The USS Iowa submarine was commissioned in April, with the ceremony attended by Conrad Nelson of Knoxville. 

Nelson is a Navy Veteran who had the experience of attending the commissioning of the fast-attack US Navy nuclear powered submarine on April 5th.This ship is 377 feet long and includes four torpedo tubes. The SSN 797 submarine was built using the latest technology to allow quiet movement and sensitive sonar to track other subs and warships. While women first started serving onboard submarines back in 2010, each boat has been retro-fitted to accommodate female crew members. IOWA will be the first fast attack submarine specifically designed and built to provide the privacy and accommodations females require.

Nelson tells KNIA News about his experience getting connected with the ship and attending meetings leading up to the commissioning, his passion for submarines, the ceremony, his entire trip out to Connecticut, his tour of the ship, and details about the ship. Nelson said there were several dignitaries in attendance for the ceremony. 

“The ceremony that took place on the pier there were close to 1,200 of us who were on the pier. We had the Secretary of the Navy, Christie Vilsack who has been the sponsor of the submarine since the very beginning, and Kim Reynolds was there to give a speech too. All the report people had something to say.”

Hear about the experience from Nelson on today’s Let’s Talk Knoxville and hear the full interview online at kniakrls.com.