IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1132 

Honoring the USS New Mexico as the sixth Virginia-class submarine 

commissioned by the U.S. Navy to protect and defend the United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 2, 2010 

Mr. HEINRICH (for himself, Mr. TEAGUE, and Mr. LUJA ́N) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the USS New Mexico as the sixth Virginia-class 

submarine commissioned by the U.S. Navy to protect 

and defend the United States. 

Whereas the mission statement of the United States Navy is 

to ‘‘maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces 

capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas’’; 

Whereas the Virginia-class submarine is the first U.S. Navy 

attack submarine to be designed for post-Cold War missions and is capable of operating in the open ocean as 

well as close to shore; 

Whereas the Virginia-class submarine is capable of submerged speeds of more than 25 knots and can stay submerged for extended periods at sea; 


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•HRES 1132 IH 

Whereas the Secretary of the Navy has named the U.S. 

Navy’s sixth Virginia-class fast-attack nuclear submarine 

the USS New Mexico (SSN 779); 

Whereas this submarine honors the legacy of the battleship 

USS New Mexico (BB–40), which served in both the Pacific and Atlantic theaters during World War II; 

Whereas the USS New Mexico was constructed 4 months 

ahead of schedule, achieving the shortest construction period of any Virginia-class submarine; 

Whereas the USS New Mexico is a state-of-the-art, nuclear 

submarine that will help fulfill the U.S. Navy’s mission 

to deter aggression and maintain freedom of the seas; 

Whereas the State of New Mexico and its two national security laboratories, Sandia National Laboratories and Los 

Alamos National Laboratory, have made significant contributions to the Nation’s nuclear development, including 

the advancement of nuclear submarines; 

Whereas the Commanding Officer of the USS New Mexico, 

Commander Mark Prokopius, has made an earnest effort 

with the crew to incorporate a sense of New Mexican culture within the submarine including naming the ship’s 

galley ‘‘La Posta’’ after a restaurant in Mesilla, New 

Mexico; 

Whereas Ms. Emilee Sena of Albuquerque, New Mexico, submitted the winning design for the USS New Mexico’s 

crest, which symbolizes the beauty of New Mexico as well 

as the inscription ‘‘We Defend Our Land’’ in the Spanish 

language; 

Whereas the USS New Mexico Commissioning Committee of 

the Navy League’s New Mexico Council led a dedicated 

5-year statewide grassroots initiative to have the sixth 


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•HRES 1132 IH 

Virginia-class submarine named New Mexico and has 

played a tremendous role in planning construction milestone ceremonies and supporting crew activities throughout the vessel’s development; 

Whereas the USS New Mexico is to be commissioned by the 

U.S. Navy on March 27, 2010, at the Norfolk Naval 

Base in Norfolk, Virginia; and 

Whereas New Mexico, ‘‘The Land of Enchantment’’, is proud 

to be honored with the most modern and sophisticated attack submarine in the world, providing undersea supremacy well into the 21st century: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) honors the USS New Mexico (SSN 779) as 

3 one of the most advanced submarines in the history 

4 of the U.S. Navy; 

5 (2) commends the diligence of the New Mexico 

6 Council, Navy league of the United States, and the 

7 USS New Mexico Commissioning Committee who 

8 contributed to the support of the USS New Mexico; 

9 (3) recognizes the hard work of the individuals 

10 and organizations who contributed to the construc11 tion of the USS New Mexico; and 

12 (4) honors the U.S. Navy and the crew of the 

13 USS New Mexico for their commitment to helping 

14 maintain the United States supremacy of the seas. 

Æ 


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