USS Georgia (SSBN-729)
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USS ''Georgia'' (SSBN-729/SSGN-729), an , is the second vessel of the United States Navy to be named for the U.S. state of Georgia.


Construction and commissioning

The contract to build her was awarded to the
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Division of
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Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 20 February 1976 and her keel was laid down on 7 April 1979. She was launched on 6 November 1982 sponsored by Mrs. Sheila M. Watkins, and commissioned as a fleet ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) on 11 February 1984, with Captain A. W. Kuester commanding the Blue crew and Captain M. P. Gray commanding the Gold crew. This boat was later converted to a guided missile submarine (SSGN) for carrying guided
cruise missile A cruise missile is a guided missile used against terrestrial or naval targets that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight path at approximately constant speed. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhe ...
s instead of fleet ballistic missiles in its missile compartment.


Operational history as SSBN

From March to April 1984 she went on her shakedown cruise and test-launched a Trident C-4 missile in the Eastern Test Range on 7 April 1986. In November 1984, she arrived in her home port of Bangor, Washington. In January 1985 she started her first strategic deterrence patrol. As an element of Task Unit 14.7.1 from September 1983 to May 1986, she was awarded a
Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or s ...
. She was awarded her second Meritorious Unit Commendation for Submarine Operations between February 1986 to August 1986. On 22 March 1986, three miles south of
Midway Island Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; haw, Kauihelani, translation=the backbone of heaven; haw, Pihemanu, translation=the loud din of birds, label=none) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the Unit ...
, harbor tug had just completed a personnel transfer from ''Georgia'', picking up a submarine crewman who was going on emergency leave, when ''Secota'' lost power and got hung up on ''Georgia''s starboard stern plane while the sub's
propeller A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...
continued to turn. That sank ''Secota'' within two minutes. Ten people were rescued, including the ''Georgia'' crewman who had just transferred to ''Secota''. Two ''Secota'' crewmen trapped in her engine room were lost. While Lt. Cmdr. John Carman, a Navy spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, told the media that the ''Georgia'' was undamaged, a report sent by the Commanding Officer of the ''Georgia'' indicates that after returning the surviving ''Secota'' crew members to Hawaii, ''Georgia'' underwent emergency repairs for minor damage sustained in the collision. Her Gold crew was awarded the Comsubron Seventeen Battle Efficiency Award for 2001. On 30 October 2003, ''Georgia'' returned from her 65th and last deterrent patrol. On 7 November 2003, while ''Georgia'' was docked at Bangor, Washington, her C-4 Trident I missiles were offloaded. The process proceeded smoothly until tube number 16. When each tube was opened, a ladder was lowered into the tube so a sailor could climb down and attach a hoist to lift the missile. After attaching the hoist to the missile in tube 16, the sailor climbed out, and the crew took a break without removing the ladder. When they returned, they began to hoist the missile, pulling against the ladder and cutting a hole in its nose cone. No radioactive material was released. Three enlisted men in the missile handling team faced a court-martial. The
Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "art of troop leader; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art ...
was immediately shut down and inspected by the Navy, and failed to pass. SWFPAC's commanding officer, Captain Keith Lyles, was relieved of command on 19 December 2003, followed by his executive officer, Commander Phillip Jackson, weapons officer, Commander Marshall Millett, and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Command Steven Perry. SWFPAC reopened after passing inspection under a new commanding officer on 9 January 2004. ''Georgia''s crew was unaffected.


Conversion to SSGN

''Georgia'' was redesignated to SSGN on 1 March 2004. In October 2004 she participated as the command node of Exercise Silent Hammer to validate and showcase the new Joint Warfare and
ISR ISR may refer to: Organizations * Institute for Strategy and Reconciliation, a think tank, relief and development organization * Institutional and Scientific Relations, a Directorate of the European Commission * International Star Registry, a com ...
capabilities. In March 2005, ''Georgia'' entered
Norfolk Naval Shipyard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...
for her scheduled Engineered
Refueling Overhaul In the United States Navy, Refueling and Overhaul (ROH) refers to a lengthy refitting process or procedure performed on nuclear-powered naval ships, which involves replacement of expended nuclear fuel with new fuel and a general maintenance fix- ...
. The SSGN conversion took place concurrently. The conversion and refitting work was completed in February 2008. After the refit, ''Georgia'' moved to her new home port in Kings Bay, Georgia.


Operational history as SSGN

''Georgia'' was officially welcomed home in Kings Bay, Georgia, on 28 March 2008 in a return to service ceremony attended by Governor Sonny Perdue. In August 2009, ''Georgia'' began first SSGN deployment. In January 2010, ''Georgia'' earned a Squadron Sixteen battle efficiency "E" for 2009 together with an Engineering Red "E", Navigation Red and Green "N". In December 2010 a bolt was left in the submarine's reduction gears. It caused $2.2 million in damage and forced the boat into three months of repairs. One officer and several enlisted sailors were disciplined over the event. On 25 November 2015, ''Georgia'' struck a channel buoy and subsequently grounded whilst entering the
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 ...
. The boat was placed into drydock for inspection and repairs which cost about $1 million. The navy stated that the damage was limited to the exterior of the sub and the hull was not compromised. The commanding officer of the Blue crew at the time of the accident - Captain David Adams - was relieved of duty on 4 January 2016 by Rear Adm. Randy Crites. The Spanish Foreign Ministry lodged an official protest when ''Georgia'' docked at Gibraltar in April 2022.


In fiction and documentary

*''Georgia'' is featured prominently in the 2012 naval thriller ''Fire of the Raging Dragon'' by Don Brown. *The
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documentary ''Submarines: Sharks of Steel'' (1993) features ''Georgia'' and her crew. *''Georgia'' is featured in the 2020 medical thriller ''The End of October'' by Lawrence Wright.


References

:''This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register and various press releases.''


External links

* * – Life as a SSBN * – Conversion to SSGN
USS ''Georgia'' Official Navy Home Page
* USS ''Georgia'' (SSBN-729/SSGN-729) command histories – Naval History & Heritage Command {{DEFAULTSORT:Georgia (Ssgn-729) Ships built in Groton, Connecticut Ohio-class submarines Nuclear submarines of the United States Navy 1982 ships Submarines of the United States