The fast attack submarine USS La Jolla (SSN 701) returned home to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Sept. 3, following her final regularly scheduled deployment.
The Los Angeles-class submarine’s Commanding Officer Cmdr. Kevin Roach said the crew was outstanding during their deployment to the Western Pacific.
During the deployment, La Jolla’s crew steamed more than 35,000 nautical miles. Theater security cooperation and friendship mission port visits were conducted in Okinawa and Yokosuka, Japan; Sattahip, Thailand, Singapore; and Sepangar, Malaysia.
La Jolla was underway for 150 of the 180 days deployed.
Over the course of the deployment, 35 Sailors became submarine qualified and are now able to wear their submarine warfare insignia, or “dolphins,” along with more than 30 Sailors moving up in rank, including three selections for chief petty officer, one for senior chief petty officer and one master chief petty officer.
La Jolla is scheduled for decommissioning later this year, and subsequently converted to a moored training ship (MTS) that will be permanently moored at Nuclear Power Training Unit, Charleston, South Carolina.
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