USS Jimmy Carter takes dive with namesake on board (Later resurfaces. No rabbits sighted)

Associated Press ^ | 08/12/05

[presidio9]

Former President Jimmy Carter today completed his first submarine dive since he left the Navy in 1953, but this time it was in a new nuclear vessel bearing his name.

The USS Jimmy Carter pulled into this Navy submarine base after a night of cruising below the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the Georgia coast.

Carter was accompanied by his wife, Rosalynn, and a crew of 151. For Mrs. Carter, the boat's sponsor, it was her first submarine dive.

The submarine is the first named after a living ex-president. Carter was a submariner during his time in the Navy after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy.

Carter called it "the finest ship in this Navy or in any Navy."

The USS Jimmy Carter is the most heavily armed submarine ever built, and is the last of the Seawolf class of attack subs that the Pentagon ordered during the Cold War's final years. It is 453 feet long, weighs 12,000 tons and carries 50 torpedoes. It cost $3.2 billion.

[ASA Vet]

Chief, Is service on a particular sub voluntary? Could the sailors have opted out of an assignment on the USS Peanut, or would doing so been a career wrecker.

[SilentServiceCPO]

When transferring to a new boat, a Sailor does get to express his desires as to home port, type of Sub, and even a particular boat, but his desires are not binding upon the detailer. If a Sailor's desires match up with an available opening, then he will get what he wants. If not, he can usually get a second or third choice. But he cannot flatly refuse orders. That is why they are called "orders", and they are signed by an Admiral. To do so would risk punitive action such as a Court Martial, or just get him booted out of the Navy.

[Chi-townChief]

That's nothing compared to the dive he took on November 4, 1980.

[ASA Vet]

I figured that was the case. Bet they didn't get many dream sheets asking for assignment to the Peanut.

[scott says]

Ford was thrown into a difficult situation, he was a relatively unknown congressman from Michigan, filled in as VP ,becomes president upon Nixon's resigning and then had to pardon Nixon in an attempt to "heal" the nation. Plus he kept falling down stairs! He didn't have a chance! Given those circumstances the democrats would win..what a travesty

[Old Seadog]

Now here's a losing pair.

[Leo Carpathian]

Are we talking real submarine or a sandwitch?

[SilentServiceCPO]

I am no fan of Jimmy Carter, in fact, the first vote I ever cast was for Ronald Reagan. However, I can understand why the Navy chose to honor him with a namesake boat. Jimmy Carter was the only US President to have been "Qualified in Submarines", and that is a big deal in my book. In addition, he was an active member of the Navy Nuclear Power program from the beginning and he relied on his knowledge and training in this area during the Three Mile Island crisis. His position brought prominence, recognition, and funding to the Submarine community, and this is the Navy's way of recognizing that part of his life.
If I was assigned to the USS Jimmy Carter, I would do as I expect every Sailor on board her to do, serve with pride and honor, quietly bear the jokes with good natured humor, and work hard to make the Jimmy Carter the best boat in the fleet.

[Sam Cree]

" it's a scandal and a shame that this boat is named after such ..."

--------

Shame and scandal in the fam-i-ly...

[Sam Cree]

planks on frames, very cool, very traditional, you don't see that method of boatbuilding much any more.

[HereInTheHeartland]

Is it possible for an ex-president to fit into a torpedo tube?

[Wonder Warthog]

"As far as I'm concerned, it's a scandal and a shame that this boat is named after such a nasty, ungrateful, treasonous POS."

I wonder what the "JC's" UNOFFICAL Navy name is going to be?? The "Swimming Rabbit"???

[CAWats]

There is no God named Allah, and Muhammed is his False Prophet")


Allah was created by combining the top three gods, the sun, the moon, and the stars, and calling him "allah". This accoring to Kenneth Copeland.

[AuH2ORepublican]

Look at that rabbit's eyes. Pure evil. It would have eaten Jimmuh alive had it not been scared off by Jimmuh beating down upon the water with his oar.

And, in all fairness, John F. Kerry got Purple Hearts for "wounds" he "suffered" during incidents in which he faced less danger than Jimmuh faced the day the swamp rabbit attacked.

[presidio9]

Motto is "Semer Optima" ("Always The Best"). I sh*t you not.

[Pravious]

"So, Rosalyn went down on Jimmy Carter?"

No, Jimmy went down on himself. Probably expects an award for it, too.

[Fintan]

For Mrs. Carter, the boat's sponsor, it was her first submarine dive.
 

Well, Jimmy's smiling now...

 

[Darkwolf377]

Tell Carter one of Arafat's checkerboard tablecloths is in one and he'd crawl into a TEST tube to retrieve it, so I'd say a torpedo tube would be no problem.

As for Clinton, half a stale chocolate chip cookie would get him to squeeze in.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Motto is "Semer Optima" ("Always The Best"). I sh*t you not."

Well, that "might" be made to apply to the inanimate submarine, but it'll never fly as an appelation to apply to the ex-President himself.

[ASA Vet]

Very well said.

All joking and teasing aside I believe all here on FR share the pride in all of our service people.
We are glad they have been provided the newest and best tools to perform their vital mission.