USS New Jersey (SSN-796) Support Organization · Newsletter · October 2026 Issue
Below the Surface
In This Issue
Know Your Boat, and the People Who Run Her
Crew's Mess habitability: a first look
Meet the Leading Yeoman, YNS1(SS) Nate Cunningham
Crew news: Groton, Halifax, Yorktown, and Annapolis
The Best Job in the Navy, in submariners' own words
Fair Winds to CAPT "Brewski" Smith at NWS Earle
Prefer paper? Download a printable copy of this issue, laid out for letter-size paper. The map, videos, and fill-in crossword are listed there with their web addresses.
Printable edition. Read this issue online, with the interactive crew visit map, the videos, and the fill-in crossword, at https://submarinenj.org/newsletters/2026-q3.html
From the Chairman
Chairman's Message
It's been a busy summer:
The submarine and crew have been training, certifying, and preparing themselves to meet the challenges ahead (to serve and defend our country). Long days, and a few operational "trips."
The committee continues to support, with recognition awards for the Sailors and a major effort on habitability upgrades (more later).
Thank you to the supporters, families, and New Jersey partners who make this work possible. Your time and your gifts go straight to the crew, to recognition, to family connection, and to quality-of-life projects aboard the boat.
Looking to the fall, our main push will be the Crew's Mess habitability project. We are also laying the groundwork to support Sailors when the crew deploys, an effort that gets underway in earnest in January.
Thank a Sailor. And enjoy our newsletter!
Crew Report · Underway
What the Crew Has Been Up To
USS New Jersey (SSN-796), a Virginia-class Block IV nuclear-powered attack submarine, arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Wednesday, August 5, 2026. The submarine was escorted through the harbour to the CFB Shearwater jetty in Eastern Passage. From left to right: USS New Jersey, CFAV Granville, CFAV Glenside, CFAV Merrickville, and CFAV Glenbrook. Quite a sight coming up the harbour. Welcome to the big harbour!
The boat is at sea, so we were not able to get the crew's quarterly update before "going to print." But we can tell you this much.
The crew spent the last quarter preparing: getting qualified (see our last newsletter), conducting inspections of various systems and operational procedures, and earning the certifications that will enable the boat to conduct a range of operations. Much of that time was spent underway in "New England-ish" waters, with stops at the Naval Submarine Base in Groton, Connecticut, and an August port visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia. In port, the crew has been busy making sure the ship is in tip-top condition, and spending a lot of time in the "trainers" (simulated operations).
The photo below, taken in late September, shows the boat headed to Yorktown, Virginia, where she loaded weapons for SCC, the Submarine Command Course, which trains prospective commanding and executive officers. From there, she headed to Annapolis and the U.S. Naval Academy for Midshipman Operations. Next up, she will support SCC, which will be an excellent learning opportunity for the boat.
USS New Jersey (SSN-796) on the York River, headed to Yorktown, Virginia, in late September 2026.
There is a lot of personnel news to share: who was named Sailor of the Year, who qualified, who advanced, who reenlisted, and more. We aim to have all of it for you in the next newsletter. Stay tuned.
Two thoughts come to mind when thinking about habitability improvements:
We hope to make the boat "a better place for the Sailors to live." Things that can be done to pursue comfort, add some fun, and/or add some relaxation should be pursued.
Ties to the sub's namesake (the state of New Jersey) or its legacy (Battleship New Jersey) help give the boat its personality.
The first major effort in this area revolves around redecorating the Crew's Mess.
The Crew's Mess is where the crew eats, meets, trains, and unwinds. It is one of the few gathering spaces on the boat, and there are no windows. We are working on a way to make it feel more open: a Jersey Shore scene wrapped across the space so a steel compartment feels a little more like a booth looking out at the boardwalk and the ocean.
The crew has approved the concept design and given the "diner" a name. Final design adjustments are in the works, followed by printing and installation.
To "whet your appetite," here is our most current rendering.
Our goal is to be complete by year's end. Look for photos of the completed project in our next newsletter.
A First Look
Concept art approved for direction: a vintage travel-poster take on the Jersey Shore, with each locker face framed as a diner window looking out at the boardwalk and the beach.
Help Brighten the Crew's Mess
Projects like this one are made possible by our supporters. Every gift, and every purchase from our store, goes to work for the crew.
YNS1(SS) Nathan "Nate" Cunningham, Leading Yeoman, USS New Jersey (SSN-796).
