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The United States Navy’s newest Virginia-class submarine USS Arkansas (SSN 800) is in the process of adopting Mountain Home High School and its thriving NJROTC program, paving a way for district students to become honorary “Silent Travelers.”
The news was announced by Mountain Home NJROTC Commander Allan Hale during the district’s school board meeting Tuesday evening. Hale is a Navy veteran who served as the Executive Officer of the USS Bremerton (SSN 698).
“Since I still know everybody, I got them to agree to adopt Mountain Home High School and Mountain Home NJROTC as their official high school and official unit,” Hale said. “If funding is approved, they will be here for our 30th anniversary on Oct. 20. The Commanding Officer and his Chief of the Boat will be here to visit with the board and the community.”
Mountain Home’s NJROTC program has seen a revival over the past few years after losing its funding from the Navy due to low student interest. Today, with the help of Hale and NJROTC Jason Williams, the program has exploded to 133 students, up from the 85 cadets that were registered last year. If 150 students join the program, then a third NJROTC program instructor will be hired.
And student growth isn’t the only accomplishment underneath Williams’ and Hale’s belts. After several years of receiving no funding from the U.S. Navy, Mountain Home’s NJROTC program is now back in the fold, with funding being released in time for the new school year.
The program received its second “Distinguished Unit” title in April of this year. The title, which is based upon cadet accomplishments, is given to units whose cadets score in the top 30% of all NJROTC units in the nation.
“This time last year, we had 85 cadets registered,” Hale said. “Chief [Williams] managed, in his recruiting efforts, to get that over 100, so we’re able to get our funding. We’re fully funded now, they turned our money on today, so we can start ordering uniforms and such. It’s a great day.”
The USS Arkansas will be the fifth naval vessel to bear the name Arkansas in U.S. History. The original Arkansas was a Civil War-era screw steamer.
In 1902, an Arkansas-class monitor – the last in the U.S. Navy – was commissioned under the same name. The third ship to bear the name was a Wyoming-class battleship that was commissioned in 1912. The fourth was a Virginia-class nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser that served from 1980 to 1988.
As a Virginia-class submarine, the USS Arkansas will serve as one of the nation’s latest nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarines with a focus on a broad spectrum of open ocean and littoral missions. The sub will feature the latest in stealth, intelligence gathering and weapon systems technology. It will served as the United States 27th Virginia-class submarine.
The keel for the USS Arkansas was laid in Virginia’s Newport News Shipyard in November of last year. The submarine’s sponsor are the six women of the Little Rock Nine – Dr. Melba Pattillo Beals, Elizabeth Eckfor, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Carlotta Walls Lanier, Minnijean Brown Trickey, and Thelma Mothershed Wair.
The women were among the nine African American children who were to first people of color to attend Central High School in Little Rock.
The USS Arkansas is expected to enter into service in 2025. Construction is expected to cost between $2.8 billion to $3.45 billion.
