USS Von Steuben ( SSBN - 632 ) USS " Von Steuben " ( SSBN - 632 ) , a fleet ballistic missile submarine , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben ( 1730 – 1794 ) , a Prussia n army officer who served in the American Revolutionary War . Construction and commissioning . The contract to build " Von Steuben " was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News , Virginia , on 20 July 1961 and her keel was laid down there on 4 September 1962 . She was launched on 18 October 1963 , sponsored by Mrs . Fred Korth , and commissioned on 30 September 1964 , with Commander John P . Wise in command of the Blue Crew and Commander Jeffrey C . Metzel in command of the Gold Crew . During the autumn of 1964 , the " Von Steuben " completed two shakedown cruises — one for each crew — and a period of antisubmarine warfare training between the two cruises . On 22 December 1964 , her Gold Crew fired her first Polaris ballistic missile on the Atlantic Missile Range before returning to Newport News for Christmas . She changed crews again at the beginning of 1965 , and returned to the missile range off Cape Kennedy , Florida , where the Blue Crew fired its first Polaris missile . In February 1965 , after completing all initial training operations , she returned to Newport News . In March 1965 , " Von Steuben " headed for her first duty assignment . She joined Submarine Squadron 18 at Charleston , South Carolina , her new base of operations , and immediately began conducting strategic deterrent patrols . At the end of her 11th deterrent patrol early in 1968 , " Von Steuben " was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 16 and operated out of Rota , Spain , until the middle of 1969 . During that assignment , she visited Groton , Connecticut , in the summer of 1969 for repairs at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation , after which she resumed deterrent patrols out of Rota . Upgraded ballistic missile system . In November 1970 , " Von Steuben " visited Groton once again , this time near the end of a 16 - month overhaul during which she was modified to carry the newly developed Poseidon C - 3 ballistic missile , which boasted major advances in warhead technology and accuracy and systematically was replacing the older Polaris missiles in the , " James Madison " and s . " Von Steuben " conducted post - conversion shakedown during the early months of 1971 and , while escorted by the destroyer for range security , conducted a two - missile Demonstration and Shakedown Operation ( DASO ) in which she fired her first and second Poseidon missiles in February and March 1971 , respectively . " Von Steuben " s ballistic missile system was upgraded a second time in the early 1980s to use Trident I ( C4 ) ballistic missiles . These missiles were also retrofitted to 11 other SSBNs of the " James Madison " and " Benjamin Franklin " classes , replacing their Poseidon missiles , and also were the first missiles carried by the early s . Trident missiles were three - stage missiles that provided for increased range along with advances in inertial guidance systems . " Von Steuben " continued making strategic deterrent patrols into the early 1990s with the Trident I missile . Decommissioning and disposal . " Von Steuben " was decommissioned on 26 February 1994 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register simultaneously . Her scrapping via the Nuclear - Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Bremerton , Washington , began on 1 October 2000 and was completed on 30 October 2001 . " Von Steuben " s age from delivery to disposal was 37 . 2 years .