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    "result": {"data":{"contentfulNewsPost":{"title":"USS Idaho officially entered into service following commissioning ceremony in Connecticut","slug":"uss-idaho-officially-entered-into-service-following-commissioning-ceremony-in-connecticut","updatedAt":"Monday May 4th, 2026","childContentfulNewsPostPostExcerptTextNode":{"postExcerpt":"5b Gazette 4/29/26 - The crew of the newly commissioned Virginia-class submarine USS Idaho (aptly nicknamed \"The Silent Spud\") could be underwater for days at a time, in places the public might not know about. As they cruise the world, those crews and their guests will have picturesque scenes of the slopes at Sun Valley, fly fishing in Hulen Meadows at sunset or the Sawtooth Mountains. "},"childContentfulNewsPostPostContentRichTextNode":{"json":{"nodeType":"document","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"By ","marks":[],"data":{}},{"nodeType":"hyperlink","data":{"uri":"https://www.5bgazette.com/users/profile/rgiorgi"},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"Raiza Giorgi, Managing Editor","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"text","value":" ","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"The crew of the newly commissioned Virginia-class submarine USS Idaho (aptly nicknamed \"The Silent Spud\") could be underwater for days at a time, in places the public might not know about. As they cruise the world, those crews and their guests will have picturesque scenes of the slopes at Sun Valley, fly fishing in Hulen Meadows at sunset or the Sawtooth Mountains. ","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"\"What an honor to attend the USS Idaho commissioning ceremony in Groton!\" wrote Karl Uri, executive director of the Sun Valley Culinary Institute, in a Facebook post. \"The Sun Valley Culinary Institute was recognized multiple times for our role in training the talented cooks on board. Yesterday, we had the privilege of touring the state-of-the-art submarine.\"","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"Blaine County Sheriff Morgan Ballis and four of his deputies also traveled to the commissioning with the Blaine County Sheriff's Office SSN799 Gem of the Fleet patrol vehicle. Funds were raised privately and donated to the BCSO so they could ship the vehicle and several deputies to attend the ceremony. ","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"\"It was amazing to see Blaine County featured on the world's stage and being on board and seeing the incredibly challenging living conditions the sailors have is truly a sacrifice on their part,\" Ballis said. ","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"Ballis spoke about the tour he and four of the BCSO deputies got to experience. The department chose three deputies who are also veterans as a way to honor their service. Deputy Christian Crusberg (U.S. Marine Corps); Sgt. Allen Compton (U.S. Army); Sgt. John Nelson (U.S. Army) were given the opportunity to travel to the commissioning. Cpt. Mike Abaid also traveled as he was instrumental in getting the BCSO vehicle wrapping logistics done, Ballis said.","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"Ballis is also a U.S. Marine veteran and said one of the highlights for him was meeting Gen. James Amos, 35th Commandant of the USMC. Ballis and Crusberg both served during his tenure 2010-2014. ","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"\"We got a private tour of several of the areas in the submarine and it was incredible to see that every space is named for an Idaho location,\" Ballis said.","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"He added the artwork and decor is all Idaho and one of the ship's chiefs said it was hard to articulate the amount of detail in the ship is unlike any other. They also got to tell the crew about some of the locations pictured, such as seeing moose at Silver Creek. ","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"Photos from the Sun Valley Lodge, which was converted to a convalescent home for soldiers during WWII, are posted in various places with plaques of informational text, and several spaces have been named for Sun Valley. There is even a space for \"ski storage\" in the back wall of the medical bay.","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"\"What the commissioning committee accomplished is incredible, and set a precedent for any other ship moving forward. The USS Arizona is next on the list and they've already been in contact in having some of their law enforcement vehicles wrapped like ours, as it was the first time it had been done,\" Ballis