USS North Carolina 777 crew members visit Port City

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Wilmington City Council held a special meeting today, but they weren’t discussing policy.

The mayor and council members met with crew members of the USS North Carolina nuclear submarine. The ship was commissioned right here in Wilmington in 2008.

Since then it has done three deployments in various parts of the world with its 130 person crew. Commander Gary Montalvo said touring the state has given crew members a new appreciation of their ship.

“Guys know they’re on the North Carolina, but having a couple guys see the state, and see all the support the state provides the ship, particularly here in the city of Wilmington, I think is really special for them,” Montalvo said.

The submarine is set receive routine maintenance and will return to the water in a couple years.