“Wisconsinite Minute of Recognition” at 8:27 AM (0827 Navy time) on August 27

MADISON – Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) Secretary Mary Kolar today called on her fellow veterans and those who support them to join her and the USS Wisconsin SSBN 827 Association for a “Wisconsinite Minute of Recognition” at 8:27 AM (0827 Navy time) on August 27 to raise awareness of Wisconsin’s rich maritime history and in support of a new Naval submarine that will be named the USS Wisconsin (SSBN 827).

Governor Tony Evers has also proclaimed August 27, 2021 as USS Wisconsin (SSBN 827) Day in Wisconsin to acknowledge the state’s critical role in affirming and expanding the strength and capability of the U.S. Navy.

In October 2020, the Secretary of the Navy named a United States Ship (USS) Submersible Ship Ballistic Missile Nuclear (SSBN) submarine after the state of Wisconsin at the request of Wisconsin Senators Baldwin and Johnson. The moniker given - the USS Wisconsin (SSBN 827) – aims to honor Wisconsin citizens, as well as the state’s maritime history and shipbuilding ties to the U.S. Navy.

To help support the men and women who will one day operate and maintain the USS Wisconsin, a nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine, a group of Navy Veterans and Wisconsinites have formed the USS Wisconsin SSBN 827 Association, Inc., a nonprofit organization. The Association brings together partners for educational and ceremonial activities. Key partners include: active supporters, Wisconsinites, and the crewmembers assigned during the ship’s construction, her commissioning as a United States Ship (anticipated in 2031), and until the submarine is decommissioned (about 2072).