Every Sailor who reports to USS New Jersey (SSN-796) crosses paths with Yeoman Submarine First Class Nathan "Nate" Cunningham, the boat's Leading Yeoman. In his words, he is "the first to meet Sailors and welcome them aboard." Nate has served in the Navy for seven years, and New Jersey is his second submarine.
A 2015 graduate of Temecula Valley High School in Southern California, Nate enlisted in January 2019. His first boat was USS Annapolis (SSN-760) out of San Diego, where he earned his "dolphins" and advanced to Yeoman Second Class. A shore tour with Commander, Submarine Squadron 15 in Guam followed, and he reported to New Jersey in August 2025.
Some of our members have already met him. When John Koehr of our organization visited the boat in August, Nate was the duty driver who picked him up. We asked Nate a few questions, and here is what he told us.
Reading the letters
YN is Yeoman, the Navy's administrative specialist. YNS is the submarine Yeoman rating, and the 1 means First Class Petty Officer. The (SS) means he has earned his submarine qualification, his "dolphins."
Service Record at a Glance
Enlisted: January 19, 2019, Ames, Iowa
Deployments: One Western Pacific deployment aboard USS Annapolis (SSN-760)
Recognition: Command Pay and Personnel Administrator of the Quarter, first quarter FY 2023
Personal awards: Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2), National Defense Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (2), Humanitarian Service Medal (2), Good Conduct Medal (2), and Navy/Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon
Unit award: Navy "E" Ribbon
What is your job aboard, and how did you get here?
"My job onboard is to make sure all administration is taken care of. This could include anything from awards, evaluation reports, any pay or legal issues Sailors might have. I am the first to meet Sailors and welcome them aboard, so customer service is one of the Yeoman's strongest attributes. I have been in the Navy for 7 years. This is my second submarine. My first was USS Annapolis (SSN-760)."
What stands out about serving aboard New Jersey?
"When I first arrived to USS New Jersey in August of 2025, she was in the Newport News Shipyard. I got to see the final touches on a lot of equipment onboard before we finally took her out to do God's work. This is also my first integrated crew (males/females). Along with its challenges, it also opened a whole different side of submarines that I would have never imagined coming from an all-male crew. Submariners come in all shapes and sizes and are not to be underestimated."
What connection have you made with New Jersey?
"I have not had a chance to visit or make any connections with New Jersey, other than meeting you guys, which was super cool."
We hope to change that, Nate. See "What Is a Crew Visit?" below for how the crew gets to know the Garden State.
Who is Nate out of uniform?
"When I am out of uniform I spend most of my time with my wife Gina and my 7 month old daughter Gaia (guy-uh). I am originally from Southern California (Fallbrook), but they say home is where the heart is. I enjoy working out and anytime I can get to the beach to surf/swim/skim board."
What do you wish more people understood about submariners?
"I wish people could understand how valuable time is, which is funny because no amount of money ever bought a second of time. As submariners our schedule is subject to change at a moment's notice, which is fine. It is what we signed up for. This means plans are very hard to make, whether that be with significant others or family members. To submariners our time is one of our most valued assets, so any way people can help save us even a minute of time, it is appreciated more than people will ever know."
"No amount of money ever bought a second of time."
Left to right: CAPT Brian Koehr, USN (Ret), YNS1(SS) Nate Cunningham, John Koehr, and Melissa Koehr on the pier at Naval Station Norfolk during John's August 2026 visit.
Know Your Boat · New Series
Inside the Jobs That Keep SSN-796 Running
This issue kicks off a running series that takes you inside the jobs that keep a submarine at sea, in plain language, with every acronym translated. Each issue we open the hatch on two of them. First up: the Sailors who listen to the ocean, and the mechanics who keep the boat livable.
What is a rating?
A rating is a Sailor's job specialty, the trade they are trained and qualified in. It follows a Sailor from one assignment to the next. Sonar Technician, Machinist's Mate, and Electronics Technician are all ratings. When you see the short letters in front of a Sailor's name, that is the rating and paygrade.
What is a watch station?
A watch station is the position a Sailor mans during a watch, a rotating duty that keeps the boat safe and running around the clock. Once a Sailor qualifies, they may stand a watch station that is different from their rating. The watch rotation is how a crew of about 135 covers every critical job every hour of every day, underway or in port.
Rating · STS
Sonar Technician, Submarine
The ears and "eyes" of New Jersey
Sound travels a long way underwater, so sonar technicians spend their watches listening for the broadband noise that might be a contact. Despite what the movies show, a modern submarine rarely uses active sonar, the outgoing ping, because it gives away as much information as it receives.
