The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Michigan (SSGN 727) returned home to the Pacific Northwest Aug. 1, following a 20-month deployment in the Western Pacific.
Since its departure in December 2013, Michigan was forward-deployed to Guam, where it conducted surveillance, training and other critical missions in the 7th Fleet Area of Operation.
Capt. Benjamin Pearson III, Michigan Gold crew commanding officer, said:
During the deployment, the ship supported multiple Commander, Task Force 74 priority areas with four great liberty ports including Singapore, Philippines, Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan.
The ship is scheduled to begin a Major Maintenance Period at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF). Major Maintenance Periods are part of a ship’s normal operating cycle and occur after the submarine has been forward deployed for over 12 months.
Michigan’s return to the Pacific Northwest makes this its third deployment since its conversion from a Trident ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) in 2007.
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Image: US Navy