A Columbus native is serving his country on one of the world’s most advanced submarines.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Brandon Morrow is stationed aboard the USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN 730), a submarine home-ported in Bangor, Washington. Morrow is a machinist’s mate. In short, he helps operate and maintain the systems that propel the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine.
The Navy’s ballistic missile submarines, often referred to as “boomers,” serve as an undetectable launch platform for intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to Jesse Dick, who works in the Navy community outreach office.
“Boomers” are designed for stealth, extended patrols and the precise delivery of missiles if directed by the President. On average, the submarines spend 77 days at sea followed by 35 days in-port for maintenance, according to Dick.
The submarines are 560 feet long, can travel over 30 mph and are staffed by 15 officers and 140 enlisted men, according to Navy.com. In addition to the missiles they carry, they also carry MK-48 torpedoes.
The USS Henry M. Jackson has been active for three decades.
It is the only Ohio-class submarine not named after a U.S. state, according to the Navy. It was originally to have been named the USS Rhode Island, but when U.S. Senator Henry M. Jackson of Washington died in 1983, it was renamed after him, according to the Navy.
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