Jersey Has the Watch

From the Chairman

Spring Has Sprung, and USS NEW JERSEY Is Moving Ahead

A quarterly message to strengthen the connection between the boat, the crew, their families, and the people of New Jersey who stand behind them.

The USS NEW JERSEY (SSN 796) is a Virginia-class submarine homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. Commissioned on September 14, 2024 at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Middletown, New Jersey, she is the third U.S. Navy ship named for the Garden State and the first fully integrated fast-attack submarine designed for mixed-gender crews.

NJ Industry Spotlight

Forged in Florence. Built for the Silent Service.

In Florence, New Jersey, sparks fly. Not for spectacle. For submarines.

At DC Fabricators, skilled welders, machinists, and engineers manufacture critical components that become part of U.S. Navy submarines. These are high-tolerance, mission-critical systems built to perform quietly and reliably in one of the most demanding environments on Earth.

Earlier this year, members of the USS NEW JERSEY crew toured the facility. They walked the shop floor and met the team behind the work. For DC Fabricators, it was a powerful reminder that every weld has a purpose, supporting sailors who take the watch far from home.

Crew Spotlight

Meet the Ombudsman

Pictured: Madison Adams with her husband, Lucas, and their two children

Every submarine has a crew on board, but every boat also has a wider community standing behind it, spouses, children, parents, and loved ones who carry their own part of the journey. For USS New Jersey, SSN 796, one of the people helping strengthen that connection is the boat's ombudsman, Madison Adams.

The ombudsman role helps provide families with a trusted point of contact and keeps the connection between the command and families clear, steady, and personal. For a submarine community, that kind of support matters. It helps families feel informed, connected, and supported as they navigate the unique rhythm of life tied to the boat.

Madison brings that spirit to the role with both warmth and firsthand understanding. She knows what it means to be part of a Navy family, and she is stepping into this role with a clear desire to serve others well.

Madison is not simply filling a role. She is serving from lived experience, as a wife, a mother, and someone whose family has been part of the command since June 2022. For families connected to USS New Jersey, the ombudsman helps provide a familiar and approachable connection, someone who understands that behind every duty day, schedule change, and milestone at sea, there are families at home doing their part too.

Veterans & Service

Jersey Has the Watch

This past fall, the Battleship New Jersey had the distinct honor of welcoming the crew of our namesake submarine, USS NEW JERSEY (SSN-796), back aboard BB-62, continuing a proud and growing tradition between our two ships.

This visit marked the first to the Battleship for the submarine's new Commanding Officer, CDR Ron Simmons, who assumed command last December. It was a pleasure to host CDR Simmons and his crew as they begin this next chapter in the life of New Jersey's newest warship.

The evening included dinner in the historic Officers' Wardroom, followed by a guided tour of the ship led by Battleship New Jersey veterans, creating a powerful connection between generations of sailors who have served under the same proud name.

In partnership with the SSN-796 Support Organization, the Battleship New Jersey remains deeply committed to supporting the boat and the extraordinary men and women who serve aboard her. The bond between BB-62 and SSN-796 is more than symbolic. It is a living continuation of the legacy, service, and spirit of New Jersey at sea.

Schools & Youth

Guinness World Record: Elizabeth Students Celebrate NJ's Submarine Legacy

Students from Elizabeth Public Schools set the Guinness World Record for largest human submarine formation.

In June 2025, more than 800 students from Elizabeth Public Schools made history. They set a Guinness World Record for the largest human image of a submarine.

The formation brought submarine pride to life on the very ground where the U.S. submarine story began. Students stood shoulder to shoulder on what was once the site of the original Crescent Shipyard, where the first submarine commissioned by the U.S. Navy was built.

As USS NEW JERSEY (SSN 796) sails under the name of this great state, crews can picture this scene, a sea of students forming the shape of a submarine, just as sailors stand watch below the waves. That is New Jersey pride in action.

Q2 Submarine Family Picks

Get Involved in the Submarine Community

Looking for a submarine-themed outing this spring? These public events give families, friends, and supporters a chance to connect with the wider submarine community, whether that means hands-on learning, museum time, remembrance, or simply sharing a day built around undersea heritage.

State Support

A Painting That Strengthened the Connection

One of the meaningful moments from fall 2025 was the presentation of Firepower for Freedom at the New Jersey State House. Created by maritime artist and Battleship NEW JERSEY veteran James A. Flood, the painting brings together the three Navy ships to bear the name New Jersey and honors the legacy now carried forward by USS NEW JERSEY (SSN 796).

