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SUB'S SPEAR IS PASSED ON
Tradition Kept Alive During USS Hawaii Change Of Command
By Jennifer Grogan , Published on 8/25/2007
Groton -- MOST OUTGOING commanding officers exchange a salute with their replacement. Capt. David A. Solms exchanged a salute and a spear.
In keeping with the Hawaiian traditions that are featured in every ceremony for the USS Hawaii (SSN 776), Solms read his orders and then presented the incoming commanding officer, Cmdr. Edward L. Herrington, with an Ihe Koa, a Hawaiian warrior spear.
Solms received the spear at the reception the night before the submarine's commissioning in May. He officially turned over command of the Hawaii to Herrington in a change-of-command ceremony at the Naval Submarine Base on Friday.
“When I found out I was going to command the Hawaii, I knew I would have at my disposal a highly capable weapons system and sensor platform,†Herrington said Friday. “But until recently, I did not know that the Hawaii had the original weapons system, the spear.
“That spear is important to me because it represents the fighting spirit of the Hawaiian people and the warrior spirit of this crew.â€
During Solms' tour, the Hawaii was built, christened and commissioned as the third ship of the Virginia class.
Solms will transfer to the staff of Commander Submarine Force in Norfolk, Va., where he will serve as the director of strategic operations.
“It has been an amazing journey to go from a couple of hull sections to a complete warship,†he said after the ceremony. “Words cannot describe how much pride I feel.â€
During the ceremony, Solms listed his top 10 favorite things about being the submarine's commanding officer, in the style of David Letterman. He praised the submarine's chiefs; the “toys†on the Hawaii, like the revolutionary photonics system and reconfigurable torpedo room; the ship construction team at Electric Boat and the base; and the ship's ombudsman.
The Hawaii, he said, gave him a chance to build a legacy — a warship that would go into harm's way and come back victorious, and a lasting bond between the submarine and the state of Hawaii.
Some items from the list drew laughs from the crowd: beating the executive officer in cribbage, watching the HBO show “Deadwood†in the wardroom, and the soup aboard the Hawaii.
“You may think that's trivial, but you haven't had the soup,†said Solms, who was awarded the Legion of Merit for his tour.
The bragging rights that come with being a commanding officer and the chance to lead a great team ranked the highest.
To the crew, who lined the pier, Solms said, “I can truly say the proudest day of my naval career was out on alpha sea trials and seeing you operate the ship for the first time.â€
The ship will eventually be homeported in Pearl Harbor in 2009.
“Everyone in the state of Hawaii is extremely proud of the accomplishments of the Hawaii,†said Maj. Gen. Robert G. F. Lee, adjutant general for the state of Hawaii, who was the guest speaker.
Lee said Virginia-class submarines are needed in the Pacific to work with allies and to “serve notice to countries or entities that mean to do America harm.â€
“This new class will defend the land from the sea,†he said. The ship's motto is a poetic phrase in Hawaiian meaning “Defending the Land.â€
Lee had acted as a liaison between the state of Hawaii and the submarine throughout the construction process. His civilian career includes 27 years of service overhauling nuclear submarines at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, where his final assignment was as superintendent of nuclear regional maintenance for the pacific nuclear submarine fleet.
Rear Adm. Cecil D. Haney, commander of Submarine Group Two, and Capt. Richard P. Breckenridge, commander of Submarine Squadron Four, also spoke at the ceremony.
Herrington previously served as officer in charge of Pre-commissioning Unit North Carolina (SSN 777). He also served as executive officer on the USS Seawolf (SSN 21) from December 2001 to December 2003.
“Having command of a submarine is an honor,†Herrington said. “Commanding the newest submarine is awesome.â€
Solms told him: “As you will soon find out, your dreams will come true. It doesn't get any better than this.
“The Hawaii made an indelible mark on my soul. I will forever remain a Hawaii shipmate.â€
Tradition Kept Alive During USS Hawaii Change Of Command
By Jennifer Grogan , Published on 8/25/2007
Groton -- MOST OUTGOING commanding officers exchange a salute with their replacement. Capt. David A. Solms exchanged a salute and a spear.
In keeping with the Hawaiian traditions that are featured in every ceremony for the USS Hawaii (SSN 776), Solms read his orders and then presented the incoming commanding officer, Cmdr. Edward L. Herrington, with an Ihe Koa, a Hawaiian warrior spear.
Solms received the spear at the reception the night before the submarine's commissioning in May. He officially turned over command of the Hawaii to Herrington in a change-of-command ceremony at the Naval Submarine Base on Friday.
“When I found out I was going to command the Hawaii, I knew I would have at my disposal a highly capable weapons system and sensor platform,†Herrington said Friday. “But until recently, I did not know that the Hawaii had the original weapons system, the spear.
“That spear is important to me because it represents the fighting spirit of the Hawaiian people and the warrior spirit of this crew.â€
During Solms' tour, the Hawaii was built, christened and commissioned as the third ship of the Virginia class.
Solms will transfer to the staff of Commander Submarine Force in Norfolk, Va., where he will serve as the director of strategic operations.
“It has been an amazing journey to go from a couple of hull sections to a complete warship,†he said after the ceremony. “Words cannot describe how much pride I feel.â€
During the ceremony, Solms listed his top 10 favorite things about being the submarine's commanding officer, in the style of David Letterman. He praised the submarine's chiefs; the “toys†on the Hawaii, like the revolutionary photonics system and reconfigurable torpedo room; the ship construction team at Electric Boat and the base; and the ship's ombudsman.
The Hawaii, he said, gave him a chance to build a legacy — a warship that would go into harm's way and come back victorious, and a lasting bond between the submarine and the state of Hawaii.
Some items from the list drew laughs from the crowd: beating the executive officer in cribbage, watching the HBO show “Deadwood†in the wardroom, and the soup aboard the Hawaii.
“You may think that's trivial, but you haven't had the soup,†said Solms, who was awarded the Legion of Merit for his tour.
The bragging rights that come with being a commanding officer and the chance to lead a great team ranked the highest.
To the crew, who lined the pier, Solms said, “I can truly say the proudest day of my naval career was out on alpha sea trials and seeing you operate the ship for the first time.â€
The ship will eventually be homeported in Pearl Harbor in 2009.
“Everyone in the state of Hawaii is extremely proud of the accomplishments of the Hawaii,†said Maj. Gen. Robert G. F. Lee, adjutant general for the state of Hawaii, who was the guest speaker.
Lee said Virginia-class submarines are needed in the Pacific to work with allies and to “serve notice to countries or entities that mean to do America harm.â€
“This new class will defend the land from the sea,†he said. The ship's motto is a poetic phrase in Hawaiian meaning “Defending the Land.â€
Lee had acted as a liaison between the state of Hawaii and the submarine throughout the construction process. His civilian career includes 27 years of service overhauling nuclear submarines at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, where his final assignment was as superintendent of nuclear regional maintenance for the pacific nuclear submarine fleet.
Rear Adm. Cecil D. Haney, commander of Submarine Group Two, and Capt. Richard P. Breckenridge, commander of Submarine Squadron Four, also spoke at the ceremony.
Herrington previously served as officer in charge of Pre-commissioning Unit North Carolina (SSN 777). He also served as executive officer on the USS Seawolf (SSN 21) from December 2001 to December 2003.
“Having command of a submarine is an honor,†Herrington said. “Commanding the newest submarine is awesome.â€
Solms told him: “As you will soon find out, your dreams will come true. It doesn't get any better than this.
“The Hawaii made an indelible mark on my soul. I will forever remain a Hawaii shipmate.â€