TrackThey work with the fire control technicians to track a contact. On earlier submarines, sonar worked from a separate "sonar shack." On Virginia-class boats like New Jersey, the team sits in the control room alongside fire control.
ClassifyThe noise signature tells them what they are hearing: a biologic such as dolphins, whales, or clicking shrimp; a surface contact such as a recreational craft, merchant vessel, or warship; or perhaps another submerged submarine.
Stay quietThey also monitor the boat's own noise and tell the Officer of the Deck and the Commanding Officer about any sound that could give New Jersey away.
Fix and tuneTrained in electronics, they maintain, repair, calibrate, and adjust the sonar sensors. In port or drydock, they handle critical maintenance on underwater equipment that cannot be reached while underway.
Why it mattersThe Officer of the Deck and the Commanding Officer need a complete picture of the three-dimensional space around the boat to navigate and carry out the mission. Sonar builds that picture.
Rating · MMA
Machinist's Mate Auxiliary
Known as "A-Gang," the heart of the boat
Most of the engineering department is made up of nuclear-trained operators who run the reactor plant, propulsion, and electrical systems. The Machinist's Mates Auxiliary are the conventional mechanics who maintain most of the systems that make a submarine livable, keeping the air safe to breathe, the drinking water flowing, and the food fresh.
Watch: A-Gang in their own words, from America's Navy. Open on YouTube
Living systemsAtmosphere control equipment such as oxygen generators and carbon dioxide scrubbers, plus ventilation, refrigeration, air conditioning, and the sanitary systems. These keep the air safe to breathe, the food fresh, and the boat habitable for the whole crew.
Moving the boatHydraulics for steering, diving, and raising and lowering masts; trim and drain systems for balance and depth control; and high-pressure air for emergency surfacing.
Backup powerA large diesel engine, a vital backup to the reactor plant. Digital monitoring and automation let the "aux of the watch" move around the boat as a roving watchstander, checking on all of these systems and ready to start the diesel if the reactor shuts down or the ship needs to ventilate.
In an emergencyEvery submariner is responsible for damage control. A-Gang leads in any fire or flooding emergency.
Off watchAt sea and in port, they stay busy with preventive maintenance and repairs. It is estimated that A-Gang maintains about 80 percent of the systems on the boat.
Why it mattersA-Gang is responsible for many of the critical SUBSAFE systems, the safeguards that help ensure the submarine does not flood and can return to the surface in a flooding emergency.
Where the Crew Goes
What Is a Crew Visit?
Every submarine named for a state carries on a Navy tradition called the Namesake Program. The New Jersey Submarine Commissioning Committee built ours to grow a real relationship between USS New Jersey (SSN-796), her crew, and the state she is named for. A crew visit is one of the major elements of this program in action: a small group of Sailors travels from Naval Station Norfolk to New Jersey for a few days and spends that time in the community, not behind a fence or aboard a ship.
The idea works in both directions. Sailors come home with a real sense of the history, the people, and the culture behind the name on their hull, and New Jersey residents get a close, human look at the submarine force and the young men and women who serve in it. For most of the crew, it is their only chance to set foot in the state their boat is named for. For most of the people they meet, it is their only chance to shake a submariner's hand. None of that happens on its own. Every visit takes travel funding, lodging, and coordination with the schools, companies, and veterans' groups who host the crew, and that is where our support, and yours, comes in.
What a Crew Visit Looks Like
Youth presentations: talks and Q&A sessions at schools and JROTC programs
New Jersey historical events: stops tied to the state's own military history
Company tours: visits to New Jersey businesses connected to the Navy or the boat
Community service: hands on volunteer work alongside local organizations
Military appreciation: events honoring veterans and active duty service members
Media events: interviews and appearances that carry the boat's story further
Where the Crew Has Been
Nearly every crew visit begins the same way, with a stop aboard Battleship New Jersey (BB-62), the closest living connection to the name on the submarine's hull, now a museum on the Camden waterfront. We also try to fit in a meal at a classic "Jersey Diner" wherever we can. From there, each visit branches out into the towns below. Since October 2021, our own visit log counts more than 130 Sailors across these trips, and it keeps growing. Here's what we've done so far.
Map view unavailable right now. See the full visit log below for every stop on record.
Drag to explore, scroll or pinch to zoom, and tap a pin for that visit's details.
