Photo By Lt. Zachary Anderson | 250725-N-EN156-1061 KEYPORT, Wash. (July 25, 2025) — Cmdr. Kyle Jones delivers...... read more read more
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KEYPORT, Wash. (July 25, 2025) — The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Helena (SSN 725) crew held a decommissioning ceremony at the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport, Washington, July 25, 2025.
The ceremony memorialized Helena and the many crew members who served aboard the submarine over the course of its 38-year lifespan. Twenty-five plank owners — Sailors assigned to the submarine during its commissioning — were in attendance.
“The name ‘Helena’ has always been synonymous with valor, resilience, and unwavering commitment to the defense of American ideals,” said Cmdr. Kyle Jones, Helena’s final commanding officer. “Our submarine is the fourth Navy ship to bear this distinguished name, and each has played a pivotal role in shaping our collective history as Americans and securing our freedoms.”
Addressing the crowd, Jones described the legacy of the submarine’s fellow namesake warships — a light gunboat that saw action in the Spanish-American War, a Brooklyn-class light cruiser that withstood the attack on Pearl Harbor, and a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser that supported American forces ashore at Incheon during the Korean War.
“Then came our Helena... taking up the mantle of this proud lineage,” said Jones. “For nearly forty years she has operated in the silent, unseen depths — a critical spearhead in our nation’s defense. She embodies the very essence of American power projection and deterrence in the 21st century.”
Los Angeles-class SSNs have been the backbone of the submarine force for the last 40 years. They are designed to seek and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships; project power ashore with Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) and special operations forces; carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions; support carrier strike group operations; and engage in mine warfare.
Retired Rear Adm. William G. Timme, Helena’s fifth commanding officer, shared stories of Helena’s legacy upon taking the podium.
“Being underway on a submarine is a sacrifice that is difficult to describe.
“Tell someone you haven’t seen the sun in three months and the first response [likely] is, ‘Wow, I hate Seattle weather too,’” joked Timme.
“The ship may be steel, but the legacy is human,” the former commander said. “There is uncommon grit, pride, and a profound sense of duty forged in every watch, every dive, and every deployment.”
Helena was commissioned July 11, 1987, in Groton, Connecticut. It’s the 37th Los Angeles-class SSN and the fourth United States ship to bear the name Helena, paying homage to the capital city of Montana.
Helena carried a full arsenal of submarine-launched weapons and was one of the first submarines designed and equipped with vertical launch missile tubes, providing significant land-attack capability for the submarine force.
After commissioning, Helena conducted an interfleet transfer to U.S. Pacific Fleet, arriving in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in September 1988. Two years later, Helena participated in Exercise Rim of the Pacific, during which the crew executed an operational test of the TLAM.
In 1993, Helena was the first submarine to directly support an amphibious ready group’s deployment certification, preparing for a subsequent deployment to the Arabian Gulf.
Following a change of homeport to Point Loma, California, Helena regularly deployed and supported operations in the Western Pacific, notably participating in Ice Exercise 2009, sailing north to the Arctic Ocean.
Helena’s last homeport shift commenced in 2024, setting sail for Bremerton, Washington. During the shift, Helena anchored in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for a routine port visit.
Throughout the course of Helena’s service life, the boat was awarded five Meritorious Unit Commendations, multiple Secretary of the Navy Letters of Commendation for outstanding deployment performance, and two Battle Efficiency “E” Awards.
Helena’s emblem calls back to the three other vessels that bore the same name, with three corresponding stars. The focal point of the emblem is the city of Helena’s fire tower, the “Guardian of the Gulch,” signifying Helena’s role watching over the country.
| Date Taken: | 07.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.25.2025 19:32 |
| Story ID: | 543914 |
| Location: | SILVERDALE, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 1,062 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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