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USS Hampton (SSN-767)
Encyclopedia
USS Hampton (SSN-767), a , is the fourth ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to bear this name. The earlier Hamptons were given their names for varying reasons, but SSN-767 was specifically named for four cities: Hampton, Virginia
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
; Hampton, Iowa
Hampton, Iowa
Hampton is a city in Franklin County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,461 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Franklin County...
; Hampton, South Carolina
Hampton, South Carolina
Hampton is a town in Hampton County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,837 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hampton County.-Geography:Hampton is located at ....
; and Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 14,976 at the 2010 census. Located beside the Atlantic Ocean, Hampton is home to Hampton Beach, a summer tourist destination....
. There are 14 more "Hampton" towns in the United States.
The contract to build the Hampton was awarded to the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company
Northrop Grumman Newport News
Newport News Shipbuilding , originally Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company , was the largest privately-owned shipyard in the United States prior to being purchased by Northrop Grumman in 2001...
in Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
(adjacent to the aforementioned Hampton, Va.) on 6 February 1987, and her keel was laid down on 2 March 1990. She was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 3 April 1992, sponsored by Mrs. Laura Bateman, and she was commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 16 November 1993, with Commander David Antanitus in command.
In late April 2004 Hampton along with surfaced through the ice together at the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
.
In February 2007, Hampton left Norfolk, Virginia for a seven month Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployment. She traveled through the Panama Canal and arrived in Yokosuka, Japan. She completed two missions of national importance, and participated in two major, multinational naval exercises. She made port visits in Apra Harbor, Guam, White Beach, Okinawa, and Brisbane, Australia, as well as a brief stop in Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, before arriving in San Diego, CA. She earned the Navy Expeditionary Medal
Navy Expeditionary Medal
The Navy Expeditionary Medal is an award of the United States Navy which was first created in August 1936 by General Orders of the Department of the Navy...
during this time.
On 17 September 2007, the Hampton's homeport was changed from Norfolk to San Diego, in a change from the Atlantic Fleet
United States Fleet Forces Command
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
to the Pacific Fleet
United States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
.
In an isolated incident from her safe operational record, in October 2007, six naval personnel were disciplined for fraudulently documenting the chemistry records of the Hampton's nuclear propulsion plant. Shortly thereafter, the ship's commanding officer Commander Michael B. Portland was also relieved of his command because of a loss of confidence in his leadership, but he has not been charged with any offense. In March 2008, the US Navy revealed that a total of 11 officers and enlisted men had been disciplined in connection with the fraudulent documentation and for cheating on qualification tests. In addition to the Captain, the submarine's engineer officer, the engineering department master chief petty officer, and the entire reactor laboratory division were dismissed from Naval nuclear plant duty and submarine service. No damage was discovered in the reactor core and the submarine has returned to operational status.
USS Hampton completed a Western Pacific deployment from October 17, 2008 to April 17, 2009. She made port visits to Singapore, Yokosuka, Japan, Saipan, and Apra Harbor, Guam, before returning to home port in San Diego. She participated in the first submarine exercise between the United States and the Singapore Navy.
In 2010, the USS Hampton won the Submarine Squadron 11 Battle Efficiency award.