BANGOR, Wa. - Horace “Hank" Lund, a technical training senior specialist at L3 Harris Interstate Electronics Corporation (IEC), was awarded a unique 60-year Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) program pin at Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific (SWFPAC)’s celebration of Strategic Systems Programs 70th anniversary on July 16, 2025.
The award, which was presented by the Director of SSP Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe Jr., was established in 1968 and recognizes military, civilian and industry personnel who have faithfully served the FBM program. FBM pins are provided for each decade of creditable service and industry work in direct support of the program. Only a handful of 60-year pins have been granted since the inception of the program, and it is seen as the pinnacle of service and dedication to the sea-based strategic deterrent mission.
SWFPAC—SSP’s naval shore facility in the Pacific region—assembles and deploys Trident II D5 missiles aboard fleet ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) while safeguarding the nation’s strategic assets. SWFPAC’s strategic deterrence mission is a vital lynchpin to the nation’s Warfighting Navy in the Pacific—a region that is critical to defending against strategic competitors and adversaries and supporting U.S. strategy.
Lund, who has devoted more than 60 years to SSP’s mission, has directly contributed to the continued reliability and success of the program. His work in support of SSP encompasses a critical element of the sea-based strategic deterrent mission: providing direct support to the nation’s SSBN fleet and training the next generation of warfighters to safely operate and maintain the strategic weapons systems (SWS).
“Hank’s contributions are woven into the fabric of the program’s history,” said Cmdr. James Barclay, executive officer of SWFPAC.
Mechanically inclined from childhood, Lund spent summers on his grandfather’s farm lending a hand with equipment maintenance and operation. At the same time that Lund was learning the basics of mechanics, SSP, the Navy command that provides cradle-to-grave lifecycle support for the sea-based leg of the nation’s nuclear triad, was established in 1955 when President Dwight Eisenhower directed Secretary of the Navy Charles Thomas to establish the Special Projects Office - later to become SSP - to design, develop, and test the first-ever fleet ballistic missile. Five years later, the first successful underwater launch of a Polaris A1 missile from a submarine was conducted by USS George Washington (SSBN-598), ushering in the beginning of the Polaris SWS as the preeminent system for the nation’s defense.
In 1962, following mentorship from an electronics technician (ET) in the U.S. Navy Reserves while attending the University of Nevada in Reno, Lund enlisted in the U.S. Navy and attended the Navy “A” School for Electronics Technicians in Treasure Island, California. While there, he volunteered for the Polaris Support program and transferred to the Guided Missile School at Dam Neck, Virginia. That was less than three years on from the historic milestone of the first successful Polaris underwater launch. Lund was eager to learn everything he could about the program.
While on active duty with the Navy, Lund supported the FBM program through three submarine tender tours, serving on USS Simon Lake (AS-33) and USS Proteus (AS-19). He also served at Cape Canaveral, Florida with Operational Test Support Unit Two and Naval Ordnance Test Unit supporting range operations and flight tests.
Lund recalls his time supporting Operational Test Support Unit Two as the most memorable and impactful time of his career. “I transitioned from supporting submarine navigation systems to a broader feel for the entire weapons system,” said Lund.
One of the major roles that Lund served during his tour there was as part of the flight test team.
“In my time at Operational Test Support Unit Two, we completed all test launches for the Poseidon weapon system and participated in the early submarine launches of the Trident I C4 system,” said Lund.
The Trident I C4 missiles had a much greater range than the Poseidon missiles, off-setting increasing strides in Soviet antisubmarine capabilities in the 1980s. Lund’s presence throughout the transition from the Poseidon C3 SWS to the Trident C4 SWS provided him the experience and knowledge that would benefit him throughout the rest of his career as he made the transition to civilian life.
Following 23 years of active-duty service with the Navy, Hank joined IEC in November 1985, where he spent his first 12 years supporting range operations for SSBN flight tests out of California and Florida.
“My transition to the civilian side was pretty easy,” said Lund. “I was acquainted with many of the other people with whom I would be interacting – I think the surprise was how easy it was.”
