Photo By Chief Petty Officer Joshua Karsten | 250307-N-GR655-1028 GROTON, Connecticut (March 7, 2025) – The official party salutes...... read more read more
Subscribe
Groton, Connecticut – Cmdr. Randall Leslie, commanding officer of the pre-commissioning unit (PCU) Idaho (SSN 799), turned command over to Cmdr. Chad Guillerault in a traditional change of command ceremony held Friday, March 7, at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.
Capt. Jason Grizzle, commander of Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) 4, presided over the ceremony and praised Leslie and crew for “getting Idaho into the fight."
“Cmdr. Leslie led his crew through multiple construction milestones and it's his diligence which kept this build on track,” Grizzle said. “I am excited for Cmdr. Guillerault to continue this push and get Idaho out to sea."
“Cmdr. Guillerault, you have received a fine warship and a tough crew," Grizzle added. "Welcome to the team.”
The future Virginia-class fast attack submarine USS Idaho is under construction at General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard in Groton. Its crew is known as a pre-commissioning unit (PCU) until the submarine is commissioned as an operational ship.
Leslie, a Highland, California native and 2004 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy praised his crew for “completing numerous milestones in the construction of a submarine."
“The opportunity to lead the Idaho crew has been the highlight of my career,” Leslie said. “It is your diligence, intelligence, and professionalism that will complete this ship and get her out to sea where she belongs."
Leslie took command of Idaho in December 2022 and led the crew on visits to the submarine’s namesake state on multiple occasions, working with the civilian commissioning committee to build strong bonds with the Idaho community. Following his command tour, Leslie will transition to a position at Pacific Fleet Command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. His previous submarine tours include USS Buffalo (SSN 715), USS Asheville (SSN 758), and USS Kentucky (SSBN 737).
“Chad, I trust this crew is in good hands as you start sea trials and get to do all the things any CO would be jealous to do,” Leslie added. “But you are the right commander to lead Idaho into her next chapter – I wish you all the best.”
Guillerault, a Biddeford, Maine native and 2007 graduate of SUNY Maritime College, spoke briefly during the event thanking his predecessor, saying “I find myself following in the footsteps of a great leader.”
“To the crew of Idaho, thank you for trusting me to lead you through this upcoming journey,” Guillerault said. “I promise to lead boldly and with focus, and I will rely on your professionalism and pride to win the day.”
Guillerault comes to the Idaho from the Undersea Warfighting Development Center’s Tactical Development Group and his previous submarine tours include USS Nebraska (SSBN 739), USS Virginia (SSN 774), and USS Ohio (SSGN 726).
The future USS Idaho, the fifth U.S. Navy ship to be named for the Gem State, is scheduled to be the 26th Virginia-class submarine to join the fleet and eighth in the Block IV of the class. The Block IV submarines are notable for incorporating smaller-scale design changes that increase the number of deployments a sub can complete for each period of regular shipyard maintenance. The last ship to carry the name was a New Mexico-class battleship that served during World War II. Idaho will be homeported in Groton and operate under SUBRON 4.
Fast-attack submarines are multi-mission platforms enabling five of the six Navy maritime strategy core capabilities – sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security and deterrence. They are designed to excel in anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare and mine warfare. Fast-attack submarines project power ashore with special operations forces and Tomahawk cruise missiles in the prevention or response to regional crises.
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.07.2025 12:22 |
| Story ID: | 492261 |
| Location: | GROTON, CONNECTICUT, US |
| Hometown: | BIDDEFORD, MAINE, US |
| Hometown: | HIGHLAND, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,167 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Future USS Idaho (SSN 799) holds change of command ceremony, by CPO Joshua Karsten, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
