Page 18. MAINE COASTAL NEWS January 2017 U S N N Continued from Page 9. The system was developed by Dr. Ste-
ven Leeb, an MIT engineering professor, and Dr. John Donnal, one of Leeb’s graduate students and a former U.S. Army captain. It comprises fi ve postage stamp-sized sensors placed above or near power lines coming into a house. The sensors are designed to be self-calibrating, enabling them to auto- matically pinpoint the strongest electrical signals. The system can distinguish between
each type of light, appliance, and device based on unique signatures -- which ones turn on and off , and how often and at what times. It then displays this data in real time on an app which allows users to focus on specifi c time segments. This reveals when, for example, a refrigerator goes into its de- frost cycle or how regularly a water heater switches on and off each day. “There are already ways to monitor
household energy use,” said Leeb, “but they involve hiring a licensed electrician or cutting through power lines or pipes to attach expensive, specialized equipment. With our system, you can install non-contact sensors using zip ties or even Velcro, and use signal processing to measure power consumption. It’s fast, easy, and much less expensive. It also could serve as a way to tell when equip- ment needs maintenance or replacement.” While the benefi ts to civilians are obvi-
ous, the system could be a valuable tool for the military. Consider a forward operating
base in a combat zone, for example. Using MIT’s technology not only could generate major savings in fuel or power, but it could also safeguard the lives of warfi ghters re- sponsible for base resupply. “The military is an ideal customer for
this technology,” said Donnal. “At a for- ward operating base, fuel conservation is paramount. Heating and air-conditioning thermostats run too high or too low. Large tents are heated all day during winter, even if they’re unoccupied during daytime hours. “Or take the case of a Navy vessel,”
he continued. “By cutting back on fuel and power consumption, a vessel might be able to sail for longer periods of time before needing replenishment. Having a way to track energy usage in real time would be extremely valuable.” Leeb is conducting at-sea tests of the
system aboard three U.S. Coast Guard cutters based in the Boston area to mirror some of the conditions and challenges facing Navy vessels. Donnal, an assistant professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, plans additional tests on the training ships the school uses to teach midshipmen navigation and seaman- ship.
Leeb’s research is part of the Naval
Enterprise Partnership Teaming with Uni- versities for National Excellence initiative, or NEPTUNE, conducted by ONR and the Department of the Navy. NEPTUNE’s goals are to help the Navy
and Marine Corps discover ways to improve energy conservation, generate renewable
energy and implement energy-efficient technologies -- while giving active-duty military, military students, and veterans the chance to immerse themselves in universi- ty-level research.
Navy to Christen Submarine Colorado From Department of Defense
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy will christen its newest Virginia-class fast attack submarine, the future USS Colorado (SSN 788), during an 11 a.m. EDT ceremony Sat- urday, Dec. 3 at General Dynamics Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, Connecticut. The Honorable Ray Mabus, secretary of
the Navy, will deliver the ceremony’s prin- cipal address. His daughter, Anne Mabus, is serving as the ship’s sponsor. “The christening of the future USS
Colorado is an example of our enduring partnership with our nation’s shipbuilders, and this ceremony marks a milestone along the journey to add another submarine to our Navy fl eet-a fl eet that will reach more than 300 ships by 2019,” Mabus said. “Colorado and its crew will, for decades to come, carry the American spirit and the name of this great state around the world as a testament to the hard work and patriotism of those who built SSN 788 and the people who call Colorado home.” Colorado (SSN 788) is the 15th Vir-
ginia-class fast attack submarine and the fi fth Virginia-class Block III submarine. The ship began construction in 2015 and is scheduled to commission in 2017. This next-generation attack submarine provides the Navy with the capabilities required to maintain the nation’s undersea superiority well into the 21st century. The submarine will be the fourth U.S.
