USS Pasadena Departs for Western Pacific Deployment

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ronald Gutridge, Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- Los Angeles-Class fast-attack submarine USS Pasadena (SSN 752) departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Dec. 14 for a scheduled six-month deployment to the western Pacific region.

"The crew is excited and ready to get underway," said Cmdr. Andrew St. John, Pasadena's commanding officer. "They have all worked hard in getting this submarine ready to go and completing all the requirements to deploy."

Pasadena will be conducting various training exercises and a multitude of missions during the next few months.

"A major part of this mission is training the junior Sailors and getting them submarine warfare qualified," said St. John. "Out of a crew of 137 Sailors, 50 percent are making their first deployment, so we made this one of our main focus areas."

Pasadena was commissioned in July 1991 and is the U.S. Navy's second "improved" Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered submarine. Throughout its proud and illustrious 20-year history, Pasadena has deployed to and conducted operations in virtually every part of the Pacific Ocean, from the west coast of North and South America to Australia and the Arabian Gulf.