by COMSUBLANT Public Affairs
Friends and family members waved goodbye to the submariners of USS Santa Fe (SSN-763) as the Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine slowly departed from its homeport of Pearl Harbor Aug. 9, 2005.
According to Santa Fe’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Steve Perry, the morale of the crew is high and his submarine has met all of the requirements to go on deployment. “The crew is well trained and ready to go. The ship is in great shape and we’re all looking forward to going out and doing our nation’s work.”
Perry added that this will be the first deployment for many of his submariners. “I’m looking forward to watch the crew grow together as a team and continue to excel and advance and do the great things that they do every single day,” Perry said.
One of the crewmembers, Petty Officer 2nd Class Chad Sherman, said aloha to his wife and their five-month-old baby. “I’m ready for it. It’s the first time being married and with a little one,” said Sherman.
USS Santa Fe is the Navy’s 52nd Los Angeles-class fast attack nuclear powered submarine. It was commissioned on Jan. 8, 1994 at Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Conn.