The USS Greeneville is a Los Angeles-class attack submarine, an underwater spy and protector. It is built to be fast, quiet, and hunt other ships or protect our own fleet.
Fast Facts:
- Length: About 360 feet (That’s longer than a football field!).
- Homeport: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (A beautiful place for a tough ship).
- Motto: “Volunteers Defending Frontiers.” This means being kind and noble even when you win.
Life Under the Waves
Living on the Greeneville is like living inside a giant, metal tube filled with computers and engines.
- No Windows: There are no windows on a submarine! The crew uses sonar to hear what is around them.
- Making Air and Water: The sub is so high-tech that it can actually make its own oxygen for the crew to breathe and turn salty ocean water into fresh water for drinking and showers.
- The Crew: About 140 sailors live on board. They work in shifts, meaning the “big metal fish” never sleeps!
Why is it special?
The Greeneville is famous for being one of the most advanced “stealth” ships in the world. It can stay underwater for months at a time without coming up for air. It’s powered by a nuclear reactor, which means it has almost unlimited energy. It only has to stop when the sailors need to replenish other supplies!
A Note on History
Every ship has a story. The Greeneville was “born” (we call it commissioned) in 1996. Over the years, it has traveled all over the Pacific Ocean, keeping watch and making sure the seas stay safe for everyone.
Did You Know? The ship’s nickname is the “Volunteer” submarine, because Tennessee is known as the “Volunteer State.”