USS Archerfish (SSN-678), a Sturgeon-class

Sturgeon class submarine

The Sturgeon class were a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines in service with the United States Navy from the 1960s until 2004. They were the "work horses" of the submarine attack fleet throughout much of the Cold War...

 attack submarine, was the second 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 be named for the archerfish

Archerfish

The archerfish are a family of fish known for their habit of preying on land based insects and other small animals by literally shooting them down with water droplets from their specialized mouths...

, a family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 (Toxotidae) of fish notable for their habit of preying on insect

Insect

Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...

s and other animals by shooting them down with squirts of water from the mouth.

Construction and commissioning

The contract to build Archerfish was awarded on 25 June 1968 and her keel

Keel

In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...

 was laid down on 19 June 1969 at Groton

Groton, Connecticut

Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....

, Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

, by the Electric Boat

Electric boat

While a significant majority of water vessels are powered by diesel engines, with sail power and gasoline engines also remaining popular, boats powered by electricity have been used for over 120 years. Electric boats were very popular from the 1880s until the 1920s, when the internal combustion...

 Division of the General Dynamics

General Dynamics

General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...

 Corporation. 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 16 January 1971, sponsored by Miss Mary Conover Warner, and 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...

 at her home port

Home port

A vessel's home port is the port at which it is based, which may not be the same as its port of registry shown on its registration documents and lettered on the stern of the ship's hull...

, New London

New London, Connecticut

New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....

, Connecticut, on 17 December 1971 with Commander

Commander

Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...

 Ralph Gordon Bird in command.

1971-1972

Following her commissioning, Archerfish proceeded to Newport

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...

, Rhode Island

Rhode Island

The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

, in late January 1972 and then to the Caribbean Sea

Caribbean Sea

The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....

 for shakedown

Shakedown (testing)

A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...

 training. She held acoustic sea trials in Exuma Sound

Exuma Sound

Exuma Sound is a body of water in the Bahama Islands.Exuma Sound lies southeast of New Providence Island and Eleuthera Island and west of Cat Island.-References:...

 in the Bahama Islands and weapons systems acceptance trials at Roosevelt Roads off Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

, and at St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands

United States Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...

. She carried out tests off the Bahamas in April and May 1972.

From 5 to 15 June 1972, Archerfish participated in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Exercise "Pink Lace" in the mid-Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

. In August 1972, she took part in Antisubmarine Warfare Exercise 1-73. On 5 September 1972, she began post-shakedown repairs and alterations in the Electric Boat Division shipyard

Shipyard

Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...

 at Groton, where she received extensive modifications and new equipment. She left the shipyard on 26 October and spent the rest of 1972 in local operations and preparation for her first overseeas deployment.

1973

On 6 January 1973, Archerfish left Groton and shaped a course for the Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

. During her deployment there, she conducted two special operations and visited Rota

Rota, Spain

-External references:*, official website * On-line since 1999! News, premiere information, pictures, weather, etc. Into Spanish, English... ****- External links :...

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, and Naples

Naples

Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

. Her deployment concluded with her arrival at Naval Submarine Base New London

Naval Submarine Base New London

Naval Submarine Base New London is the United States Navy's primary submarine base, the "Home of the Submarine Force", and "the Submarine Capital of the World".-History:...

, Connecticut, on 19 June 1973.

Archerfish got underway again in August 1973, bound for the Bahama Islands to participate in Atlantic Submarine Exercise KILO 1-74. She provided services in support of a special project under the direction of the Chief of Naval Operations

Chief of Naval Operations

The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...

 in the western Atlantic Ocean during the last half of September 1973. She then traveled to a testing range off the Bahamas, held torpedo

Torpedo

The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...

 certification trials, and arrived at New London on 12 October 1973 for extensive training in preparation for her second overseas deployment.

