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USS Santa Fe returns from Western Pacific deployment

SUBPAC Release

Release Date: 3/05/2004

By JO3 Corwin Colbert COMSUBPAC Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR, HI -- USS Santa Fe (SSN 763) returned home to Pearl Harbor on Mar. 9, following a six-month deployment in the Western Pacific.

According to Cmdr. Andrew Hale, commanding officer of USS Santa Fe, the deployment was a success.

"We had a great deployment. We did some very challenging operations in the Seventh Fleet area. The crew performed wonderfully. I am proud of everything they did and everything the ship has accomplished is because of the crew's perseverance and commitment to excellence," said Hale.

The Santa Fe Sailors were greeted by the Apache Belles Precision Dance and Drill Team. The Belles, from Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Tx., are performing here in Pearl Harbor and at Schofield Army Barracks. They heard about Santa Fe's homecoming and decided to add another show to their schedule.

"We were here to perform a show later this week, but today we are here to perform for the Santa Fe's homecoming," said Debbie Morton, an Apache Belles dancer, "One of our hometown guys is on the boat so we wanted to perform for him." I didn't get a good look at them to see if I knew some of them, but I am sure I do," he said.

Tyler, Tx. native, Machinist Mate Fireman Raymond Dalton was greeted by the team and interviewed by a Tyler television news reporter.

"The cruise was great but the last nine days have been very long. We knew the Belles were coming about four days in advance," said Dalton. "It's nice to see them.

As for the rest of the crew, some well-deserved relaxation is their next mission.

"We are all happy to be back in Pearl Harbor. We earned some time off," said Hale.

"It's great to be back. We hit some fun ports, but now I am going to enjoy some aloha, sunshine and surfing on the North Shore," said Machinist Mate 3rd Class Tristan Byers.

USS Santa Fe is the Navy's 52nd Los Angeles class nuclear-powered attack submarine. Commissioned on January 8, 1994 at Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Conn. USS Santa Fe is the second ship to be named in honor of the capital city of New Mexico.