“I couldn’t be extra happy with this wonderful crew. They confronted each problem of this deployment with power and enthusiasm and completely crushed it,” stated Cmdr. Jeff Fassbender, Seawolf’s commanding officer. “To our households – we missed you and can’t thanks sufficient – we couldn’t have achieved our successes with out their unwavering assist, persistence, and sacrifices. Returning dwelling to our households in time for the vacations is an ideal ending to this seven month deployment. Beware the Wolf!”
The ceremonial first kiss upon return to homeport was awarded to Sonar Technician (Submarines) 2nd Class Noah Nelson and his girlfriend. The ceremonial first hug was awarded to Chief Culinary Specialist (Submarines) William Harris and his spouse. Chief Data Programs Technician (Submarines) Petty Officer Mario Canas was greeted on the pier by his girlfriend and their youngster, who was born whereas Canas was on deployment.
Seawolf departed its outdated homeport at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton Might 12, 2022 for a recurrently scheduled deployment, throughout which the submarine and its crew carried out a full spectrum of advanced operations to incorporate anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. Steaming greater than 55,000 nautical miles, Seawolf was deployed to the U.S. seventh Fleet space of operations and made port calls to Apra Harbor, Guam and Yokosuka, Japan. Whereas in Yokosuka, Seawolf hosted senior submarine officers from the Japan Maritime Self-Protection Drive.
“When a submarine Sailor returns from a 217-day prolonged deployment, the sensation can’t be understood by somebody who has not skilled it. It’s a satisfying sense of delight and accomplishment in every Seawolf Sailor’s chilly PACNORWEST breath at the moment. The trouble, power, and sacrifices are by no means proven and their achievements are unstated,” stated Grasp Chief Sonar Technician (Submarines) Christopher Purdum, Seawolf’s Chief of the Boat. “They’re a tremendous crew who earned every others’ respect and they’re greater than able to get pleasure from a return dwelling to their households. The one factor that compares to those sacrifices are the household sacrifices. These Sailors and their households have earned this reunion together with my deepest respect, gratitude, and appreciation.”
“I’m extraordinarily happy with Seawolf’s efficiency whereas on deployment. Their capability to stay in theater for seven plus months represents the uneven benefit that’s our Submarine Drive. The Seawolf is the premier apex predator that has prowled the Pacific since Might,” stated Capt. Gary Montalvo, commander, Submarine Growth Squadron (DEVRON) 5. “I wish to particularly level out the unbelievable toughness and resiliency of the Seawolf spouses. These are wonderful individuals who rallied collectively. At one level, when a partner was struggling, their teamwork, connectivity, and dedication to what their Sailors do resulted in them discovering assist for one another on the most attempting occasions. These spouses are really the unsung heroes of our nationwide protection. Whereas we honor the Sailors returning dwelling at the moment, I’m as humbled to be standing with these unbelievable folks on the pier welcoming Seawolf dwelling.”
Seawolf, whose motto is “Beware the Wolf,” commissioned July 19, 1997 and is the fourth U.S. Navy submarine named after the solitary fish and is the lead ship of her class. SSN 21, which operates below DEVRON 5 in Silverdale, Washington, is greater than 350 ft lengthy and has eight torpedo tubes. The Seawolf-class submarine dives deeper, goes quicker, and carries extra torpedoes than any submarine within the fleet.
The newly-completed Olympic Pier contains state-of-the-art applied sciences for safety and pier providers for moored submarines and incorporates the most recent expertise to supply a number of totally redundant energy sources, making certain steady secure in-port operations and minimizing the impacts because of regular put on and tear or pure disasters. The pier may even function the brand new dwelling for USS Connecticut (SSN 22), at present present process repairs at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. Adm. Stuart Munsch, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, served because the keynote speaker for the ribbon reducing ceremony held Oct. 19, 2022.
Quick-attack submarines are multi-mission platforms enabling 5 of the six Navy maritime technique core capabilities – sea management, energy projection, ahead presence, maritime safety and deterrence. They’re designed to excel in anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike warfare, particular operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare and mine warfare. Quick-attack submarines venture energy ashore with particular operations forces and Tomahawk cruise missiles within the prevention or preparation of regional crises.
