Preserving the Legacy of SSN-698 & CA-130
Join us in developing a monument to the submarine, cruiser, their namesake city and the shipyard that cared for them
The recycling program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, Washington, is extensive, but the focus is not on plastic bottles, aluminum cans and cardboard boxes. Instead, employees work to dismantle and dispose of decommissioned nuclear vessels. “This is the graveyard, basically, of the nuclear Navy,” said Jack Tappe, the shipyard’s project superintendent and a retired Navy commander who served for 32 years. While the program is essentially a massive demolition project, it directly contributes to the readiness of the force. Putting American tax dollars toward the recycling program ensures the safe and efficient disposal of nuclear vessels when they reach the end of their service life.
Bremerton (SSN-698) departs its homeport of San Diego on 14 March 2003 for a Western Pacific Deployment. Commanded by Cmdr. Jerry Logan, the Los Angeles class attack submarine has a crew of more than 130 men and will be conducting operations throughout the Western Pacific.
The fast-attack submarine Bremerton (SSN-698) departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for the final time, 20 April 2018. Bremerton is en route to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Wash., to commence its inactivation process and decommissioning after 37 years of service.
The keel-laying ceremony for submarines is symbolic and includes welding the initials of the ship’s sponsor onto a steel plate. This plate is then mounted in a place of honor on the submarine once it’s completed, serving as a reminder of the ship’s official beginning.
USS Bremerton, SSN-698 keel laying took place on May 8, 1976 at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation Groton, Connecticut.
The Ship’s sponsor, was Mrs. Helen Jackson, wife of Henry M. Jackson, US Senator from the State of Washington.
Los Angeles-class submarine USS Bremerton (SSN 698) entered Dry Dock 1 at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility Oct. 14, 2020, to continue its inactivation process. (PSNS & IMF photo by Wendy Hallmark)
Los Angeles-class submarine USS Bremerton (SSN 698) entered Dry Dock 1 at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility Oct. 14, 2020, to continue its inactivation process.
According to Gary Van Horn, project superintendent, while the ship is in dry dock, the propulsion plant will be deactivated and defueled; components and parts that might be used by other active Los Angeles-class submarines will be removed and stored; and hull blanks will be installed.
Van Horn said ship’s force will be working side by side with PSNS & IMF workers to help speed the inactivation process along. Also, the Bremerton Project Team will try to take advantage of lessons learned from other recent inactivations of Los Angeles-class submarines.
“Lessons learned from the ‘bridge and tower’ system that is being used currently in Dry Dock 5 for defueling operations on USS Olympia (SSN 717) and USS Louisville (SSN 724) will help with Bremerton,” said Van Horn. “We have been monitoring their progress closely and expect to realize time savings based on their lessons learned.”
The docking portion of the inactivation process is estimated to take about 11 months.
Bremerton departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, April 20, 2018, on its way to Bremerton, Washington, where it began the inactivation and decommissioning process.
Bremerton was commissioned on March 28, 1981, and is named after the city of Bremerton, Washington. The tenth ship of the Los Angeles-class nuclear powered attack submarine, much of Bremerton’s activities remain under wraps.
It’s most high-profile mission was to assist local, state and federal officials with the disposal of the commercial tanker, New Carissa. The vessel had been spilling oil since it was shipwrecked near Coos Bay, Oregon, Feb. 4, 1999, and posed a danger to the environment. Once the unified command completed work in preparation for the ship’s disposal, Bremerton stepped in to fire one MK-48 advanced capability torpedo to sink New Carissa March 11, 1999.
USS Bremerton/Dry Dock # 1USS Bremerton/Dry Dock # 1
By Max Maxfield, PSNS & IMF Public Affairs Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility
A starboard bow view of the nuclear-powered attack submarine Bremerton (SSN-698) with distinguished guest on the speakers platform during commissioning ceremonies on 28 March 1981.
28 Mar 1981 – USS BREMERTON (SSN 698) – Commissioned USS Bremerton (SSN-698), a Los Angeles-class submarine, is the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Bremerton, Washington. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 24 January 1972 and her keel was laid down on 8 May 1976. She was launched on 22 July 1978 sponsored by Mrs. Henry M. Jackson, and commissioned on 28 March 1981 with Captain Thomas H. Anderson in command.
On March 11, 1999, USS DAVID R. RAY (DD 971), along with USS BREMERTON, was tasked by the Navy with sinking the commercial tanker NEW CARISSA at the request of a unified command made up of local, state and federal officials concerned about the environment. The NEW CARISSA had been spilling oil since it shipwrecked near Coos Bay, OR, on February 4. It was then towed for three days to the open ocean for sinking. This effort was the unified command’s second attempt to dispose of the 6,000-ton hulk, which had broken free from another tow a week earlier, only to return ashore along the central Oregon coast.
An estimated 130,000 gallons of thick crude oil remained in the ship’s fuel tanks after Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11, from Whidbey Island, WA, torched more than half of the hazardous material February 10. DAVID R. RAY gunners prepared point-detonating 5-inch, 54-caliber projectiles for firing into NEW CARISSA to facilitate flooding. The destroyer’s gunners then pumped 69 rounds into NEW CARISSA’s bellowing hull. As intended, the resulting punctures allowed trapped air to ventilate. Strategically placed shots along the waterline caused the desired stern-first submersion that achieved the intended outcome. BREMERTON was then called upon to fire one Mk-48 advanced capability torpedo, sinking NEW CARISSA.
After a successful Western Pacific deployment, in September 2003 Bremerton changed its homeport to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Bremerton spent two months in drydock at Pearl Harbor ending 21 January 2010.
In January 2011, Bremerton was adopted by its namesake city, along with a partnership of community members and organizations led by the Bremerton-Olympic Peninsula Council of the US Navy League. In February 2015, Bremerton visited the City of Bremerton.
On 15 June 2016 the 35-year-old submarine completed her 15th deployment. Although originally scheduled for decommissioning in 2017, USS Bremerton’s life was extended for an unspecified period. On 20 July 17, she became the longest-commissioned U.S. Navy submarine, at the time, surpassing USS Kamehameha (SSBN-642). On 6 April 2018, she returned to Pearl Harbor from her final deployment.’
Passing the cribbage board When USS Los Angeles was decommissioned on 23 January 2010, Bremerton became the oldest commissioned submarine in the US fleet. On that day, Richard O’Kane’s cribbage board was transferred from Los Angeles to Bremerton, a tradition that dates back to World War II. When Bremerton was inactived in 2018, the cribbage board was transferred from Bremerton to USS Olympia (SSN-717).
Decommissioning Bremerton had her decommissioning ceremony 18 May 2021, at the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport, Washington, though the actual decommissioning will occur later this year. Due to COVID restrictions, crewmembers were not allowed to attend the event in person, but SUBGRU 9 streamed the event live globally via Facebook Live and YouTube.[15] Bremerton was officially decommissioned 21 May 2021
The origins of the BADFISH logo come from the artistic talent of Clint Ceralde while stationed aboard USS Bremerton SSN 698, where he served as a Quartermaster from 1992-1996. There he achieved the rank of QM2/SS. Inspiration can bring out your talent, as Clint puts it, “I did not have any prior graphics experience, except that I liked to draw.” He entered his idea in a command drawing contest for the boat’s softball team in 1993. Read the full article.
