[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 11, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2076-S2077]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       SENATE RESOLUTION 458--DESIGNATING APRIL 11, 2018, AS THE 
        ``SESQUICENTENNIAL OF CONNECTICUT'S NAVY INSTALLATION''

  Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself and Mr. Murphy) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 458

       Whereas the Navy Installation of Connecticut, regarded as 
     Naval Submarine Base New London, had its beginning as a naval 
     yard and storage depot on April 11, 1868;
       Whereas the people of Connecticut made the installation 
     possible when a deed of gift from the State of Connecticut 
     and city of New London was signed, conveyed, and presented to 
     Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles;
       Whereas the Navy Installation of Connecticut was first used 
     for laying up inactive ships, then for refueling small naval 
     ships traveling through the waters of New England, and 
     ultimately as the first submarine base of the United States 
     Navy;
       Whereas October 18, 1915, marked the arrival at the Navy 
     Installation of Connecticut of the submarines G-1, G-2, and 
     G-4 under the care of the tender USS Ozark (Monitor No. 7), 
     soon followed by the arrival of submarines E-1, D-1, and D-3 
     under the care of the tender USS Tonopah (Monitor No. 8), and 
     on November 2, 1915, the arrival of the first ship built as a 
     submarine tender, the USS Fulton (AS-1);
       Whereas, on June 21, 1916, Commander Yates Stirling, Jr., 
     assumed the command of the newly designated Naval Submarine 
     Base New London, the New London Submarine Flotilla, and the 
     Submarine School;
       Whereas the property of Naval Submarine Base New London 
     expanded during the course of the involvement of the United

[[Page S2077]]

     States in World War I, with Congress approving more than 
     $1,000,000 for real estate and facilities expansion, which 
     created 81 buildings to support 1,400 men and 20 submarines 
     by the end of World War I;
       Whereas the second largest expansion of Naval Submarine 
     Base New London occurred during World War II when the 
     submarine force exponentially grew in size, and the 
     installation enlarged from 112 acres to 497 acres to 
     accommodate the thousands of personnel that serviced the 
     growing fleet;
       Whereas the nuclear power age following World War II 
     ushered technological advancements in submarine development 
     with the advent of nuclear powered submarines and the arrival 
     of the USS Nautilus (SSN-571), the first nuclear powered 
     vessel in the world, when it was commissioned in 1954 at 
     Naval Submarine Base New London;
       Whereas the USS George Washington (SSBN-598), the first 
     nuclear ballistic submarine of the United States Navy, 
     created further changes at Naval Submarine Base New London 
     when it was commissioned there in 1959;
       Whereas, in 2018, Naval Submarine Base New London extends 
     along the east side of the Thames River, occupies 
     approximately 687 acres, and houses more than 160 major 
     facilities and more than 15 nuclear submarines;
       Whereas Naval Submarine Base New London supports fleet 
     readiness by providing quality service and facilities to its 
     fleet, fighters, and families;
       Whereas the mission of Naval Submarine Base New London is--
       (1) to homeport and put submarines to sea; and
       (2) to support the Submarine Center of Excellence, which 
     trains submariners to take submarines to sea;
       Whereas nearly every submariner in the United States Navy 
     will be stationed at Naval Submarine Base New London for 
     training, with a potential tour of duty in one of the attack 
     submarines homeported at the installation, or with a pre-
     commissioning unit for a new submarine under construction at 
     General Dynamics Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, 
     Connecticut;
       Whereas Naval Submarine Base New London is home to more 
     than 70 tenant commands and activities including--
       (1) the Undersea Warfighting Development Center;
       (2) the Submarine Learning Center;
       (3) the Naval Submarine School;
       (4) the Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory; and
       (5) the Naval Undersea Medical Institute;
       Whereas Naval Submarine Base New London is one of the 
     largest employers in southeastern Connecticut and employs 
     more than 9,500 active duty, reserve, and civilian personnel; 
     and
       Whereas Naval Submarine Base New London will always be 
     regarded as the first submarine base of the United States 
     Navy and the home of the submarine force: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates April 11, 2018, as the ``Sesquicentennial of 
     Connecticut's Navy Installation'';
       (2) commends the longstanding dedication and contribution 
     to the Navy by the people of Connecticut, both through the 
     initial deed of gift that established the Navy Installation 
     of Connecticut, and through their ongoing commitment to 
     support the mission and people assigned to the installation, 
     presently known as Naval Submarine Base New London;
       (3) honors the sailors and submariners who have trained and 
     served at the Navy Installation of Connecticut throughout its 
     150-year history in support of the naval and undersea 
     superiority of the United States;
       (4) recognizes the indispensable role Naval Submarine Base 
     New London plays in fortifying the national security of the 
     United States at a time when adversaries seek to challenge 
     the United States; and
       (5) pledges continued support for the operation of Naval 
     Submarine Base New London for years to come.

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