Navy’s Oldest Commissioned Submarine Visits Pearl Harbor for Final Time

By Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton, Submarine Forces Pacific

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii, April 9, 2018 — Friends and families of the crew gathered on the pier here April 6 to welcome back the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Bremerton as it returned from its final deployment.

Bremerton successfully completed a six-month deployment while conducting operations in support of national security.

Excellent Crew

“The entire crew performed with excellence,” said Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Wade Jacobson, Bremerton’s boat chief. “In six months we took the nation’s longest-serving submarine more than 42,000 nautical miles, executing multiple missions in some of the toughest and busiest environments in the world, and conducted five foreign port visits.”

During the deployment, 25 sailors earned their submarine warfare qualification, and 19 achieved advanced supervisory qualifications.

“I want the American public to know that they should be incredibly proud of every single person on this boat,” Jacobson said. “Each one has sacrificed something to do the job, and it can sometimes be stressful, but through grit and determination, each one has come through successfully.

The completion of its Western Pacific deployment marks the end the ship's active service in the Pacific. It will soon head to Bremerton, Washington, for deactivation.

“The Bremerton is one of the most impressive engineering marvels in human history,” Jacobson said. “It is truly incredible for a warship to be operational at such deep and strenuous depths for nearly 40 years.”

Bremerton made port calls to Singapore and the Philippines, and some of the crew used the visits to volunteer and interact with host countries.

“The best part of deployment for me was getting the chance to play soccer with children we visited in the Philippines,” said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Daniel Kim. “It was a great opportunity to see and interact with the local community.”

Flexibility

Jacobson extolled the crew for its flexibility during the challenging deployment. “Every curveball thrown our way was hit out of the park,” he said.

USS Bremerton is the 10th ship of the Los Angeles class and the oldest commissioned submarine in the Navy. Its keel was laid in Groton, Connecticut, in May 1976.