Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Columbus (SSN 762) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka April 19 for a visit as part of its deployment to the western Pacific.
With a crew of approx 130, Columbus will conduct a multitude of missions and showcase the latest capabilities of the submarine fleet. While in Yokosuka, Columbus Sailors will participate in numerous events, including a submarine birthday ball that will be hosted by Commander, Submarine Group 7 in Tokyo.
“We are honored to be in Japan and appreciate the warm welcome from our host nation,” said Cmdr. Dave Youtt , commanding officer of Columbus. “ We are always excited to work with our strong allies and represent the U.S. Submarine Force. It is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the submarine force’s 112th birthday with our counterparts at the submarine birthday ball.”
Columbus is scheduled to participate in various exercises in the region during the remainder of her deployment.
“The crew has worked hard on this deployment and this port visit to Yokosuka affords them a much needed opportunity to recharge,” said senior chief Herman Del Toro , chief of the boat. “The crew is excited to participate in the submarine birthday celebration and visit Tokyo.”
For many of the crew members, this is their first time visiting Japan.
“I’m very excited to be able to see some of the Japanese culture,” said electronics technician 2nd class Christopher Lee . “I hope to attend a baseball game while in Japan, to see just how exciting the games are.”
Measuring more than 360 feet long and weighing more than 6000 tons when submerged, Columbus is one of the most capable submarines in the world. This submarine supports a multitude of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Columbus is homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and was commissioned in 1993.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff , April 20, 2012;