Last call for tickets to USS IDAHO commissioning ceremony

The USS IDAHO Commissioning Committee would like to inform Idahoans that they still have the opportunity to obtain tickets for the commissioning ceremony in Connecticut.

Those Idahoans who would like to attend on April 25 should go to ussidahocommittee.org.

During the commissioning ceremony on the pier, former Gov. Dirk Kempthorne will provide the keynote speech. Gov. Brad Little and members of Idaho's congressional delegation may also offer a few words. 

The Idaho Air National Guard's 190th Fighter Squadron has scheduled a flyover of four A-10C aircraft. The 72-foot-long Big Idaho Potato Truck "Loaded Potato" will also serve as a pierside centerpiece at the post-commissioning celebration.

The USS IDAHO SSN 799 is a leading-edge Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine built by General Dynamics Electric Boat in Connecticut and christened in March 2024.

The USS IDAHO will follow in the tradition of the four previous ships named USS IDAHO, the most recent of which was Battleship 42, commissioned in 1919. She served with distinction in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and was present in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the formal surrender by the Empire of Japan on Sept. 2.

Here is a list of the successful completion of milestones for the future USS IDAHO:

• Received its official name in August 2015

• Keel laying: Aug. 24, 2020

• Christening: March 16, 2024

• Launched: Aug. 6, 2024

• Galley Grand Opening: Aug. 21, 2025

• Completion of Alpha Sea Trials: November 2025 

• Delivery to the U.S. Navy: December 2025

• Commissioning into the U.S. Navy Fleet is scheduled for April 25, 2026