Vision Statement

Bring together the people of the great State of Idaho and the Officers and Crew of the USS IDAHO to celebrate in exemplary fashion the extraordinary honor of having a ship of the line named for the state. Create a bond between the people of Idaho and the sailors of the submarine that will last throughout the life of the ship and beyond. Recognize with great honor, the men and women that have served and will serve throughout the history of the land we now call Idaho.

Esto Perpetua

Mission Statements

Serve as the State’s agent for the planning, preparation, funding and conduct of traditional and celebratory lay down, christening and commissioning activities under the guidelines of the Secretary of the Navy.

Plan and conduct a statewide outreach of social, informative and educational activities to create the bond between the people of Idaho and those who serve in defense of our great state and nation on the USS IDAHO.

Identify and implement a sustainable program so that the crews of the USS IDAHO, from the first crew to all future crews, see tangible ongoing support from the people of Idaho to the crew and families.

We are responsible for any habitability improvements aboard the submarine to make the long and isolated missions more comfortable, better quality of life and to improve the aesthetics. All to reflect IDAHO's beauty, spirit and culture for the crew and all visitors that may tour the submarine over its life.

We also have specific roles and responsibilities related to the boat's christening and of course the commissioning into the fleet - the highlight of any Navy warship's life.  We expect to host several events during the week of commissioning ranging from 150 to 1,500 participants, depending on the event.

One of our priorities is to fund, through the existing Dolphin Scholarship Foundation, some educational assistance scholarships for the sailors or their dependents in order to demonstrate our gratitude and tangible support of their sacrifice.

With our small and widespread population, we may not have the fundraising advantage compared with commissioning committees in other states with large populations. But this is Idaho, where great things happen. We're being creative and preparing a broad campaign in each of Idaho’s regions. We have a budget and fundraising target of more than $500,000 by the time the USS IDAHO is commissioned.

Thank you again for your interest in the USS IDAHO Commissioning Foundation, the Commissioning Committee and our work. I hope you will feel free to share this website with others who may be interested in helping us ensure that crews of the USS IDAHO, now and in the future, know that we are with them as they represent Idaho’s courage, values, history and culture in defense of our nation. And please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.