U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class fast attack submarine USS New Hampshire (SSN 778) returned to its homeport at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut, from a regularly scheduled deployment.
Under the command of Cmdr. Jesse Weed , New Hampshire carried out a deployment to the U.S. European Command area of responsibility.
During the deployment, the submarine steamed approximately 40,000 nautical miles — equal to approximately 1.84 trips around the world at the equator. New Hampshire’s crew supported diplomatic relationships by conducting port visits in Haakonsvern, Norway; Faslane, Scotland; and Brest, France.
During New Hampshire’s deployment 33 enlisted Sailors and four officers earned their submarine warfare qualifications, affectionately known as “dolphins” in the submarine community. Thirteen enlisted Sailors were advanced to the next paygrade, including two petty officers first class advancing to the rank of chief petty officer. Seven officers were promoted to the next rank, and 12 Sailors reenlisted.
“I could not be more proud of the performance and accomplishments of New Hampshire’s crew,” said Weed. “They worked hard to build a team dedicated to teamwork, mission accomplishment, and service to their country. While completing missions vital to national security, they exceeded every one of my expectations and produced flawless results.”
Commissioned Oct. 25, 2008, New Hampshire is the fifth Virginia-class submarine and the third U.S. Navy ship to be named for the state of New Hampshire. It is 377 feet long with a beam of 34 feet and a crew of approximately 132 consisting of 15 officers and 117 enlisted Sailors.