Interactive map. The online edition at https://submarinenj.org/newsletters/2026-q3.html has a map of every stop; tap a pin for that visit's details. Every stop is also listed in the visit log below.
Full Visit Log, October 2021 to Present
Trenton
December 2021 · May 2022 (Navy Week) · September 2025
A joint visit with Rutherford in 2021 for a Jersey diner dinner and the Army-Navy game; Navy Week 2022 brought sixteen Sailors for a recruiting ceremony, high school outreach, and community service with Special Olympics New Jersey, a Camden cleanup, Habitat for Humanity, and a Somerset Patriots game; and a 2025 visit for a State House stop and dinner with the Submarine Veterans.
Rutherford
December 2021
Nine Sailors for community outreach, a Jersey diner dinner, watching the Army-Navy game, and the Washington Crossing reenactment.
Monmouth County
October 2021
Eight Sailors for community outreach, a visit to the historic site at Sandy Hook, hurricane relief work, and outreach in Rancocas and Old Bridge.
Colts Neck
May 2022 · May 2023
Honor Day visits in consecutive years, five Sailors in 2022 and four in 2023, in the township home of Naval Weapons Station Earle.
Princeton and New Brunswick
June 2022
Nine Sailors for a visit to Johnson & Johnson, the Submarine Veterans golf outing, and SubFest, an outdoor benefit concert and family festival held at Princeton Airport in support of the boat.
Atlantic City
August 2022 · August 2023
Sixteen Sailors in 2022 for the Atlantic City Air Show, a Submarine Veterans dinner, a tour of the Air National Guard's 177th Fighter Wing, and a Phillies game; ten Sailors returned in 2023 for the Air Show again, a tour with DC Fabricators, and outreach with the Egg Harbor Township PAL and Boys and Girls Club.
New Brunswick and Newark
October 2022
Eight Sailors for a Johnson & Johnson visit, a stop at Battery Lewis and Twin Lights, a Jersey diner dinner, and JROTC and Sea Cadet outreach.
New Brunswick and Camden
November 2022
Eight Sailors for a New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs visit at Sea Girt, a Boy Scout merit badge fair, Rutgers ROTC outreach, and a stop at L3Harris.
Elizabeth
April 2023
Nine Sailors for school presentations, a proclamation from the governor, a spot on the mayor's radio show, a Devils game, a Statue of Liberty tour, a stop at Liberty Airport, JROTC outreach, and a vendor tour.
Camden
November 2023
Eight Sailors for a dedicated visit aboard Battleship New Jersey.
Piscataway (Rutgers)
November 2023
Five Sailors to watch Rutgers take on Ohio State.
Morristown
July 2024 · June 2025
Ten Sailors for a tour of Marotta Valves, a stop at Washington's Headquarters, a visit to Drew University, a meeting with the Submarine Veterans' president, and a Jersey diner dinner. Six Sailors returned in June 2025 for a shorter trip, mostly in the Morristown area, built around an L3Harris tour and the Submarine Veterans golf outing.
Want the Crew in Your Town?
If your school, company, or organization would welcome a visit from the crew of USS New Jersey (SSN-796), or if you would like to help make one happen as a host, a sponsor, or a volunteer, we would like to hear from you.
Between now and the new year, there are a few good ways for the crew's families and our supporters to gather, give back, and mark the season. Here are four worth putting on the calendar, close to home and across the country.
U.S. DoD photo
Nov to Dec 2026 · Camden, NJ
Holidays Aboard the Battleship
Our friends at the Battleship New Jersey turn the Camden waterfront into a holiday stop, with tree displays throughout the ship, Breakfast with Santa, the Army-Navy game watch party, and New Year's Eve fireworks over the Delaware. Check the calendar for this year's dates and tickets.
Communities across the country and here in New Jersey mark the day with ceremonies and parades. It is an easy, meaningful outing for the whole family, and a chance to thank the veterans in your own circle.
Eighty-five years on, the nation pauses to remember December 7, 1941. Flags fly at half-staff, and ceremonies are held at Pearl Harbor and at local memorials. A quiet moment of reflection to share with your kids about service and sacrifice.
Volunteers place remembrance wreaths on veterans' graves at Arlington and thousands of cemeteries nationwide, including many across New Jersey. Families can sponsor a wreath or lend a hand in person. Remember, Honor, Teach.
A rotating feature where submariners share the best job they ever had aboard, and why. Our anchor this issue is a reflection from Capt. Joe Lario, USN (Ret).
