USS Illinois Press Conference

The Commander and the Crew of the soon to be commissioned USS Illinois (SSN-786), discuss the newest Virginia Class Submarine, sharing information about its construction, capabilities, and mission. A model of the USS Illinois is presented to Colonel (IL) Jennifer N. Pritzker, IL ARNG (Retired) for the PMML's collection. 

Featured in this press conference:

USS ILLINOIS Crew: Jesse Porter, Commander; David Dipietro, Chief of the Boat; Darin Hess, Supply Officer; Aaron Mcknight, Chief Hospital Corpsman; Eric Chatham, Sonar Technician First Class & Deshay Roman, Logistics Specialist Second Class

USS Illinois Commissioning Committee: Len Wass & Mark Mcclain

PMML: Colonel (IL) Jennifer N. Pritzker, IL ARNG (Retired) & Kenneth Clarke

USS Illinois (SSN-786) is the 13th Virginia Class nuclear submarine and is currently under construction at Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, Ct. She is only the second U.S. Navy ship to be commissioned with the name since a battleship with the same name was commissioned in 1897. Officially sponsored by First Lady Michelle Obama, Illinois is expected to be launched in mid-2015 and commissioned in December 2015.

Illinois is poised to meet the Navy’s multi-mission requirements from open ocean anti-submarine warfare to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to projecting power ashore with Special Operation Forces and Tomahawk cruise missiles in the prevention or preparation of regional crises. She is built to dominate the world’s littoral and deep waters while conducting anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface ship warfare; strike warfare; special operation forces support; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare missions. Stealth and speed are standard in submarines, but this next generation of attack submarines offers an improved level of capabilities to maintain the nation’s undersea supremacy well into the 21st century.

The USS Illinois Commissioning Committee, www.ussillinois.org, was formed from volunteers from all over the state of Illinois, and is led by the Navy League of the United States, Aurora Council, to help honor Illinois’ newest namesake ship. The Navy League of the United States is a 501(c)(3) corporation and monetary gifts to the commission are tax deductible when made through the Navy League of the United States and designated for supporting the USS ILLINOIS (SSN-786) events associated with the launching, commissioning, and post-commissioning support of the ship and crew.

COMMANDER JESSE PORTER is a near-thirty year veteran of the United States Navy and a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval War College. Since his commissioning in 1996, he has served as a Division Officer aboard USS Michigan (SSBN 727) (BLUE); Navigator/Operations Officer aboard USS Connecticut (SSN 22); and Executive Officer aboard USS Missouri (SSN 780). Ashore, he has served as a Shift Engineer and the Materials Officer on the Moored Training Ship 635 at the Naval Prototype Training Unit Charleston, S.C.; Operations Officer for Commander Submarine Squadron Two; and as a Chief of Naval Operations Fellow at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He has earned the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (5 Awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2 Awards), and various other unit, personal and campaign awards.