III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 458 

Designating April 11, 2018, as the ‘‘Sesquicentennial of Connecticut’s Navy 

Installation’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 11, 2018 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself and Mr. MURPHY) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating April 11, 2018, as the ‘‘Sesquicentennial of 

Connecticut’s Navy Installation’’. 

Whereas the Navy Installation of Connecticut, regarded as 

Naval Submarine Base New London, had its beginning 

as a naval yard and storage depot on April 11, 1868; 

Whereas the people of Connecticut made the installation possible when a deed of gift from the State of Connecticut 

and city of New London was signed, conveyed, and presented to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles; 

Whereas the Navy Installation of Connecticut was first used 

for laying up inactive ships, then for refueling small 

naval ships traveling through the waters of New England, 

and ultimately as the first submarine base of the United 

States Navy; 


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•SRES 458 ATS 

Whereas October 18, 1915, marked the arrival at the Navy 

Installation of Connecticut of the submarines G–1, G–2, 

and G–4 under the care of the tender USS Ozark (Monitor No. 7), soon followed by the arrival of submarines 

E–1, D–1, and D–3 under the care of the tender USS 

Tonopah (Monitor No. 8), and on November 2, 1915, the 

arrival of the first ship built as a submarine tender, the 

USS Fulton (AS–1); 

Whereas, on June 21, 1916, Commander Yates Stirling, Jr., 

assumed the command of the newly designated Naval 

Submarine Base New London, the New London Submarine Flotilla, and the Submarine School; 

Whereas the property of Naval Submarine Base New London 

expanded during the course of the involvement of the 

United States in World War I, with Congress approving 

more than $1,000,000 for real estate and facilities expansion, which created 81 buildings to support 1,400 men 

and 20 submarines by the end of World War I; 

Whereas the second largest expansion of Naval Submarine 

Base New London occurred during World War II when 

the submarine force exponentially grew in size, and the 

installation enlarged from 112 acres to 497 acres to accommodate the thousands of personnel that serviced the 

growing fleet; 

Whereas the nuclear power age following World War II ushered technological advancements in submarine development with the advent of nuclear powered submarines and 

the arrival of the USS Nautilus (SSN–571), the first nuclear powered vessel in the world, when it was commissioned in 1954 at Naval Submarine Base New London; 


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•SRES 458 ATS 

Whereas the USS George Washington (SSBN–598), the first 

nuclear ballistic submarine of the United States Navy, 

created further changes at Naval Submarine Base New 

London when it was commissioned there in 1959; 

Whereas, in 2018, Naval Submarine Base New London extends along the east side of the Thames River, occupies 

approximately 687 acres, and houses more than 160 

major facilities and more than 15 nuclear submarines; 

Whereas Naval Submarine Base New London supports fleet 

readiness by providing quality service and facilities to its 

fleet, fighters, and families; 

Whereas the mission of Naval Submarine Base New London 

is— 

(1) to homeport and put submarines to sea; and 

(2) to support the Submarine Center of Excellence, 

which trains submariners to take submarines to sea; 

Whereas nearly every submariner in the United States Navy 

will be stationed at Naval Submarine Base New London 

for training, with a potential tour of duty in one of the 

attack submarines homeported at the installation, or with 

a pre-commissioning unit for a new submarine under construction at General Dynamics Electric Boat Shipyard in 

Groton, Connecticut; 

Whereas Naval Submarine Base New London is home to 

more than 70 tenant commands and activities including— 

(1) the Undersea Warfighting Development Center; 

(2) the Submarine Learning Center; 

(3) the Naval Submarine School; 

(4) the Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory; and 


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(5) the Naval Undersea Medical Institute; 

Whereas Naval Submarine Base New London is one of the 

largest employers in southeastern Connecticut and employs more than 9,500 active duty, reserve, and civilian 

personnel; and 

Whereas Naval Submarine Base New London will always be 

regarded as the first submarine base of the United States 

Navy and the home of the submarine force: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates April 11, 2018, as the ‘‘Sesqui3 centennial of Connecticut’s Navy Installation’’; 

4 (2) commends the longstanding dedication and 

5 contribution to the Navy by the people of Con6 necticut, both through the initial deed of gift that 

7 established the Navy Installation of Connecticut, and 

8 through their ongoing commitment to support the 

9 mission and people assigned to the installation, pres10 ently known as Naval Submarine Base New London; 

11 (3) honors the sailors and submariners who 

12 have trained and served at the Navy Installation of 

13 Connecticut throughout its 150-year history in sup14 port of the naval and undersea superiority of the 

15 United States; 

16 (4) recognizes the indispensable role Naval Sub17 marine Base New London plays in fortifying the naVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:30 Apr 11, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR458.ATS SR458

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1 tional security of the United States at a time when 

2 adversaries seek to challenge the United States; and 

3 (5) pledges continued support for the operation 

4 of Naval Submarine Base New London for years to 

5 come. 

Æ 


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