1974

Archerfish left New London on 7 January 1974 for special operations in the North Atlantic Ocean. During this cruise, she visited Faslane Naval Base

HMNB Clyde

Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

, before returning to New London on 8 March 1974. Following upkeep, she voyaged to the Narragansett Bay

Narragansett Bay

Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...

 in early May 1974 to carry out sonar

Sonar

Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...

 evaluation projects. On 27 May 1074, she proceeded to Port Everglades, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, for further testing. She then continued on to the Caribbean to take part in Atlantic Submarine Exercise KILO 2-74 near the Bahamas. On 10 June 1974, Archerfish arrived at New London and began testing and evaluating new sonar equipment.

Archerfish departed New London for the Bahamas once again on 9 September 1974 to participate in Atlantic Submarine Exercise KILO 1-75. Upon its completion she took part in naval mine

Naval mine

A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...

 testing near Port Everglades. She returned to the Caribbean on 30 October 1974 for torpedo proficiency firings. From 5 November to 18 November 1974, she participated in Submarine Antisubmarine Warfare Exercise 1-75 and then returned to New London for a period of leave and upkeep.

1975

In February and March 1975, Archerfish carried out special operations in the western Atlantic Ocean. She then took part in Operation Agate Punch, which involved the development and utilization of tactics in direct support of other ships of the United States Atlantic Fleet, from 14 April to 28 April 1975. During the summer months of 1975, Archerfish carried out a deployment in the western Atlantic Ocean, which also included a port call at Halifax, Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. In November and December 1975, she was involved in two additional tactical development exercises, RANGEX 2-76 and SECEX 3-75. She also conducted torpedo tests.

1976

After a period of holiday leave and upkeep and the end of 1975 and beginning of 1976, Archerfish took part in Submarine Antisubmarine Warfare Exercise 1-76 in February 1976 before commencing a deployment to the North Atlantic Ocean in March 1976. During April and May 1976, she carried out independent operations and returned to New London in June. She then moved to Portsmouth

Portsmouth, Virginia

Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...

, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

, where she began overhaul

Overhaul

Overhaul may refer to:*Overhaul , a Transformers character*The process of overhauling...

 at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard

Norfolk Naval Shipyard

The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...

 on 7 July 1976.

1977-1979

During her post-overhaul sea trials in May 1977, Archerfishs home port was changed from New London to Naval Station Norfolk

Naval Station Norfolk

Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...

 at Norfolk

Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....

, Virginia, on 12 May 1977. Archerfish began post-overhaul shakedown on 8 June 1977. She held torpedo proficiency firings and made port visits at Port Everglades and Port Canaveral, Florida. She returned to Norfolk on 8 July 1977 and began upkeep.

Archerfish got underway again on 21 August 1977 for a cruise during which she hosted a class of prospective commanding officer

Commanding officer

The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...

s. She also carried out torpedo tests and made a stop at Port Everglades. Archerfish arrived at Norfolk on 6 September 1977, but quickly put to sea again on 12 September, bound for the West Indies to conduct torpedo test firings off the Bahamas and to perform special sonar tests in the Atlantic Ocean.

Upon returning to Norfolk on 28 September 1977, Archerfish began preparations for an overseas deployment in the Mediterranean. She left Norfolk on 12 December 1977 crossed the Atlantic, spent the Christmas

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

 holidays in port at Lisbon, Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

, and entered the Mediterranean Sea on 28 December 1977. While operating with the United States Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean, she participated in Chief of Naval Operation Project "Over the Horizon Testing" and, during March 1978 took part in Exercise "Dogfish." She concluded her deployment with her arrival at Norfolk in May 1978.

Between 2 July and 4 August 1978, Archerfish conducted a midshipman training cruise on 23 August 1978 and began participation in Exercise Northern Wedding, a NATO exercise that occupied her through 8 October 1978. She then returned to Norfolk for leave and upkeep followed by preparations for cold-weather drills in early 1979. Archerfish got underway for the Arctic

Arctic

The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...

 on 14 March 1979. During her cruise there she traveled over 9000 nautical miles (16,668 km) under the polar ice cap

Polar ice cap

A polar ice cap is a high latitude region of a planet or natural satellite that is covered in ice. There are no requirements with respect to size or composition for a body of ice to be termed a polar ice cap, nor any geological requirement for it to be over land; only that it must be a body of...

 and surfaced through it 23 times, once 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...

