Cynthia Clark News

Commander, Submarine Forces Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC), Rear Adm. Douglas McAneny announced today that a sunken vessel off the coast of the Aleutian Islands is in fact the World War II submarine USS Grunion (SS 216). "I am honored to announce that, with records and information provided by the Abele family and assistance from the , USS Grunion has been located," said McAneny. "We are very grateful to the family of Grunion's Commanding Officer Lt. Cmdr. Mannert L. Abele for providing the underwater video footage and pictures that allowed us to make this determination.

U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard training teams concluded the first visit to Colon, Panama, during the pilot Global Fleet Station (GFS) on May 11 aboard High Speed Vessel (HSV 2) Swift. Training teams from Navy Expeditionary Training Command in Little Creek, Va., along with U.S. Coast Guard training teams from International Training Division, based in Yorktown, Va., facilitated five training sessions in areas requested by the nation of Panama. These courses included a coxswain course, two sessions of the port security and vulnerability course, as well as two leadership seminars. “The past two weeks in Panama have been very productive,” said Capt. Douglas Wied, commander, Task Group (TG) 40.9.

U.S. Navy and Coast Guard training teams began their portion of the pilot Global Fleet Station (GFS) on May 1, aboard High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2), while in port here. Global Fleet Station is designed to validate the GFS concept for the Navy and support U.S. Southern Command objectives for its area of responsibility by enhancing cooperative partnerships with regional maritime services and improving operational readiness for the participating partner nations. Training teams from Navy Expeditionary Combat Command and Expeditionary Training Command in Little Creek, Va., along with U.S. Coast Guard training teams from International Training Division, based in Yorktown, Va., are facilitating three training sessions requested by the nation of Panama.

High Speed Vessel (HSV) 2 Swift, along with Commander Task Group 40.9, is deploying as part of the Global Fleet Station (GFS) pilot to the Caribbean Basin and Central America. This deployment is designed to analyze the GFS concept for the Navy, by enhancing cooperative partnerships with regional maritime services and improving operational readiness for the participating partner nations. U.S. The pilot Global Fleet Station (GFS) deployment began April 25, with the departure of High Speed Vessel (HSV) 2 Swift and the embarked Task Group (TG) 40.9, from Naval Station Mayport. “After much anticipation and preparation it feels great to get underway,” said Capt. Douglas Wied, commander Task Group 40.9. Global Fleet Station pilot 2007 is a U.S.

U.S. Navy High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) enters Naval Station Mayport. Swift has two water jets that can move the ship to speeds greater than 45 knots and bring it into port without using tugboats. Swift pulled into Naval Station Mayport to prepare for its participation in the pilot program Global Fleet Station (GFS). U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Patrick J. By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Cynthia Clark, Commander, U.S. Global Fleet Station (GFS) pilot deployment to the Caribbean is one step closer to starting, with the arrival of High Speed Vessel (HSV) 2 Swift at Naval Station Mayport, April 6. GFS pilot 2007 is a U.S. Southern Command-directed operation implemented by U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and carried out by HSV-2 SWIFT.

Seven personnel practiced locking out from the attack submarine USS Los Angeles (SSN 688) and ascending to the surface wearing special suits that are designed to enable a free ascent from a stricken submarine Dec. 2 during ESCAPEX at the Navy’s Southeast Alaska Acoustic Measurement Facility in Ketchikan, Alaska. While several foreign navies practice the maneuver routinely, the U.S. Navy had not conducted it in more than three decades, and never from a nuclear-powered submarine. The Navy’s renewed interest in submarine escape comes as U.S. submarines operate more frequently now in shallow coastal waters, said Submarine Development Squadron (CSDS) 5 Commander Capt. Butch Howard, who oversaw the exercise.

The Navy’s oldest active attack submarine, USS Los Angeles (SSN 688), held a ceremony to mark its 30th birthday Nov. 13, on the pier at Naval Station Pearl Harbor. Cmdr. Erik Burian, Los Angeles commanding officer, cut the celebratory cake during the festivities, which included an awards ceremony and a barbecue on the pier for the crew and their families. The lead ship of her class, Los Angeles was commissioned Nov. 13, 1976. Since then, 47 more submarines have been commissioned in the class. The Los Angeles-class submarines incorporated improved sound quieting and a larger propulsion plant than previous classes and is capable of performing undersea and surface warfare, mining operations, special forces delivery, reconnaissance, carrier strike group support and intelligence collection.

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Cynthia Clark, Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. The Navy’s oldest active attack submarine, USS Los Angeles (SSN 688), held a ceremony to mark its 30th birthday Nov. 13, on the pier at Naval Station Pearl Harbor. Cmdr. Erik Burian, Los Angeles commanding officer, cut the celebratory cake during the festivities, which included an awards ceremony and a barbecue on the pier for the crew and their families. “It’s a pretty remarkable and historic submarine,” said Burian. The lead ship of her class, Los Angeles was commissioned Nov. 13, 1976. Since then, 47 more submarines have been commissioned in the class.