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The Navy commissioned the Virginia-class submarine USS Massachusetts in a ceremony at Boston Harbor, marking the 12th vessel of its class to join the fleet.
The ceremony culminated a yearslong process to bring the Massachusetts into service. It is the fifth Navy vessel named after the commonwealth of Massachusetts, following the most recent, USS Massachusetts, a battleship that participated in nearly every major Pacific campaign from 1943 to 1945 and earned 11 battle stars for its World War II service.
Navy Cmdr. Michael Siedsma, the Massachusetts' commanding officer, spoke proudly of his crew's efforts.
"To the crew, the plank owners, the 'Iron Patriots' of the USS Massachusetts, we did it," he said. "Your hard work and unshakable dedication [are] evident. I am amazed and humbled by what we have accomplished."
Sheryl Sandberg, the ship's sponsor, gave the traditional order to "man our ship and bring her to life." The crew responded, "Aye, aye, ma'am," before ceremonially running aboard the submarine.
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