USS ''Wyoming'' (SSBN-742) is a United States Navy

ballistic missile submarine A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. The United States Navy's hull classification symbols for ballistic missile submarines are SSB and SSBN – t ...

which has been in commission since 1996. She is the fourth US Navy ship to be named USS ''Wyoming'', although it was only the third named after the state of Wyoming. The contract to build ''Wyoming'' was awarded to the

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Division of the

General Dynamics General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is an American publicly traded, aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Reston, Virginia. As of 2020, it was the fifth-largest defense contractor in the world by arms sales, and 5th largest in the Uni ...

Corporation in Groton, Connecticut, on 18 October 1989 and her keel was laid down there on 8 August 1991. She was launched on 15 July 1995, sponsored by Mrs. Monika B. Owens, and commissioned on 13 July 1996.

Service history

On 26 July 1996, ''Wyoming'' arrived at

Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is a base of the United States Navy located adjacent to the city of St. Marys in Camden County, Georgia, on the North River in southeastern Georgia, and 38 miles (61 km) from Jacksonville, Florida. The Submari ...

, Georgia, becoming the ninth submarine to be home-ported there. On 6 June 2012, ''Wyoming'' participated in a historic medevac exercise with a Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey making a 12,000 nautical mile flight to collect a stretcher from the submarine. On 7 January 2018, she arrived at Norfolk Naval Shipyard to begin a 27-month overhaul to include midlife refueling, technological upgrades, and new berthing spaces for enlisted women. On 9 October 2020, she completed her 27-month overhaul and returned to Kings Bay, GA. On 17 September 2021, ''Wyoming'' conducted a successful, two-missile test flight of unarmed life-extended Trident II (D5LE) missiles on the Eastern Test Range off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. ''Wyoming'' conducted an exchange of command at sea in January 2022. "This regularly scheduled exchange of command at sea demonstrates the continuity and operational flexibility of our sea-based nuclear deterrence operations and our ready, reliable ballistic-submarine force," said a Navy spokesperson. On 24 March 2022 ''Wyoming'' became the first ballistic submarine in US Navy history to complete a deterrent patrol with enlisted females as part of the crew.

Shower video scandal

In 2011, ''Wyoming'' became one of the first four submarines to take on female officers. During patrols from August to November 2013 and March to June 2014, four women were secretly recorded in the shower changing room, including midshipmen and officers assigned to the boat. Up to twelve male sailors, all petty officers, were implicated, though it is believed that only one of them made the recordings with a smartphone, and then shared them. Of the twelve sailors that were investigated, ten were prosecuted and convicted, with sentences ranging from prison time to reductions in pay.

Notes

References

External links

* Eight hours of interviews and footage captured by

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cameras during 24 hours spent on ''Wyoming'': * * Ships built in Groton, Connecticut Ohio-class submarines Nuclear submarines of the United States Navy Ballistic missile submarines 1995 ships Submarines of the United States {{US-submarine-stub