Posted on 04/14/2006 3:56:19 PM PDT by SandRat
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye, Lt. Gov. James Aiona, and U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Gary Roughead will join past and current crew members of USS Honolulu (SSN 718) to bid farewell to the nuclear-powered attack submarine at a ceremony April 15 at 10 a.m. at the submarine piers of Naval Station Pearl Harbor.
U.S. 7th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Jonathan Greenert, who commanded Honolulu from 1991 to 1993, will be the keynote speaker.
SSN 718, which has served as Honolulu’s namesake for the last two decades, is scheduled to depart for its final deployment to the Western Pacific in early May. Following the deployment, it will return directly to Bremerton, Wash., to begin inactivation.
Cmdr. John Russ, Honolulu’s commanding officer, said his crew is ready and looking forward to the operational challenges of deployment.
“This will be my first deployment in command, and USS Honolulu’s last deployment,” said Russ. “As [with] every submarine deployment in the Pacific, it’s very important for national security and has particular significance as USS Honolulu’s last deployment. We are looking forward to doing it.”
Russ added that past and present crew members have enjoyed the unique opportunity of being stationed aboard the namesake city submarine.
“It’s been a great experience being in our namesake city,” he said. “We have had some great relationships with the community. They have supported us in port, and while underway, they have taken care of our families.”
Sidney Quintal, director of Enterprise Services for the City & County of Honolulu, will present a proclamation on behalf of Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who is traveling out of the country. Hannemann visited the submarine March 29 to bid his farewell.
Chief of the Boat Master Chief Electronics Technician Scott Oien said the crew has worked extremely hard to get the submarine ready for its final deployment.
“We have had about six months to actually work up for this deployment, and typically it’s about 18 months, so it’s been very accelerated,” said Oien.
In addition to the hard work, Oien said emotions are running high as the crew comes together for one last seagoing experience aboard Honolulu.
“I think a lot of the guys feel the same way,” Oien said. “They are going to be sad to see the boat go.”
Honolulu has been homeported at Pearl Harbor for most of her operational life.
After her commissioning in 1985, she moved to Hawaii to join the U.S. Pacific Fleet in September 1986. She has completed nine deployments to the Western Pacific, participated in Operation Enduring Freedom and conducted operations under the Arctic ice.
The submarine has received an array of awards including six Battle ‘E’s. Honolulu is the third ship named in honor of the city of Honolulu.
For related news, visit the Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/subpac/.
Sen. Daniel Inouye should be the next to be inactivated.
BTTT
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