Naval Base Point Loma News

Austal USA celebrated the official start of construction of the future USNS Point Loma (EPF 15) with a keel laying ceremony in its Mobile, Ala. shipyard. Ship sponsor Mrs. Elizabeth Asher, with the assistance of Perry Sullivan, a 17-year Austal USA veteran A-class welder, authenticated the keel by welding her initials into a keel plate that will be welded to the hull of the ship.The future USNS Point Loma was named after the San Diego seaside community which has a long-standing naval presence and is home to Naval Base Point Loma…

U.S. Navy has relieved of duty a commander of a submarine training facility in San Diego citing a loss of confidence in his abilities."Capt. Steve Antcliff, commanding officer, Submarine Learning Center (SLC), relieved Cmdr. Jared Severson, commanding officer, Submarine Training Facility (STF) San Diego, of command on April 28.The relief is due to a loss of confidence in Severson’s ability to command based on the findings of a command investigation. Severson has been reassigned to Submarine Squadron 11," the U.S. Navy said in a brief statement.Lt. Cmdr.

Smoke bellows out the ventilation ducts. The glow of the blazing fire emanates down the passageway. Firefighters move with precision and purpose, pausing to unleash a torrent of water towards the fire as they kneel before it. Such was the scene at the Navy’s first submarine firefighting trainer, located at Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) Oct. 29. Commander, Navy Installation Command (CNIC) approached Kidde Fire Trainers almost one year ago in response to the incident on the USS Miami, in which a fire caused over $400 million of damage to the submarine.

Virginia-class attack submarine USS New Mexico (SSN 779) and Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Hampton (SSN 767) have commenced Ice Exercise 2014 (ICEX 2014) in the Arctic Ocean, says Commander,  US Submarine Forces. "In keeping with the Department of Defense's Arctic Objectives, the Submarine Force uses Ice Exercises to prepare for a wide range of challenges and contingencies," said Capt. Paul Whitescarver, the camp's officer in tactical command and operations officer at Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic.

Smoke bellows out the ventilation ducts. The glow of the blazing fire emanates down the passageway. Firefighters move with precision and purpose, pausing to unleash a torrent of water towards the fire as they kneel before it. Such was the scene at the Navy's first submarine firefighting trainer, located at Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) Oct. 29. Commander, Navy Installation Command (CNIC) approached Kidde Fire Trainers almost one year ago in response to the incident on the USS Miami, in which a fire caused over $400 million of damage to the submarine.

U.S. Navy's Self Defense Test Ship successfully transits on alternative fuel blend. The U.S. Navy successfully has concluded its largest demonstration of shipboard alternative fuel use with the successful arrival of the Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) to Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme. The SDTS is a decommissioned Spruance-class destroyer ex-Paul F. Foster (EDD 964) reconfigured to provide the Navy an at-sea, remotely controlled, engineering test and evaluation platform without the risk to personnel or operational assets.

USS San Francisco (SSN 711) left dry dock Arco (ARDM 5) at Naval Base Point Loma, Nov. The Los Angeles-class, fast-attack submarine pulled into dry dock June 30, for an extensive docking availability, the largest shipyard work period ever performed at Arco. "This type of availability normally takes a little over nine months; however, team San Francisco, Arco, and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard got the submarine in and out of dry dock in four months - a record," said Lt. Cmdr. Mack Schmidt, Arco's commanding officer. The crew that made up this dry docking evolution included Sailors from both San Francisco and Arco, as well as personnel from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. "I have been in the Navy 20 years and I have never come out of a dry dock early," said Lt.

Military Sealift Command’s San Diego-based office, MSC Pacific, changed leadership today as Capt. Sylvester Moore assumed command from Capt. Jerome F. Hamel. The ceremony was held aboard fleet replenishment oiler USNS Yukon at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego. MSCPAC is responsible for MSC ships operating in the Eastern Pacific and is dual-hatted as Commander, Task Force 33, directing the underway delivery of fuel, provisions, ordnance and towing services to Navy combatants in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of responsibility.

A ceremony to mark the rollout of the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission module for the littoral combat ship (LCS) was held Sept. 19 at Naval Base Point Loma. The Program Executive Office for Littoral and Mine Warfare, Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Space and Naval Warfare Command (SPAWAR) and Space and Naval Warfare Systems, San Diego, hosted the event. According to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisitions, Anne Sandel, this is the third mission package to be released for use with the LCS class of ships.

