USS Emory S. Land Arrives in Guam

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Gabrielle Blake, USS Frank Cable (AS 40)

APRA HARBOR, Guam (NNS) -- Submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) arrived at Naval Base Guam to temporarily assume the responsibilities as Guam's main submarine repair facility, Nov. 21.

Emory S. Land, originally homeported in Diego Garcia, will replace the submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40), during Frank Cable's scheduled Regular Overhaul and Dry Docking in Portland, Ore.

"It's great to see our sister ship arrive in Guam," said Cmdr. Timothy Sparks, Frank Cable's executive officer. "The Emory S. Land arrival marks a major milestone in Western Pacific (WESTPAC) maintenance."

As part of expeditionary manning, Frank Cable rotates approximately 80 crewmembers on and off Emory S. Land, to complement their crew of Sailors and civilian service mariners (CIVMARs).

Sparks said this marks the first tender turnover since Frank Cable arrived in Guam to relieve the now decommissioned submarine tender USS Holland (AS 32) as the WESTPAC tender in May 1996.

Emory S. Land left Diego Garcia in October and made port visits to Malaysia and the Republic of the Philippines prior to her arrival in Guam. During her stay in Guam, the Land crew, along with stay behind personnel assigned to Frank Cable, will continue to service submarines and carry out the mission of the tenders.

Yeoman 3rd Class Kelly Mossi, assigned to Emory S. Land said he and his fellow shipmates know integrating a larger amount of crewmembers from both ships may be challenging, but they are excited to be in Guam and to work with more Frank Cable Sailors.

While Frank Cable is in dry dock, there are plans to replace switchboards and the ship's electrical power control panel, replace low pressure turbine rotors and steel, and conduct machinery and habitability overhauls and repairs.

Sparks said that as these repairs and upgrades are being carried out, there will be a small contingent of Frank Cable Sailors and CIVMARs stationed aboard the ship for duty section support, and for the various security watches.

"One hundred fourty-five Frank Cable personnel will depart Guam for approximately seven months to oversee the availability requirements," said Sparks. "The majority of the Frank Cable crew will be remaining in Guam and assigned temporary duty to the Emory S. Land."

Emory S. Land will be the WESTPAC tender until Frank Cable returns mid 2012. Emory S. Land conducts maintenance and support of submarines and surface vessels deployed in the U.S. 5th and U.S. 7th Fleet areas of responsibility.