said. ","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"The USS IDAHO submarine, which will use an innovative technology of \"Magnetohydrodynamic drive,\" a state-of-the-art new technology which allows the craft to move completely silently. This Virginia-class nuclear-powered sub is designed to operate in both deep and shallow waters, according to the Navy. ","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"The commissioning ceremony featured speakers such as Idaho Gov. Brad Little, who recognized former Gov. Dirk Kempthorne (who also served as Secretary of the Interior) as the reason behind securing Idaho's name for the submarine. Kempthorne passed the day before the commissioning, at the age of 74 after a battle with cancer. ","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"embedded-asset-block","data":{"target":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"c3y19xtrybxm5","contentful_id":"3y19xtrybxm5"}},"id":"c2JYjykMXKg4BR0hk88r9XR","type":"Asset","createdAt":"2026-05-04T15:32:48.018Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-04T15:32:48.018Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment","contentful_id":"master"}},"publishedVersion":7,"revision":1,"contentful_id":"2JYjykMXKg4BR0hk88r9XR"},"fields":{"title":{"en-US":"Idaho Governor Brad Little with USS IDAHO SSN 799"},"description":{"en-US":"Idaho Governor Brad Little with USS IDAHO SSN 799"},"file":{"en-US":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/3y19xtrybxm5/2JYjykMXKg4BR0hk88r9XR/f9e72b2ac62ee8f3319b92d85b1f84e1/Gov_Little_Commissioning.webp","details":{"size":198568,"image":{"width":1662,"height":1247}},"fileName":"Gov Little Commissioning.webp","contentType":"image/webp"}}}}},"content":[]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"\"Most Americans fail to realize Idaho's connection to the Navy.. today's modern nuclear navy, the envy of the world, was conceived and advanced in Idaho. The stealth capabilities have been honed in Idaho,\" Little said. \"A remarkable vessel entrusted with an important mission. It's the men and women aboard her, that will truly give her purpose.\" ","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"He added in Idaho hard work isn't just expected, but a way of life, and the sailors will carry their values wherever the submarine travels. ","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"\"We understand freedom is not guaranteed, but defended everyday by people like you. To have a Navy submarine to bear our name is an honor and symbol of trust,\" Little said. ","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"U.S. Rep. Michael Simpson, R-Idaho, told a story of growing up in Blackfoot and seeing men in Navy uniforms as a child and thinking they got lost and couldn't find the ocean. He also said he was sad Kempthorne couldn't make the ceremony and wished the crew safe voyages. ","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"\"The work in Idaho developed the technology that powers maritime dominance for our navy - it is what gives the U.S. Navy its asymmetric advantage,\" said Adm. William Houston, Director of Naval Reactors.","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"The Honorable Hung Cao, Acting Secretary of the Navy, remarked the importance of the new submarine, part of President Donald Trump's goal to achieve \"peace through strength.\" ","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"\"President Trump’s commission to our military is simple: to achieve Peace Through Strength. The USS Idaho joins the fleet ready to answer the call to action, in any ocean, at any time,\" Cao said. \" Our commerce depends on safe and secure sea lanes of communication.\"","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"The ship’s sponsor, Mrs. Teresa Stackley, gave the traditional order to “man our ship and bring her to life,” at which point the crew ceremonially ran aboard to man the submarine.","marks":[],"data":{}}]},{"nodeType":"paragraph","data":{},"content":[{"nodeType":"text","value":"Stackley previously christened on March 16, 2024, at the Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, with a specialized champagne style bottle, filled with water from several bodies in Idaho, including Redfish Lake. ","marks":[],"data":{}}]}]}},"image":{"file":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/3y19xtrybxm5/2yzjuENE826Pf4rtDgb1FF/51ec6d2f613d3203f38499d8016c12df/Blaine_Co_Sheriff_Officers.jpg"},"title":"Blaine County Sheriff ","description":"Blaine County Sheriff Morgan Ballis with four deputies got to travel to Groton, Conn., to be a part of the USS Idaho Commissioning ceremony on Saturday, April 25. 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