The Navy will roll out its new anti-submarine warfare mission package for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) in a ceremony Sept. 19 at Naval Base Point Loma Naval Mine & ASW Command Complex, San Diego. Vice Commander, Naval Surface Forces, Rear Adm. Mike Shatynski; Principal Civilian Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research and Development, Jim Thomsen; Deputy Director of Surface Warfare, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Rear Adm. Michael K. Mahon; Commander, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, Rear Adm. Michael C. Bachmann; Program Executive Officer for Littoral and Mine Warfare, E. Anne Sandel; and Commodore, LCS Class Squadron, Capt. Lewis Chris Nygard, are all scheduled to speak at the event.

The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SSC) hosted the 11th Annual International Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Competition at Naval Base Point Loma in , July 28-Aug. 3. The event was co-sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). The competition challenged young engineers to design and build autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV). It also encouraged contestants to consider a career in developing AUV technologies for the Navy. "Competitions such as this are a huge benefit to the Navy," said Capt. Mark Kohlheim, commanding officer, SSC San Diego. "There is a large interest in unmanned vehicles, and these competitions serve to put the theoretical into practical applications for the students involved.

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Omar A. Dominquez, , Pacific USS Topeka (SSN 754) returned home to Naval Base Point Loma, April 16, after a six-month deployment to the Western Pacific (WESTPAC). The Los Angeles-class submarine conducted missions throughout the WESTPAC region. Sailors also enjoyed port visits to and , , Guam and the . Family and friends waited on the pier with flags and signs to welcome their Sailors home.

BAE Systems has won a $19 million contract from the U.S. Navy’s Southwest Regional Maintenance Center to refurbish and upgrade the ARCO (ARDM-5) floating drydock so it can service the Navy’s new Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarines. The company will perform drydocking and pierside work on the ARCO at both Naval Base Point Loma and BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair. Work on the ARCO includes painting the drydock’s underwater hull, sides and tanks, reinforcing structural bulkheads, replacing and renewing switchboards, and upgrading the automated docking and centering system. All work is scheduled for completion in June 2008. The ARCO measures 492 feet long, 98 feet wide, and has a lifting capacity of 7,800 long tons.

BAE Systems has won a $19m contract from the U.S. Navy’s Southwest Regional Maintenance Center to refurbish and upgrade the ARCO (ARDM-5) floating drydock so it can service the Navy’s new Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarines. The company will perform drydocking and pierside work on the ARCO at both Naval Base Point Loma and BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair. Work on the ARCO includes painting the drydock’s underwater hull, sides and tanks, reinforcing structural bulkheads, replacing and renewing switchboards, and upgrading the automated docking and centering system. All work is scheduled for completion in June 2008. The ARCO measures 492 feet long, 98 feet wide, and has a lifting capacity of 7,800 long tons.

Local members of the U.S. Navy Submarine Veterans (SubVets) Association hosted a “Tolling of the Boats” ceremony at Naval Submarine Base Point Loma on April 6. The ceremony is held annually to remember those Sailors lost at sea during World War II. During the ceremony, a short description of what happened to each submarine is read followed by the number of Sailors lost on the boat. A ceremonial bell then is rung in memory of each submarine. Among the attendees at the ceremony were retired Cmdr. Joe McGrievy and retired Torpedoman’s Mate 2nd Class (SS) C.J. Glassford, who served as the masters of ceremony. “Tolling of the boats is our way of remembering those who are still lying on the bottom of the ocean in their steel tombs,” McGrievy said.

Navy officials participated in a town hall meeting March 20 to inform Point Loma residents how the Navy plans to cleanup 500,000 to 1.5 million gallons of fuel that seeped into the ground beneath a fuel depot. Since 1999, a significant amount of JP-5 and marine diesel fuel has seeped from three steel tanks at Naval Base Point Loma (NBPL), forming a plume on top of the water table nearly 50 feet underground. The tanks are located aboveground in an area of the base designated as the Defense Fuel Support Point, which provides Defense Energy Support Center fuel to all local and surrounding military bases via pipeline networks, tankers and vessels. The fuel leaked through small holes that developed in the bottom of tanks that are more than 70 years old.

The crew of the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Salt Lake City (SSN 716) held the ship’s inactivation ceremony Oct. 26 at Naval Base Point Loma, Calif. More than 250 Sailors, plankowners and former commanding officers turned out for the event to say farewell to the submarine they once served aboard. “It’s sad to see her go,” said retired Capt. Richard Itkin, Salt Lake City’s first commanding officer. After 21 years of active service, Salt Lake City will be decommissioned later this fall at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Virginia. The inactivation ceremony gave the visitors and crew time to say goodbye to the boat before it heads to Virginia. During the ceremony, the commissioning pennant was taken down, symbolizing the ship’s retirement.