OT: USS Jimmy Carter

vienna · 08-12-05, 05:13 PM

Old Submariners never die...

Carter Takes Dive in Namesake Submarine
Associated Press

Former President Carter completed his first submarine dive since he left the Navy in 1953 aboard a new nuclear vessel that bears his name.

The USS Jimmy Carter pulled into this Navy submarine base Friday after a night of cruising below the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the Georgia coast.

It is the first submarine named after a living ex-president. Carter, 80, was a submariner during his time in the Navy after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy.

He stood on the flying bridge of the submarine secured by a red harness as the vessel came into the St. Mary's River and tied up to a dock at King's Bay Naval Submarine Base.

"This is an element of my life, I would say is almost pre-eminent," Carter said.

He was accompanied by his wife, Rosalynn, and a crew of 151.
It was the first submarine dive for 77-year-old Rosalynn Carter, who said she watched through the periscope as the vessel slipped beneath the water.

"It was an incredible experience for me," she said.

The new submarine was on its way to some training exercises at an undisclosed location after leaving Groton, Conn., where it was built by General Dynamics Electric Boat Division.

It is the third and final Seawolf class of attack submarines ordered by the Pentagon during the final years of the Cold War. The 453-foot, 12,000-ton submarine has a 50-torpedo payload and eight torpedo tubes. According to intelligence experts, it can tap undersea cables and eavesdrop on the communications passing through them.

"This is the finest ship in this Navy or in any Navy," Carter said immediately after the dive. "No other submarine has ever been like this."

The $3.2 billion vessel can reach speeds of more than 25 knots and carry Tomahawk cruise missiles and anti-submarine torpedoes. It is engineered to be quieter than the other two Seawolf submarines, making it better for surveillance.

To ensure that the last Seawolf wasn't obsolete before it hit the water, the Pentagon delayed production to install a 100-foot hull extension, making the ship much longer than its sister ships.

August · 08-12-05, 05:20 PM

I always liked Jimmy Carter. He may not have been the most brilliant president but you knew he had the nations best interests at heart.

Mike 'Red Ocktober' Hense · 08-12-05, 06:23 PM

the USS Jimmy Carter on sea trials in Virtual Sailor...

--Mike

SteamWake · 08-12-05, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike 'Red Ocktober' Hense

the USS Jimmy Carter on sea trials in Virtual Sailor...

--Mike

Shakes his head Blinking deeply... rubs his eyes.... Gawd I need sleep !

OldFrenchy · 08-13-05, 01:57 AM

The sub sounds great- too bad it is named after a fool of a man, nice as he may be.

Capn Tucker · 08-13-05, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldFrenchy

The sub sounds great- too bad it is named after a fool of a man, nice as he may be.

J.C. was completely naive about foreign policy, and the worst possible choice to deal with the likes of Leonid Breszhnev and the Ayatollah Khomeini, but probably was one of the most honest presidents we had. His main saving grace was being a sub sailor, and he was instrumental in pulling the strings to have the east coast Trident sub base put at Kings Bay, Georgia.
It was great to spend over half my naval career at a base less than 40 miles from my hometown. For that I'll always be greatful to Mr. C, despite his presidential failings...

August · 08-13-05, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capn Tucker

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldFrenchy

The sub sounds great- too bad it is named after a fool of a man, nice as he may be.

J.C. was completely naive about foreign policy, and the worst possible choice to deal with the likes of Leonid Breszhnev and the Ayatollah Khomeini, but probably was one of the most honest presidents we had. His main saving grace was being a sub sailor, and he was instrumental in pulling the strings to have the east coast Trident sub base put at Kings Bay, Georgia.
It was great to spend over half my naval career at a base less than 40 miles from my hometown. For that I'll always be greatful to Mr. C, despite his presidential failings...

He was also responsible for the building of a bunch of fast transports (over Navy objections) which 12 years later allowed our heavy forces to deploy to Desert Shield in weeks rather than months.

People like to badmouth Carter for his failings but when the truth be told, post Vietnam US was so messed up that a lesser man could have done much, much worse. Carter, if nothing else, showed the country that an honorable man could still get elected to the office of the Presidency. That may not mean much nowadays but in post Watergate era it meant a lot.

08-12-05, 05:13 PM	#1
vienna Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Anywhere but the here & now... Posts: 7,711 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	OT: USS Jimmy Carter Old Submariners never die... Carter Takes Dive in Namesake Submarine Associated Press Former President Carter completed his first submarine dive since he left the Navy in 1953 aboard a new nuclear vessel that bears his name. The USS Jimmy Carter pulled into this Navy submarine base Friday after a night of cruising below the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the Georgia coast. It is the first submarine named after a living ex-president. Carter, 80, was a submariner during his time in the Navy after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy. He stood on the flying bridge of the submarine secured by a red harness as the vessel came into the St. Mary's River and tied up to a dock at King's Bay Naval Submarine Base. "This is an element of my life, I would say is almost pre-eminent," Carter said. He was accompanied by his wife, Rosalynn, and a crew of 151. It was the first submarine dive for 77-year-old Rosalynn Carter, who said she watched through the periscope as the vessel slipped beneath the water. "It was an incredible experience for me," she said. The new submarine was on its way to some training exercises at an undisclosed location after leaving Groton, Conn., where it was built by General Dynamics Electric Boat Division. It is the third and final Seawolf class of attack submarines ordered by the Pentagon during the final years of the Cold War. The 453-foot, 12,000-ton submarine has a 50-torpedo payload and eight torpedo tubes. According to intelligence experts, it can tap undersea cables and eavesdrop on the communications passing through them. "This is the finest ship in this Navy or in any Navy," Carter said immediately after the dive. "No other submarine has ever been like this." The $3.2 billion vessel can reach speeds of more than 25 knots and carry Tomahawk cruise missiles and anti-submarine torpedoes. It is engineered to be quieter than the other two Seawolf submarines, making it better for surveillance. To ensure that the last Seawolf wasn't obsolete before it hit the water, the Pentagon delayed production to install a 100-foot hull extension, making the ship much longer than its sister ships.

08-12-05, 05:20 PM	#2
August Wayfaring Stranger Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 23,197 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I always liked Jimmy Carter. He may not have been the most brilliant president but you knew he had the nations best interests at heart. __________________ Flanked by life and the funeral pyre. Putting on a show for you to see.

08-12-05, 06:23 PM	#3
Mike 'Red Ocktober' Hense Commander Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 445 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	the USS Jimmy Carter on sea trials in Virtual Sailor... --Mike

08-13-05, 01:57 AM	#5
OldFrenchy Mate Join Date: May 2001 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 59 Downloads: 68 Uploads: 0	The sub sounds great- too bad it is named after a fool of a man, nice as he may be.