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USS City of Corpus Christi Completes First Deployment from Guam

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS031229-01

Release Date: 12/29/2003 7:17:00 AM

From Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Marianas Public Affairs

APRA HARBOR, GUAM (NNS) -- With family and local Navy officials waving pierside, USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705) returned to Guam Dec. 23 after completing its first deployment since being homeported here last year.

The submarine was the first of three Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines to be homeported in Guam as part of Submarine Squadron 15 and the first to deploy to the western Pacific from Guam.

"Corpus Christi's success is a milestone achievement marking the first U.S. Navy SSN [fast-attack submarine] operations conducted from a forward based homeport," said Rear Adm. Paul Sullivan, commander of Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

City of Corpus Christi left for deployment to the western Pacific Nov. 22. Submarines homeported in Guam can expect shorter, more frequent deployments because of shorter transit times.

"Although it's a short deployment, it's going to be a repetitive process," said Capt. Joseph Mulloy, commander of Submarine Squadron 15. "They [Guam-based submarines] end up with more time doing 7th Fleet and national operations than the average in San Diego or Pearl Harbor."

Guam's location in the western Pacific significantly reduces distance and transit times, and increases time to perform missions in forward deployment areas, effectively doubling the days they are available for operations, compared to submarines homeported in Hawaii or California.

In a message sent to the submarine's crew, Sullivan wrote, "You have blazed the way for our Guam-based SSNs, completing the first of many operations to be generated from that strategic salient at the leading edge of our Pacific submarine force."

City of Corpus Christi arrived on island Oct. 17, 2002, followed by USS San Francisco (SSN 711) Dec. 18, 2002. USS Houston (SSN 713) is expected to arrive in 2004.