"This submarine has been very special to me the last 22 years. When my husband died it was like, through the submarine, he was still alive," said Rickover.

Rickover, whose name was memorialized with the attack submarine, as well as Rickover Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy, retired from the United States Navy on January 31, 1982, after 63 years of service to his country and to 13 different presidents.

During the ceremony Adm. Kirkland Donald, director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion, talked about some of Rickover's philosophy and traits and the life accomplishments which had a large impact on today's Navy.

"Adm. Rickover believed that hard work and heavy sweat was the only way to work and he often reminded his students of that. We are his students and we share one thing in common, we strive for excellence, because he taught us how," said Donald.

Donald went on to say that it was a sad day, but also a time to celebrate the accomplishments of Rickover and its crew. During Rickover's 22 years of service it has completed 14 deployments and earned four Battle Efficiency "E" awards, pending the announcement of the 2006 results.

Rickover recently returned from its final six-month deployment to the North Atlantic where it made port visits to Haakonsvern, Norway; Faslane, Scotland; and Rota, Spain. Submarines like Rickover have comprised the front line of defense for decades.

During deployment the crew demonstrated the flexibility of the fast-attack submarine by conducting stealth endurance and agility operations in support of the global war on terrorism and maritime security operations.

When first commissioned, Rickover surpassed the underwater capabilities of any class of ship that had come before. With stealth, persistence, agility and firepower, fast-attack submarines like Rickover are multi-mission capable -- able to deploy and support special forces operations, disrupt and destroy an adversary's military and economic operations at sea, provide early strike from close proximity, and ensure undersea superiority. Rickover is 360 feet long, displaces 6,900 tons of water, and can travel in excess of 25 knots.

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