Rumson Teen To Be Part Of Color Guard In Submarine Christening

RUMSON, NJ — It will be a very special weekend for a select group of Monmouth County high school students, as they have been chosen to participate as the color guard for the USS New Jersey, a new nuclear attack submarine built by the U.S. Navy.

The students are all cadets at the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (M.A.S.T), the vo-tech school located at the tip of Sandy Hook. The students are Dylan Agnese (Lincroft), Jack Arhanic (Fair Haven), Tessa Campolattaro (Rumson), Sam Puleio (Tinton Falls) and Brandon Weiss (Oceanport). They have been chosen to present America's colors this Saturday at the christening.

The USS New Jersey will be christened this Saturday at the Newport News Shipbuilding port in Virginia.

M.A.S.T., a co-ed four-year high school, is part of the Monmouth County vo-tech school district. The school's curriculum focuses on marine sciences and marine technology/engineering.

All students who attend M.A.S.T are also enrolled in the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) and they are technically referred to as "cadets." At M.A.S.T. they learn civics, physical fitness, naval skills, physical science and leadership techniques.

The USS New Jersey, which is sponsored by Dr. Susan DiMarco of Montclair, wife of former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, is a nuclear-powered Virginia Class attack submarine in service for the United States Navy. Learn what it means to "sponsor" a U.S. military boat, and why it always is a woman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

The Navy announced the name of the submarine in May 2015 and is the third U.S. Naval submarine or boat to be named after the state of New Jersey.

"M.A.S.T is a wonderful co-ed four-year high school that is a part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District," said Commissioner Lillian Burry, liaison to the Vocational School District. "We are incredibly proud of the cadets chosen for this honor."

"We are so proud of the five cadets from M.A.S.T who will present the nation's colors during the christening of the USS New Jersey, a new Virginia Class attack submarine currently under construction," said Monmouth County Commissioners Director Tom Arnone. "This is an incredible opportunity for them to honor our country."

With reporting by Carly Balwin