Friends and families of the crew from USS Greeneville (SSN 772) gathered at the submarine piers to welcome back the Los Angeles-class submarine as she returned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after completing a six month deployment to the Western Pacific region, Dec. 14.
“Greeneville is proud to return to Pearl Harbor after an extremely successful six month deployment, having not only achieved the national goals assigned to her, but also having served as ambassadors of American goodwill in three countries,” said Cmdr. Martin Muckian, Greeneville’s commanding officer.
The submarine completed a variety of operations and several training exercises throughout the deployment, contributing to the nation’s strategic posture in the region. Greeneville also strengthened relationships between the United States and the Republic of Korea during a multinational exercise with the Korean Naval Forces.
With about 60 percent of the crew making their first Western Pacific deployment, the crew had the opportunity for invaluable training and unique experiences. During the deployment, 26 enlisted Sailors became submarine qualified and are now entitled to wear the enlisted submarine warfare insignia. A large number of the crew also completed advanced qualifications, including engineering watch supervisor, diving officer of the watch, and chief of the watch. These qualifications will ensure that Greeneville’s performance will remain strong following deployment.
“For many of the crew this will be one of the few times in their life to experience foreign cultures first hand,” said Master Chief Electronics Technician Marcus Hensley, Greeneville’s chief of the boat.
With more than 34,000 nautical miles steamed and multiple challenging operations completed, the crew had the opportunity to enjoy several ports visits including Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines, Saipan and Singapore during their six month months away from Pearl Harbor.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, December 18, 2012; Image: US Navy