. Archerfish arrived in Plymouth

Plymouth

Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, on 11 May 1979 for a six-day visit and then proceeded to Zeebrugge, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

. She left Belgium on 21 May 1979 bound for New London, which had once again become her home port, on 5 June 1979.

In mid-July 1979, Archerfish entered the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard , often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is used for remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships...

 in Kittery

Kittery, Maine

Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,543 at the 2000 census. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals...

, Maine

Maine

Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

, for a repairs and alterations. She got underway again on 3 October 1979 and headed to the West Indies for acoustic trials and weapons testing. She arrived at New London on 21 November 1979 and ended the year there in upkeep.

1980

On 23 January 1980, Archerfish got underway to take part in RANGEX 1-80, a multi-ship antisubmarine warfare exercise held in the Atlantic Ocean. She returned to New London on 10 February 1980 and remained there until proceeding to Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...

, Virginia, in mid-March 1980 to enter the Newport News Shipbuilding

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...

 shipyard at Newport News

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...

, Virginia, for the replacement of a sonar dome. That work was completed on 1 April 1980, and Archerfish returned to New London to prepare for another deployment.

On 23 May 1980, Archerfish left New London for the North Atlantic Ocean to conduct special operations. During the cruise, she made port calls in Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

 and West Germany

West Germany

West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....

 before returning to New London on 25 August 1980.

Archerfish returned to the West Indies in mid-October 1980 for torpedo testing off the Bahamas. She paused at Norfolk for deperming

Deperming

Deperming, or degaussing, is a procedure for erasing the permanent magnetism from ships and submarines to camouflage them against magnetic detection vessels and enemy marine mines....

 before returning to New London on 30 October 1980. She got underway on 17 November 1980 to take part in Atlantic Antisubmarine Warfare Exercise 2-81. Upon completing the exercise on 26 November 1980, she returned to New London to begin a series of inspections.

1981-1986

Archerfish continued operations from New London into early 1981. During 1981 and 1982, she alternated two spring deployments to the Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

 with normal operations out of New London during the autumn and winter. In February 1983, she began a regular overhaul at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard , often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is used for remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships...

 at Kittery, Maine

Kittery, Maine

Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,543 at the 2000 census. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals...

. The extended repair period lasted until October 1984 at which time she resumed duty out of New London, Connecticut

New London, Connecticut

New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....

. Those operations included a North Atlantic deployment in 1985 and a deployment to the polar icecap in 1986, where she met up with USS Hawkbill (SSN-666)

USS Hawkbill (SSN-666)

USS Hawkbill , a Sturgeon-class attack submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the hawksbill, a large sea turtle...

 and USS Ray (SSN-653)

USS Ray (SSN-653)

USS Ray , a Sturgeon-class attack submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the rays, various cartilaginous marine fishes characterized by a flat body, large pectoral fins, and a whiplike tail, belonging to the superorder Batoidea, especially the true rays of the...

 to join in the first tri-submarine surfacing 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...

.

1987-1998

Archerfish continued local operations until summer 1987, when she was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

. Her next major deployment was in 1988 when she participated in under ice operations 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 September 1988, Archerfish sailed to Puget Sound, Washington where she was drydocked and overhauled. Here she was fitted with a Dry Deck Shelter. After overhaul she did four Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

 deployments from 1992-1997.

Decommissioning and disposal

Archerfish was decommissioned

Ship decommissioning

To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....

 on 31 March 1998 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register

Naval Vessel Register

The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...

 the same day. Her scrapping via the U.S. Navys Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington...

 in Bremerton

Bremerton, Washington

Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...

, Washington, was completed on 6 November 1998.