Port visits resume for nuclear-armed Navy subs
Thursday - Dec. 24, 2015
By The Associated Press
Monday, Dec. 21, 2015, 8:06 p.m.
HARTFORD — Nuclear-armed submarines that went more than a decade without calling on foreign ports in part because of post-Sept. 11 security concerns are once again visiting other countries, a shift intended to underscore their global presence and lift sailor morale.
A stop in September by USS Wyoming in the United Kingdom was the first of what are expected to be occasional visits to foreign ports.
Michael Connor, a retired vice admiral who served until September as commander of the American submarine force, said that the change reflects a desire to emphasize that the submarines are all over the world and also to give the crews an experience that is open to sailors on virtually all other ships.
Port visits such as the recent stop in Faslane, Scotland, also promote professional development by reinforcing a crew's ability to navigate and resupply a sub anywhere in times of crisis, he said.
The Navy has 14 submarines with nuclear warheads that roam the oceans as part of the strategy to deter an enemy strike.
The crews that operate the Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines, also known as “boomers,” typically deploy for 70 to 80 days at sea with limited opportunities to surface for training. The smaller attack submarines, in contrast, deploy for about six months with about four port visits, some for maintenance and others for “liberty” or crew morale.
Connor said retention rates for sailors on ballistic-missile subs are among the highest for Navy organizations, but lengthy internal deliberations concluded the port visits are an important incentive.
A retired officer who served on many submarines, James Patton of North Stonington, Conn., said port visits can make a difference especially for sailors on the ballistic-missile subs, known as SSBNs. He remembers attack submarines as far more fun with their multiple missions, while the larger, nuclear-armed subs focused largely on avoiding being detected by others.
“The SSBNs got a little boring,” he said.
Read more:
http://triblive.com/usworld/nation/9673993-74/submarines-visits-port#ixzz3vMtQBg8HFollow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook
