Norfolk, Va. (WTKR) - The submarine John Warner will be commissioned into the USS John Warner (SSN 785) during a ceremony Saturday at Naval Station Norfolk.
The John Warner is the 12th Virginia-class fast attack submarine and is the first of its kind to be named after a person.
John Warner served as a five-time U.S. Senator for Virginia and was also Secretary of the Navy.
NewsChannel 3's Todd Corillo interviewed Senator Warner Friday at Naval Station Norfolk ahead of the commissioning of the submarine named in his honor.
"I tend to treat these chapters of life with gratitude and humility and each one is different and they are all great," Warner stated.
Construction on the John Warner began in 2010 with nearly 4,000 shipbuilders working on the project. Final sea trials were completed in June of 2015 and the ship was officially delivered to the U.S. Navy two and a half months ahead of schedule.
Sailors on the future USS John Warner submarine arrive back at the Newport News shipyard following successful final sea trials. (Photo by Todd Corillo)
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert, will deliver the address at the ceremony.
Sen. Warner's wife, Jeanne Warner, is serving as the ship's sponsor. In a time-honored Navy tradition, she will give the order to "man our ship and bring her to life!"
"The commissioning of USS John Warner marks the beginning of what is expected to be 33 years of distinguished service for this great submarine - a fitting tribute to a man who served his nation for so long as a sailor, a Marine, a United States Senator and, as one of my most esteemed predecessors as Secretary of the Navy," said the Honorable Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy. "This ceremony is not only a celebration of a man who dedicated so much of his life to his country and to the Department of the Navy, but also a reminder of the partnership our Navy shares with the shipbuilding industry in Senator Warner's home state of Virginia and the continued success of the Virginia-class attack submarine program."
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