USS Nebraska (SSBN-739)

USS Nebraska (SSBN-739) is the 14th ballistic missile submarine, and the second United States Navy ship to be named in honor of Nebraska, the 37th state. She carries Trident ballistic missiles.

Nebraska shares her nickname, "Big Red", with the University of Nebraska.

Construction and commissioning
The contract to build Nebraska was awarded on 26 May 1987 to the Electric Boat Division of the General Dynamics Corporation at Groton, Connecticut. Her keel was laid there on 6 July 1987 and she was launched on 15 August 1992, sponsored by Patricia Exon, the wife of United States Senator J. James Exon (1921–2005) of Nebraska. Nebraska was delivered to the U.S. Navy on 18 June 1993 and commissioned on 10 July 1993.

Service history
Nebraska was originally assigned to Submarine Group 10 at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia. On 1 October 2004, Nebraska was transferred to Submarine Squadron 17 in Submarine Group 9 at Naval Base Kitsap, Bangor, Washington where it currently resides.

The sub has successfully launched Trident missiles for testing four times, once in 1995, in 2004, in 2008, and another in 2011.

As of June 2013, the sub had completed 61 deterrent patrols during its 20 years of service. Each patrol is usually 77 days in duration followed by 35 days in port for maintenance.

Following Patrol 54, the USS Nebraska was awarded the "Battle E" for Submarine Squadron 17. Additionally, following Patrol 56, the USS Nebraska was awarded the "Battle E" for Submarine Squadron 17 for its second consecutive year.

In popular culture
In the military hard science fiction Looking Glass series by John Ringo and Travis S. Taylor, the Nebraska is converted into the first human interstellar spaceship and renamed the Vorpal Blade. The boat is the main setting for the majority of the second, third, and fourth books in the series, Vorpal Blade, Manxome Foe, and Claws That Catch.

Related reading

 * Waller, Douglas C. Big Red: The Three-Month Voyage of a Trident Nuclear Submarine. April 2002