The event also reflected something bigger than the painting itself. With state leaders present, it became another visible sign of the bond between the boat and the State of New Jersey.

Along with recent crew visits and other community support efforts, it was one more example of how the story of USS NEW JERSEY continues to be shared not only at sea, but across the state she represents.

History Section

Before Ballistic Missiles: The Strategic Gamble of Growler

USS Growler is permanently moored across the Hudson River from New Jersey at the Intrepid Museum in New York City.

When visitors step aboard Growler at the Intrepid Museum, they usually have the same reaction: surprise. "She carried nuclear missiles? Wait. She had to surface to launch them?"

USS Growler is more than a preserved Cold War artifact. She represents a pivotal moment in naval history. A transitional technology that reshaped nuclear deterrence strategy and paved the way for today's submarine force, including the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines that carry on Growler's strategic mission, and fast-attack boats like USS NEW JERSEY (SSN 796) that evolved from the same design lineage.

Commissioned in 1958, Growler was one of only five operational U.S. Navy submarines to carry the Regulus I nuclear cruise missile. Unlike modern submarines that launch from underwater, Growler had to surface to fire. The whole process from hangar open to ignition took 12 to 15 minutes. An eternity in combat. But before submarine-launched ballistic missiles existed, the Regulus system offered the United States a credible sea-based nuclear deterrent.

Preserving and interpreting submarines ensures that strategic history remains accessible and human. It fosters informed conversations about deterrence, innovation, and the responsibilities that come with powerful technology.

Walking through Growler, visitors see the courage, ingenuity, and teamwork that built the Silent Service. A legacy that continues beneath the waves and lives on in the submarines and families of today's fleet, including the crew of USS NEW JERSEY (SSN 796), proudly carrying the Garden State's name into the 21st century.

New Jersey Connections

A Mother, a Builder, and the Watch That Continues

This quarter, we received a message through our website from Middletown, New Jersey. Myra Kryscnski wrote to share the story of her son, Jon David Kryscnski, a materials engineer whose work supported generations of U.S. Navy submarines.

Middletown is not only Jon David Kryscnski's hometown and final resting place. It is also where USS NEW JERSEY (SSN 796) was commissioned. For us, that makes this story more than a remembrance. It is another reminder of the bond between this boat, her crew, and the people of New Jersey.

Pictured: Jon David Kryscnski

Jon was born in Red Bank and grew up in Middletown. He earned a bachelor's degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master's degree in Metallurgy from MIT. He did not serve in uniform, but he served the Navy in another important way, through the engineering and materials work that helped make submarines stronger, safer, and more capable.

His career included work as a project engineer at General Dynamics Electric Boat. He later served as a U.S. Navy acquisition program manager supporting the Seawolf class, and then as a senior program manager with NAVSEA Team Submarine, contributing to the Virginia class and Columbia class programs.

Jon passed away in 2016. He is buried in Middletown, only minutes from Naval Weapons Station Earle, where USS NEW JERSEY was commissioned in September 2024.

When Myra shared Jon's story, it reminded us that the submarine force is sustained by more than the sailors who take a boat to sea. It also depends on the people who design, build, strengthen, and support these submarines long before they ever get underway.

Myra wrote with deep pride about her son's dedication, patriotism, and commitment to the Navy's mission. We are honored by that, and grateful that she entrusted us with his story. Jon's work helped support the undersea force. His family's pride and continued support remind us that behind every submarine are people on shore who make the mission possible.

We thank Myra for sharing Jon with us. His story is now part of the larger story of USS NEW JERSEY, a story rooted in service, in sacrifice, and in the enduring connection between the crew and the state they represent.

NJ Local Fun in Q2

Family Activities in the Garden State

Looking for submarine and naval-themed family activities this spring and summer? New Jersey offers unique opportunities to connect with maritime history and support the naval community.

From overnight encampments and educational youth programs to Memorial Day ceremonies and private event rentals, the Battleship offers something for everyone. Explore the massive 16-inch gun turrets, tour the Admiral's quarters, and experience what life was like aboard one of the most powerful warships ever built.

Support the Mission

Official Merchandise

Show your support for USS NEW JERSEY and the submarine community with official merchandise. Your purchases help fund crew support initiatives and community programs.

Humor & Challenge

A Little Humor, and a Question for the Crew Community

Humor matters too. Sometimes a quick laugh is part of what helps people stay connected.