The fourth commissioned USS Louisiana (SSBN-743) is the 18th and last ship of the United States Navy's Ohio class of nuclear-powered fleet ballistic missile submarines. She carries Trident ballistic missiles and has been in commission since 1997.
 

Construction and commissioning

The contract for the construction of Louisiana was awarded on 19 December 1990 and her keel was laid down at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut, on 23 October 1992. She was launched on 27 July 1996, sponsored by Patricia O'Keefe, and commissioned on 6 September 1997 at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay at Kings Bay, Georgia .

Service history

Atlantic Fleet operations

Louisiana's first home port was Kings Bay. Her commissioning gave Kings Bay its planned full
 

Transfer to Pacific Fleet

In the 1990s, with the end of the Cold War in 1991 and the subsequent reorganization of U.S. military forces, a U.S. nuclear policy review recommended that the U.S. Navy reduce its inventory of Ohio-class fleet ballistic missile submarines from 18 to 14 by 2005. An original plan to meet this goal by retiring the four oldest Ohio-class submarines — Ohio, Michigan, Florida, and Georgia — was abandoned. Instead, those four were converted into cruise missile submarines (SSGNs). The conversions reduced the size of the Trident-equipped ballistic missile submarine fleet to 14 units. In order to balance the remaining Trident-equipped fleet between the United States Atlantic Fleet and United States Pacific Fleet, five ballistic-missile-equipped Ohio-class submarines relocated from the Atlantic Fleet Ohio-class submarine base at Kings Bay to the Pacific Fleet Ohio-class submarine base at Naval Base Kitsap at Bangor, Washington. Between 2002 and 2005, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Nebraska, Maine, and Louisiana relocated from Kings Bay to Naval Base Kitsap.
 

Louisiana arrived at Naval Base Kitsap on 12 October 2005, which remains her home port.

Pacific Fleet operations

2006 Omaha Trophy

The Strategic Air Command Consultation Committee presented the Omaha Trophy to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) in 1971 on behalf of the citizens of Omaha, Nebraska, with the request that it be awarded annually to the outstanding SAC wing; the award later grew to include four different categories, including Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Command, Strategic Aircraft Operations Command, Strategic Space and Information Operations Command, and Submarine Ballistic Missile Command. On 31 May 2007, United States Strategic Command announced that Louisiana had won the 2006 Omaha Trophy in the Submarine Ballistic Missile Command category, which recognizes excellence in the fleet and is presented annually to the ballistic missile submarine unit demonstrating the highest standards of performance; in order for Louisiana to receive the award, both her Blue Crew and Gold Crew had to achieve excellence in every category possible from loading weapons to tactical scenarios related to strategic warfare to sailor retention and crew morale, with selection for the award based on formal evaluations, meritorious achievement, safety, and other factors such as community involvement and humanitarian actions. General Kevin P. Chilton, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, Meritorious Unit Commendation, 2009.
 

Both the Blue and Gold crews of Louisiana received the Meritorious Unit Commendation from the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Gary Roughead on 17 February 2009 during an all-hands call while he was visiting Naval Base Kitsap. The award was based on a recognition that both crews collectively had performed service of a character comparable in a non-combat situation to that which would merit the award of a Bronze Star Medal, or an award of like caliber, to an individual in a combat situation. Louisiana was specifically recognized for meritorious service and superior performance across the spectrum of strategic submarine operations, setting fleet standards of excellence for administration, engineering, supply, personnel programs, and community support. Louisiana was the first ballistic missile submarine to be awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation since 2001.[5] During the presentation ceremony, Admiral Roughead presented the Meritorious Unit Commendation flag to both Blue Crew commanding officer Commander Blake Converse and Gold Crew commanding officer Captain Shannon Kawane.

Ship's crest

The crest of USS Louisiana recalls the traditions of the people of the state of Louisiana and the three previous U.S. Navy ships to bear the name Louisiana. The symbolism of the crest reminds both crews of their bond to the people and history of Louisiana, as well as the tradition of the naval veterans who have served aboard ships of the same name. To others, the crest serves as a statement that the crews carry forward and those traditions of faithful and excellent service.