Navy celebrates submarine milestone

The Navy commemorated 4,000 strategic deterrent patrols Friday with celebrations at the homes of its ballistic-missile submarine fleet — Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor and Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia.

Bangor harbors eight of the Trident subs, with the other six at the Georgia base.

"The submarine is perhaps the most technological marvel ever," Vice Adm. Terry Benedict, director of Strategic Systems Programs, said during an event at Bangor's Deterrent Park. "As we continue to build and develop new submarines, they are becoming even more advanced — quieter, stealthier, going deeper and armed with highly superior weapons systems.