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Navy ship to be commissioned with the name Colorado. The fi rst Colorado was a three-masted steam screw frigate that partic- ipated in the Union Navy’s Gulf Blockading Squadron and that fought in the Second Battle of Fort Fisher with then Lt. George Dewey, serving as her executive offi cer. In the early years of the 20th Century, the second Colorado (ACR-7) was a Pennsyl- vania-class armored cruiser that escorted convoys of men and supplies to England during World War I. The third ship of her name, the lead ship of the Colorado class of battleships (BB-45), supported operations in the Pacifi c theater throughout World War II, surviving two kamikaze attacks and earning seven battle stars. Colorado has the capability to attack
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targets ashore with highly accurate Tom- ahawk cruise missiles and conduct covert long-term surveillance of land areas, litto- ral waters or other sea-based forces. Other missions include anti-submarine and an- ti-ship warfare, mine delivery and minefi eld mapping, and special forces delivery and support. Virginia-class submarines, built under
a unique teaming arrangement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and Hun- tington Ingalls Industries-Newport News, are 7,800 tons and 377 feet in length, have a beam of 34 feet and can operate at more than 25 knots submerged. They are built with a reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship-reducing lifecycle costs while increasing underway time.
USS Springfi eld Conducts Burial Sea, Reuniting a Sailor with Lost Shipmates By Chief Petty Offi cer Steve Owsley, Naval Submarine Support Center New London Public Aff airs
ATLANTIC OCEAN (NNS) -- More than 50 years ago, on April 10, 1963, USS Thresher (SSN 593) was lost at sea while
conducting deep-dive trials approximately 200 miles southeast of Cape Cod, Massa- chusetts, costing the lives of all 129 crew members aboard. The loss of Thresher forever changed
the U.S. Navy’s submarine force and the life of one young Sailor. At the time, Capt. Paul “Bud” Rogers
Jr. was a recently commissioned offi cer who had only been at his command for a few months when he was scheduled to go aboard Thresher as part of a weapons inspection team, but the leadership team decided to send someone more senior, said Rogers’ son- in-law, retired Cmdr. Fred Henney. “Bud lived the rest of his life with the knowledge that someone else died in his place and I believe it drove his decision to be buried at sea.”
While on routine operations Wednes-
day, Nov. 30, 2016, at the site where Thresh- er was lost, Los Angeles class fast-attack submarine, USS Springfi eld (SSN 761) held a burial at sea where Rodgers’ last wishes were fulfi lled as he was sent on his eternal patrol alongside the submarine and Sailors he always felt connected to. “My husband loved submarines and he
loved serving on them,” said Rogers’ widow, Barbara. “He went from being a boy scout to a submariner.” According to his obituary, Rogers
served in the U.S. Navy for 41 years. He served as a fi re controlman aboard diesel submarines USS Sea Cat and USS Bang, then aboard one of the Navy’s fi rst ballistic missile submarines, USS Robert E. Lee. He was commissioned as an offi cer in 1963 and became one of the fi rst limited duty offi cers to be promoted to the rank of captain. According to Barbara, her husband
joined the Navy during the Korean War and took part in the Blockade of Cuba during the Bay of Pigs Invasion. According to Barbara they were always stationed on the east coast, from Key West, Florida, to Maine. “It was a sad time in Groton, when the
Thresher was lost,” said Barbara. “I never saw my husband cry before, but he was crying when it went down.” She said, “He always said he wanted
to be buried at sea, but particularly after the Thresher went down.” On an overcast day, approximately 200
miles southeast of Cape Cod, Springfi eld’s Commanding Offi cer, Cmdr. Brent Spillner; Executive Offi cer, Lt. Cmdr. Rene Cano; and Chief of the Boat, Master Chief Petty Offi cer Michael Johnson were in the submarine’s sail with Navy Chaplain, Cmdr. Paul Rum- ery.
Rumery read the biographies of Rog-
ers and three other Navy veterans who had requested a burial at sea. Then he read scripture before each Sailor received a three- round gun salute in honor of their service. The ceremony ended with a playing of Taps and the Sailors being committed to the sea. When speaking about her husband’s
thoughts on being laid to rest with the Sailors of Thresher, Barbara said, “I think he would have been very, very happy. He felt bad all these years, because he felt he should have gone down with the ship. I feel that he would have felt like he was where he belonged.” After the ceremony Spillner refl ected,
“It’s an absolute honor as captain of USS Springfi eld to be a small part of bringing Captain Rogers to his fi nal resting place as we transit to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for our scheduled maintenance availability. The submarine force changed on April 10, 1963, and 100 years from now submariners will still know the name Thresher.”
Continued on Page 21.
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