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USS VERMONT
Click on the image above to see all 5 pictures. Make sure to note the great image of Mt. Fuji in the background of the 2nd picture. Merry Christmas to all!
Very cool first for the US Navy and Royal Austrailian Navy partners in AUKUS. We had both LCDR James* and LCDR Adam on board the USS VERMONT during her maiden deployment. We're proud to have BIg Sugar playing a key role in AUKUS. Sponsor Gloria Valdez was also active with AUKUS prior to her retirement. No doubt there'll be more first with our namesake crew and boat!
* per RAN protocols, last names not included
The crew of the USS VERMONT led our namesake boat out on it's first full deployment.
Thanks to crew member families and friends for sharing images from the departure.
Big Sugar doing a surface transit as the
deployment begins. GO BIG SUGAR!
USS VERMONT at sea, we wish our crew
fair winds and following seas!
Above, Captain Lilleberg on the sail inspecting the USS VERMONT's newest crew member, Champy.
On the right, one last hug for quite a while between the Captain, his wife, and Champy on the pier prior to departure. We believe that the Champys may be presented to foreign dignitaries who tour the USS VERMONT during port calls. It will surely be a unique memento. Check back from time to time for updates to this story. Note the vicious version of Champy on the his ball cap. GO BIG SUGAR!
Click on the image to the left to see more images of Champy's ride on board the USS VERMONT!
A bit about the history of Vermont Teddy Bear products for the USS VERMONT SSN 792. The VERMONT SSN 792 Commissioning Committee's (VCC) first commercial collaboration to promote our namesake boat was with Vermont Teddy Bear. We placed a VCC logo on a bear's tee shirt, called them "Dewey Bears" honoring Montpelier native Admiral George Dewey and sold them to raise both awareness of and funds for the Commissioning Ceremony. When the USS VERMONT Support Group was formed in 2020 and began engaging with the USS VERMONT Family Readiness Group (FRG), we began the tradition of providing Dewey Bears to the FRG for all new crew babies. Since the two most significant Vermont icons our crew adopted to form the boat's identity, Maple Syrup (Big Sugar nickname honors the State's most famous flavor) and our Lake Champlain Monster Champ (aka Champy on the boat, and on their covers, and shoulder patches as seen below), we sent a few Vermont Teddy Bear's fluffy fantasy dinosaur stuffies to the FRG. They quickly fell in love with them. The VSG gift tradition continues with all new USS VERMONT crew member's babies receiving a Champy. Hooyah VERMONT!
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