Tony Needham

USS Nimitz

U.S. Navy

The USS Nimitz is a supercarrier in the United States Navy and is one of the largest warships in the world. It was commissioned in 1975 and named after World War II Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. The Nimitz is capable of carrying over 80 aircraft and has a crew of around 6,000 sailors and airmen. It has been involved in various military operations around the world, including the Gulf War and the War on Terror.

The USS Lewis & Clark (SSBN-644) was a Benjamin Franklin-class fleet ballistic missile submarine commissioned by the United States Navy in 1965. Named after famed American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, she played a critical role in the nation’s strategic nuclear deterrence during the Cold War. Equipped with Polaris and later Poseidon ballistic missiles, the USS Lewis & Clark conducted numerous deterrent patrols as part of the Navy’s “41 for Freedom” submarine force. After over two decades of service, she was decommissioned in 1992 and subsequently scrapped through the Navy’s Ship-Submarine Recycling Program.

USS Michigan (SSBN-727/SSGN-727) is an Ohio-class submarine commissioned into the United States Navy in September 1982. Originally built as a ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), Michigan conducted strategic deterrent patrols throughout the Cold War, supporting America's nuclear triad. In 2007, Michigan was converted to a guided missile submarine (SSGN), enhancing her capabilities to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles and support special operations forces. Since then, USS Michigan has played a critical role in power projection and special warfare missions in the Pacific theater.