What is the best job in the Navy? For me, it was commanding a nuclear submarine. Rank and authority were never the reason. The reason was the people, the chance to work with the best of the best and watch them grow into outstanding leaders. When folks ask how long I have been teaching, they are surprised by the answer: every day of my life since 1963. Early on I learned that training and teaching was my hardest and most important job. A mentor, Jack Darby, once asked me, how do you expect people to learn if you do not tell them stories? Any submariner will tell you the same. Stories are how we teach, train, and develop our Sailors.
Capt. Joe Lario, USN (Ret), still telling stories
Capt. Joe Lario, USN (Ret), commanded three nuclear submarines across a 31-year Navy career and later spent 15 years at PSEG Nuclear. A Villanova and Troy State graduate with a master's degree, he has taught since 1963 and now teaches college-level electrical engineering and nuclear energy technology at Salem Vocational Technical School in Woodstown, New Jersey. He and his wife Ethel have six children, thirteen grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Joe is also an honorary plank owner of USS New Jersey, as he was a major contributor to the efforts of the commissioning committee.
Were You a Submariner?
We plan to continue this section in future issues, featuring a paragraph from past and/or current crew members of USS New Jersey. Tell us the best job you ever had aboard, and why. You might appear in a future issue.
Earlier this summer, a great friend of the USS New Jersey (SSN 796) Support Organization, CAPT Kent "Brewski" Smith, USN, was relieved as Commanding Officer of Naval Weapons Station Earle, bringing to a close a terrific tour of duty in New Jersey.
RADM Stephen D. Barnett, Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, and CAPT Kent "Brewski" Smith during the Naval Weapons Station Earle change of command ceremony.
Brewski and his team at Earle will always hold a special place in the story of USS New Jersey (SSN-796). When our namesake submarine was commissioned in September 2024, NWS Earle hosted the ceremony that officially welcomed New Jersey into the fleet. Brewski and his team coordinated all aspects of the event's hosting and were tremendous partners throughout the process. Anyone involved with the commissioning knows how much went into making that historic weekend possible, and we could not have asked for a better host.
That relationship continued well beyond commissioning weekend. Brewski became a true friend of the Support Organization and someone forever connected to New Jersey and to the special relationship between the submarine, her crew, and her namesake state.
Support Organization VP and BattleshipNJ CEO Marshall Spevak attended the change of command ceremony at Earle to represent the organization and thank Brewski for everything he did for New Jersey during his time in command.
There are certain people who become part of a ship's story even if they never served aboard her. For everything Brewski did to welcome New Jersey to the Garden State and help give her the commissioning she deserved, he is certainly one of them.
We wish Brewski and his family all the best as they move on to their next tour of duty.
Fair winds and following seas, Brewski.
The Silent Service Speaks
Jersey Humor
The Jersey Wavelength
Submarine Crossword Challenge
Twenty clues pulled from the stories you just read: the Crew's Mess, the Leading Yeoman, the ratings series, the Halifax visit, and a farewell at Earle. Ten across and ten down. Type right in the grid, or print it for the wardroom. Every answer is somewhere in this issue.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Across
State where Nate Cunningham enlisted, at Ames (4)
Nate's rating, the boat's administrative specialist (6)
Leading Yeoman Cunningham, to his shipmates (4)
What the crew is naming for the Crew's Mess wrap (5)
Jersey Shore walkway in the Crew's Mess concept art (9)
John ___, our member the duty driver picked up in Norfolk this August (5)
Marshall ___, Support Organization VP at the Earle change of command (6)
Call sign of CAPT Kent Smith, the outgoing CO at Earle (7)
ETVC(SS) Thomas ___, Assistant Navigator who leads the FRG newsletter (6)
___ Harbor Remembrance Day, marked December 7 (5)
Down
Rotating duty; a Sailor's ___ station can differ from the rating (5)
Crew's ___, where the crew eats, meets, trains, and unwinds (4)
Nova Scotia port the boat visited in August (7)
What Nate does at the beach whenever he can (4)
Naval Station the crew calls home (7)
The ears of the boat; its technicians listen for broadband noise (5)
Last issue we said the answers would be here. Across: 1 Bushnell · 3 Flag · 6 Torpedo · 8 Periscope · 9 Navy · 10 Ballast · 13 Underway · 15 Monmouth · 16 Keel · 17 Tender.
The USS New Jersey (SSN 796) Support Organization sends a free newsletter on the boat, her crew, and ways to help. Sign up to get the next issue, and feel free to forward this one to anyone who would want to follow along.
