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Iowa's former first lady Vilsack cracks the champagne on the new USS Iowa

River to River, hosted by Ben Kieffer

The USS Iowa, a nuclear attack submarine, is the first of its kind that includes accommodations built for women. Its christening took place in Connecticut on June 17.

Larger than a football field, measuring in at 377 feet and more than 7,000 tons, the U.S. Navy's newest nuclear attack submarine is named after the state of Iowa.

River to River host Ben Kieffer talks with three of the crew members of the USS Iowa which is anticipated to be commissioned in the spring of 2024 to begin an expected three decades of service.

They also listen to excerpts from the christening ceremony including the sub's sponsor Christie Vilsack, president of the boat's manufacturer Kevin Graney, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, and Congressman Zach Nunn of Iowa's 3rd Congressional District.

Guests:

  • Lt. Commander Kevin O’Malley, executive officer, USS Iowa
  • Master Chief Dexter Buckley, Chief of Boat, USS Iowa
  • Master Chief Joseph Johns, Webster City native and Supply Leading Chief Petty Officer, USS Iowa

This episode was originally produced 6-20-23.

Ben Kieffer is the host of IPR's River to River
Samantha McIntosh is a talk show producer at Iowa Public Radio. Prior to IPR, Samantha worked as a reporter for radio stations in southeast and west central Iowa under M&H Broadcasting, and before that she was a weekend music host for GO 96.3 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.