Crew Update

MMN2(SS) Gracie Machin, Captain Heath Johnmeyer, CCSCM(SS) Mark Shipley, EMN1(SS) James Nirva, and EMN1(SS) John Foy stop by the USS District of Columbia Commissioning Committee’s display during the Naval Submarine League Annual Symposium & Industry Update 13 -14 November.

Captain Heath Johnmeyer presents ITN1(SS) Mikel R. Treece with a Commander, Submarine Group TEN Citation recognizing him as the Sailor of the Quarter for the Fourth Quarter 2024 for his outstanding performance of duty while serving as the Information Warfare Leading Petty Officer onboard PCU District of Columbia (SSBN-826).

Captain Heath Johnmeyer presents PCU District of Columbia (SSBN-826) Sailor of the Year to  EMN1(SS) James Nirva with a Commander, Submarine Group TEN Citation recognizing him as the Sailor of the Quarter for the Third Quarter 2024 for his outstanding performance of duty while serving as Engineering Department Training Assistant.

PCU District of Columbia (SSBN-826) Chief's Quarters after Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Pinning this year. Each year the United States Navy selects the best and brightest First Class Petty Officers for advancement to Chief Petty Officer. The CPO pinning ceremony is public recognition of the most significant career milestone for our Navy’s enlisted ranks.

MMNC Bolin and EMNC Smith grilling on 826 Day (August 26 in honor of PCU District of Columbia’s hull number, SSBN-826).

Rear Admiral Robert E. Wirth, Commander, Submarine Group TEN, presents EMN1(SS) John W. Foy with a Commander, Submarine Group TEN Citation recognizing him as the Sailor of the Quarter for the Second Quarter 2024 for his outstanding performance of duty while serving as the Electrical Division Leading Petty Officer onboard PCU District of Columbia (SSBN-826). Former Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Zumwalt, established the Sailor of the Quarter/Sailor of the Year program in 1972 as a way to recognize "...individuals at each command who symbolize the pride and professionalism inherent in the outstanding performance of many Navy Enlisted Personnel."

Rear Admiral Robert E. Wirth, Commander, Submarine Group TEN, presents MMN2(SS) Gracie J. Machin with a Commander, Submarine Group TEN Citation recognizing her as the PCU District of Columbia (SSBN-826) Junior Sailor of the Quarter for the Second Quarter 2024 as a result of her outstanding performance as the Reactor Laboratories Division Leading Petty Officer.

PCU District of Columbia (SSBN-826) Chiefs and Officers visit the World War II  Memorial in Groton, CT.

EMN2 Bonk, ITNC(SS) Barnes, MMN2 Braun, MMN2 Hoyt stopped by former Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Honea's office during their DC visit. Master Chief Honea served as the Navy's 16th MCPON serves as the senior enlisted advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), responsible for acting as the primary spokesperson for enlisted Sailors on matters of quality of life, training, and welfare, advising on policy, representing the Navy at events, and advocating for the enlisted force to senior leadership and Congress, promoting Navy values and ensuring effective communication from the deckplate to the Pentagon. 

While attending the 2024 Joint Women's Leadership Symposium, Chief Barnes, along with Petty Officers Hoyt, Braun, and Bonk, stopped by the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes, a room dedicated to honor Service Members awarded the Medal of Honor for exceptional acts of valor. Opened in 1968, the Hall holds the name of the 3,500+ men and one woman who’ve received the Medal of Honor since the Civil War. The SSBN-826 Sailors are standing in front of replicas of the Army, Navy, and Air Force’s version of the Medal of Honor.

PCU District of Columbia's (SSBN-826) MMN2 Braun, EMN2 Bonk, MMN2 Hoyt, and ITNC(SS) Barnes meet former 33rd Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, during the 2024 Joint Women's Leadership Symposium (JWLS) 25-28 June. JWLS provides an opportunity for service members to meet like-minded people, share practices on leadership, and find mentors.

EMN2 Bonk, MMN2 Braun, MMN2 Hoyt and ITNC Barnes represented SSBN-826 at the 2024 Joint Women's Leadership Symposium 25-28 June.