The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Norfolk (SSN 714) was decommissioned Dec. 11 during a ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk.
The submarine will remain in Norfolk until in leaves in January to begin the decommissioning process at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine.
Norfolk is currently under the command of Cmdr. Christopher Polk, who became the submarine’s 17th and final commanding officer during a ceremony on Oct. 10, 2014.
The 360-foot submarine is the third naval ship to be named in honor of its namesake city of Norfolk, Virginia. It was built by Newport News Shipbuilding and was commissioned May 21, 1983 by then Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger. Norfolk was also the Navy’s 133rd nuclear-powered submarine, the 89th attack submarine, and the 24th Los Angeles-class submarine.
The ship returned from its maiden deployment in the Mediterranean Sea in November 1984 and returned to its homeport in Norfolk from its last deployment on Aug. 26, 2014, where it operated in the European Command and Central Command areas of responsibilities.
During its 31 years of active service, Norfolk completed 15 deployments to the North Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, U.S. Central Command and U.S. European Command. The ship has received six Battle Efficiency awards; two Arleigh Burke awards; four Meritorious Unit Commendations; a Navy Unit Commendation; and two Armed Forces Service Medals.
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Press release, Image: US Navy