Naval Reactors Hosts Premier Showing of Nuclear Navy Documentary

Photo By Daniel Seymour | Adm. Frank Caldwell, Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, addresses the sold-out audience at the Colonial Theater in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Nov. 30. Naval Reactors, with support from the State Historic Preservation Office and the City of Idaho Falls, hosted the premier showing of Idaho Public Television’s Idaho Experience: Idaho’s Nuclear Navy for approximately 1,000 community members.  

UNITED STATES

12.01.2023

Story by Kellie Randall 

U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – Naval Reactors, with support from the State Historic Preservation Office and the City of Idaho Falls, hosted the premier showing of Idaho Public Television’s Idaho Experience: Idaho’s Nuclear Navy Nov. 30 at the Colonial Theater.

An estimated 1,000 people attended the sold-out documentary premier, including the Mayor of Idaho Falls, Congressional staff members, elected officials from the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, former Idaho governor Dirk Kempthorne, and several Idaho state legislators. The public event was kicked off with an invocation by the Honorable Lee Juan Tyler, Chairman, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Fort Hall Business Council, and included remarks from Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper, Idaho State Historic Preservation Officer Janet Gallimore, and Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program Director Adm. Frank Caldwell. Idaho Public Television General Manager Jeff Tucker introduced the documentary.

“The impact of the state of Idaho and community of Idaho Falls on our nuclear Navy and our national security was and continues to be enormous,” said Caldwell. “The science and technological advancements that came from these three prototypes paved the way for our very first nuclear-powered submarine, surface ship and aircraft carrier.”

The documentary highlights the history of the U.S. Navy’s first naval nuclear propulsion plant prototypes that were located at the Naval Reactors Facility on the Idaho National Laboratory. The engineering efforts for, operation of, and training within NRF’s three prototypes supported the mission of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program to provide militarily effective nuclear propulsion plants and ensure their safe, reliable, and long-lived operation. In total, nearly 40,000 nuclear operators were trained at NRF from 1953 to 1995.

Idaho Experience: Idaho’s Nuclear Navy was developed as part of a programmatic agreement between Naval Reactors, the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office and Idaho Public Television to document and preserve the prototype history in the form of a documentary that will air on Idaho Public Television Dec. 3. For more information on how to view the documentary, please visit idahoptv.org.

The Naval Reactors Facility is under the cognizance of Naval Reactors, a joint U.S. Navy and U.S. Department of Energy organization. Naval Reactors is responsible for all aspects of the U.S. Navy’s nuclear propulsion, including research, design, construction, testing, operation, maintenance, and ultimate disposition of naval nuclear propulsion plants.

Over the last 75 years, Naval Reactors has operated 273 reactor plants, taken 562 reactor cores critical including 33 different designs, and steamed more than 171 million miles with over 7,500 reactor years of safe operations. The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program and the Navy’s nuclear-powered warships have demonstrated clear superiority in defending the United States – from the Cold War to today’s unconventional threats and strategic competition – Naval Reactors ensures the American Sailor and the nuclear-fleet are ready to fight and win the nation’s wars.

• Date Taken: 12.01.2023
• Date Posted: 12.01.2023 06:38
• Story ID: 458862
• Location: US