Lund’s transition to a role with an industry partner allowed for a continuity of knowledge and technical expertise that was crucial to the success of the program. The other thing that enabled Lund’s continued support of the program was putting down roots with his family in Silverdale, Washington, where the Trident Refit Facility (TRF) and SWFPAC are located.
“My family moved to Silverdale in 1993 to support engineering overhauls [for the SSBNs] and was totally awed by the Pacific Northwest,” said Lund.
The natural beauty of the area is a draw for many who venture out to the Kitsap area, and for the Lund family, it proved to be worth building a life around.
“This is the longest I’ve been anywhere in my life,” said Lund.
Today, Lund continues to support TRF, which repairs, overhauls, and modernizes Pacific Fleet SSBNs during refits. He also supports the broader program by providing fleet training on the Data Recording System (DRS), a key tool in evaluating the readiness of the SWS. Lund’s hand-on experience over several decades has cemented him as the foremost expert on the system. The DRS supports data collection when SSBNs conduct Weapons System Readiness Tests.
“In doing this, Navy analysts are able to measure the integrity of the systems performance, allowing the Navy to maintain each individual subsystem as a high state of operational readiness,” said Lund
The ability to operate the DRS requires a high level of system expertise, and no one is better versed in training the next generation of SSBN missile technicians than Lund.
“Hank is responsible for training nearly every sailor that graduated from the DRS operator course over the past few decades,” said Barclay during the awards ceremony.
As his time with the program comes to an end and he readies himself for a well-deserved retirement, Lund hopes his decades of mentorship and instruction continue to benefit today’s warfighter. Interfacing with the young Sailors is something that he said he will miss, but he wryly acknowledged that “60-plus years is enough.”
When Lund received his award, he reflected on the choices, opportunities, lucky breaks, and steadfast determination that brought him to where he is today. Asked what advice he would give to Sailors, civilians, and industry partners who want to have a career as long as his, Lund said, “If you enjoy it, stick with it.”
In addition to Lund, a 50-year award and a 40-year award were presented to Leroy Smith, retired Electric Boat supervisor for the Electric Boat and Puget Sound support team, and Dale Borer, missile and guidance branch supervisor at SWFPAC, respectively.
The importance of the workforce was front and center throughout the day’s event, with leaders from SWFPAC and SSP emphasizing the value of people at every level of the program, from the newest employee to the most senior.
Over the last 70 years, every accomplishment, technical innovation, and stride made in service to the nation’s defense have been a result of the people working day-in and day-out to put the premier weapons systems in the hands of the warfighter, Wolfe emphasized in his remarks. He also thanked Lund, his fellow award recipients, and all of the SWFPAC team members - military, civilian, or industry - for their role in making history.
“Your support is more than appreciated—it is essential,” said Wolfe. “Thank you for your dedication, your skill, and your unwavering commitment to the deterrence mission.”
The 70th anniversary ceremony and FBM award presentation is one of several events leading up to SSP’s anniversary on Nov. 17, intended to highlight the vast network of people and expertise required to ensure SSP’s no-fail mission. Since SSP was stood up in 1955, it has retained the cradle-to-grave responsibility for the submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) strategic weapon system. Today, that system is the Trident II D5LE deployed on Ohio-class SSBNs for strategic patrol, supporting the U.S. Navy’s role in maintaining peace through strength. SSP is also modernizing the Navy’s SWS for the future Columbia-class SSBNs and is pioneering advanced regional strike capabilities with nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N) and the non-nuclear conventional prompt strike (CPS) programs to enhance our nation’s maritime dominance.
This year’s celebration coincides with the 250th birthday of the U.S. Navy on Oct. 13. For 250 years, America’s Navy has promoted prosperity and security, deterred aggression, and protected the American way of life.
| Date Taken: | 07.16.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.31.2025 07:26 |
| Story ID: | 544357 |
| Location: | BANGOR, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 21 |
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