HAILEY, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Early Monday morning, the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office held a special ceremony honoring the new Submarine, the USS Idaho.
The USS Idaho is a new U.S. Navy Virginia-Class nuclear-powered fast attack submarine that is set to be commissioned in 2026.
At the ceremony, Blaine County Commissioner Lindsay Mollineaux issued a proclamation making this USS Idaho SSN 799 week. Following that, there was a celebration for the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday, which featured cake being cut with a saber as is tradition.
The ceremony didn’t end there, the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office unveiled a patrol vehicle honoring the USS Idaho, dubbed ‘The Gem of the Fleet’.
The naming of the vehicle was made possible thanks to a meeting between the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office and the USS Idaho Commissioning Committee.
“At the end of the meeting, I just asked them, ‘hey, what can we do to help you?’ And they said to spread awareness. And very spontaneously, I said, ‘why don’t we wrap one of the patrol vehicles?’ and that’s how this idea was born,” Sheriff Morgan Ballis said.
The designs on the car also have a symbolic meaning.
“The hood of the vehicle displays a sonar signal probing the depths of the ocean. The red stripe that runs across the bottom representing the bloodshed in defense of our nation by our military service members abroad and in preservation of life by our law enforcement officers and first responders here at home. On the bottom of the tailgate the USS Idaho SSN 799 approaches the surface of the water,” Chief Deputy Bryan Carpita said.
A major highlight was Patrol Sergeant Allen Compton, a veteran of the U.S. Army, being designated as the driver of ‘The Gem of the Fleet’.
“When they came to me and we’re talking about how it’s gonna be a veteran having the opportunity to drive this and they came to me and actually gave me that title I was pretty excited,” Patrol Sergeant Compton said.
This new patrol car’s design isn’t just to show support for veterans or honor Idaho’s namesake submarine. It’s also a way to highlight Idaho’s long-standing history with the U.S. Navy, which included training grounds for sailors during World War II. This included a radio school up at the University of Idaho and a officer school in Pocatello, Idaho. Pocatello was also had an ordinance plant where they repaired many battleship guns and tested them to make sure they were working. Sun Valley was even home to a hospital for the Navy during WWII. Idaho also played a role in the development of technology for submarines.
“Up at Lake Ponderay, the Navy operates the largest unmanned submarine in the world to develop acoustic research and testing. And Virginia Class Submarines never have to be refueled. They come with 35 years worth of fuel and the technology for that was developed at the advance test reactor at the Idaho National Lab,” Richard Colburn, A chairman with the USS Idaho SSN 799 Commissioning Committee said.
Sheriff Ballis hopes his office will be able to send the patrol car to be at the USS Idaho’s commissioning next year.
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