Lynn Hendy
July 09, 2018
On June 27, Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Gonzales, navigation electronics technician, raised the colors over the PCU South Dakota (SSN 790) in Groton’s Graving Dock 3. “To be the person to raise the ensign the first time was a great honor,” said Gonzales. “It was surreal – to think that there will be thousands of sailors just like me who will be raising and lowering the colors on this boat over its 30-plus year lifespan – it’s an incredible feeling.”
In-service marks the stage where the crew moves aboard the ship in advance of taking it to sea for the first time and is a significant milestone in a new ship’s construction. At the in-service milestone, operational control of the submarine transfers from Electric Boat to the fleet commander while the crew assumes responsibility for the safety and security of the ship.
June 27 also marked South Dakota as officially habitable, meaning the ship is acceptable for the crew to live on board and the mess is open. The crew ate its first meal – surf and turf – prepared in the ship’s galley by Culinary Specialist Senior Chief Chris Peddycoart and his team of talented culinary specialists. The crew for SSN 790 began assembling in August 2015; the ability to now work and live aboard the ship gives the crew the opportunity to become more familiar with the equipment they will operate.
Construction of South Dakota began March 2, 2013, and the boat is in its final stages of construction and testing. The submarine’s next significant construction milestone is initial sea trials, known as alpha trails, an aggressive series of operational tests that demonstrate the submarine’s capabilities.
