Sandpoint welcomes USS Idaho commanding officer

By Reader Staff

Three years after its official keel-laying ceremony at the shipyard in Quonset Point, R.I., the USS Idaho (SSN-799) is still under construction but will soon by plying the waves. In the meantime, Sandpoint will welcome Commanding Officer Randall Leslie with a reception Monday, Sept. 18 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Sandpoint Community Hall (204 South First Ave.).

The USS Idaho is the 26th ship of the Virginia class of advanced nuclear attack submarines, and the fifth Navy ship to be named after the Gem State — the most recent being the New Mexico class battleship commissioned in 1919, which saw service in World War II and played a critical role in the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Commander Randall Leslie will take charge of the USS Idaho submarine and will appear in Sandpoint 6:30-8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 18. Photo Courtesy US Navy.

Hosted by the Rotary Club of Sandpoint and the USS Idaho Commissioning Foundation, the Sept. 18 event will include five crew members as well as former-Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, who also served as a U.S. senator and Interior secretary under former-President George W. Bush. Kempthorne is also the chair of the commissioning committee.

To learn more, visit SSN799.org.