[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 93 (Monday, June 11, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S7446]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOMMISSION OF THE USS ``MICHIGAN''

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to 
commemorate the recommission of the USS Michigan, SSGN-727. A formal 
return to service ceremony will be held on Tuesday, June 12 at 1 p.m. 
to honor the USS Michigan and her officers and crew, which includes 
captain of the boat CDR Terry Takats and chief of the boat CMDCM Wayne 
Lassiter.
  The USS Michigan will return to active duty as the second Ohio-class 
nuclear-powered Trident missile submarine in the U.S. Navy to be 
refitted from a ballistic missile submarine, SSBN, into a guided 
missile submarine, SSGN. This conversion has enhanced and transformed 
the capabilities of the USS Michigan, making it a more valuable asset 
and serving as an example of the Navy's ongoing transformation to face 
current and future threats around the world.
  The USS Michigan has had a proud tradition of service, and SSGN-727 
will be the third naval vessel to bear the name of our great State. The 
first ship to carry this name was launched by the Navy in 1843 as its 
first iron-hulled warship. She operated throughout the Great Lakes for 
her entire period of service, gaining notoriety when she helped to 
successfully end the Fenian invasion of Canada by intercepting supplies 
between Buffalo and Fort Erie, Ontario along the Niagara River.
  U.S. Naval vessels bearing the Michigan name have courageously seen 
action against Mexico, served as convoy escorts during WWI, and most 
recently completed more than 33 strategic deterrent patrols throughout 
the world. The newly converted USS Michigan SSGN-727 will return to 
service with a new mission and enhanced capabilities.
  The new guided missile submarine conversion program was developed by 
the Navy to create a more efficient and effective dual-use submarine 
force. The USS Michigan's successful transformation has maintained all 
the benefits of its predecessor, while creating a ship that will act as 
a force multiplier for the Navy. It has an increased payload capacity 
of 154 cruise missiles and the capability to more effectively house, 
sustain, and deploy a variety of special operations forces, allowing 
for a support role, as well as stealth insertion and extraction of 
operatives. The flexibility of this new submarine will allow it to 
efficiently function in a variety of multimission scenarios.
  The USS Michigan is a shining example of the U.S. Navy's 
transformation, and I know my colleagues will join me in commemorating 
its return to active service.

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