The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia (SSGN 729) returned to her homeport of Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, on July 27, 2026, for the final time, beginning the inactivation process that will make her the first Ohio-class guided-missile submarine to leave the fleet.
The Georgia was commissioned on Feb. 11, 1984, as an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine designed for Cold War nuclear deterrence. She was later redesignated as a guided-missile submarine on March 1, 2004, swapping nuclear missiles for a conventional arsenal of up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles and dedicated lockout chambers to support special operations forces such as Navy SEALs.
Senior Chief Machinist’s Mate Auxiliary John Edwards made the final surfacing announcement aboard the submarine as she returned to port. Edwards, who spent nearly seven years aboard the boat and more than half of his Navy career on her, described the moment’s emotional weight.
“There were tears in the room; just the thought of this being the last time ever that this would happen,” Edwards said.
Following the final return, the Georgia’s ballast tanks will remain dry and she will not dive again.
Lt. Cmdr. Dennis Mauldwin, the ship’s engineer officer, was responsible for bringing the submarine up from the deep for the final time. His 13-year-old daughter was aboard for a Tiger Cruise, a program allowing family members to sail with their Navy sponsors, giving her the chance to see her father perform his job.
“Here’s my daughter on board the submarine while I’m standing watch and giving orders, but she’s right there when I turn and look at her. That’s going to be something that she and I share forever,” Mauldwin said.
The submarine routinely carries about 175 to 185 sailors, a number that increases when special operations forces come aboard. Culinary Specialist (Submarine) 1st Class Aaron Sarver said a planned 120-day food loadout often had to be stretched to support a 180-day requirement when additional personnel boarded.
As the Georgia moves into her decommissioning phase, the Navy’s dual-crew model of Blue and Gold crews is being combined into a single crew. Those in charge of the decommissioning efforts are creating a road map for the inactivation processes of the Ohio-class guided-missile submarines that follow.
Sources: DVIDS News · DVIDS News