brothers and sisters — they’re going to say goodbye to their submariners, and then they’re going to say hello again a few months later, because of what you do.
“Yes. It matters.”
Quonset Point Donation Will Help Keep Mystic Aquarium’s Belugas Cool
Juno, the Mystic Aquarium’s convivial, photo-bombing Beluga whale, will continue swimming in cool comfort thanks to an unlikely chain of events that began 40 miles east in an Electric Boat industrial building at Quonset Point. That’s where EB’s Russ Tatro and Chris Logan were going over plans with a vendor, Carrier Corp., to replace Building...Continue reading→
EB Team Visits Hypertherm as Part of Drive Toward Modern, Efficient Shipbuilding
A team from Groton and Quonset Point headed to New Hampshire-based Hypertherm Associates this week to get a closer look at a modern automated plasma gouging process designed to streamline hull fabrication. The visit was part of a broader effort across Electric Boat to bring more advanced, state‑of‑the‑art manufacturing tools into the shipyard. EB plans...Continue reading→
Kamal Mohamed Recognized as 2026 Hartford Business Journal 40 Under Forty Award Recipient
The Hartford Business Journal (HBJ) 40 Under Forty Awards recognize outstanding young professionals in the Greater Hartford area who are excelling in their industries through their leadership roles. They are driven by success, motivated by challenges and are role models for their peers. These individuals are part of an outstanding class of upcoming business leaders...Continue reading→
Electric Boat Joins Regional Leaders for Military Appreciation Breakfast
Electric Boat employees joined military and community leaders for the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut’s annual Military Appreciation Breakfast on Sept. 30 at Ocean Beach Park’s Port ‘N’ Starboard. The event provided more than 120 complimentary seats to active-duty service members from the Navy, Coast Guard and Connecticut National Guard. General Dynamics Electric Boat...Continue reading→
One Week Left—Let’s Claim the Torch! AHA Eastern Connecticut Heart Walk: Final Countdown
We are just one week away from the 2026 AHA Eastern Connecticut Heart Walk on October 3, 2026, at UConn Avery Point and this is our moment to finish strong. We’ve built incredible momentum, and now we’re within striking distance of something big. Right now, Electric Boat is holding second place, behind Mohegan Sun by...Continue reading→
803 Section 2B/5 Transported from Quonset Point to Groton
PCU Arizona’s (SSGN 803) Section 2B/5 was successfully delivered to Groton from Quonset Point. At 184 feet in length, this section – which includes the Virginia Payload Module (VPM) – is the largest Virginia-class shipment ever transported. Arizona, the first submarine to incorporate VPM, will be about 460 feet long upon final construction. Section 2B/5...Continue reading→
Remembering September 11
On September 11, 2001, the Twin Towers of downtown Manhattan’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., were targeted in a series of coordinated attacks that would leave an everlasting imprint on our country’s psyche. As the events unfolded on that Tuesday morning, nearly 3,000 people lost their lives, over 600 were injured...Continue reading→
EBECSA Celebrates 75 Years — Nominate EB Employees Past and Present for Recognition
This year, the Electric Boat Employees’ Community Services Association (EBECSA) proudly celebrates its 75th anniversary. EBECSA was founded in 1951 by EB employees who wanted to create a dedicated, organized way to support nonprofit health and human service agencies in the communities where we live and work. What began as a small employee‑driven effort has...Continue reading→
Atlas Plaque Unveiled, Honoring Plank Owners at South Yard Ceremony
Employees who have worked on Atlas, EB’s new state-of-the-art floating dry dock, gathered in the South Yard on Wednesday, Aug. 26, to unveil a new bronze plaque recognizing the contributions of its plank owners. The event celebrated the teams who helped bring Atlas from Bollinger Shipyards in Louisiana to its arrival in Groton earlier this year. Atlas will play...Continue reading→
Neighbors Meet with EB to Discuss Noise, Lighting and Other Quality of Life Topics
Nearly twenty neighbors of Electric Boat’s Groton shipyard joined company leaders Aug. 25 for a community conversation focused on their quality‑of‑life concerns related to the South Yard Assembly Building (SYAB) and Atlas, the new floating dry dock. The Mayor of the City of Groton, Jill Rusk, also attended. Residents said they appreciated the chance to talk...Continue reading→
