USS Alexandria submarine returns to Point Loma after 7-month deployment

Family and friends watch as the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Alexandria SSN returns to Naval Base Point Loma Thursday May Photo by U S Navy Mass Communication Specialist st Class Tiarra Brown The USS Alexandria SSN returned to Naval Base Point Loma this week following a seven-month deployment to the U S Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine left its Point Loma homeport last year on a regularly scheduled deployment in patronage of national defense objectives Upon returning Thursday Cmdr Chris Rose Alexandria s commanding officer noted he could not be prouder of my crew s resolve over the past seven plus months This crew went above and beyond no matter what was solicited of them he stated The Indo-Pacific Command includes nations in the Asia-Pacific region including Australia Japan Indonesia and the Philippines While deployed Alexandria conducted an integrated exercise with U S Marine Corps personnel assigned to Third Reconnaissance Battalion during and promptly after a scheduled port visit to Guam This crew did a phenomenal job in all aspects of this deployment mentioned Master Chief Machinist s Mate Auxiliary Mitchell Gatton Alexandria s chief of the boat I am especially proud of the submarine warfare devices earned by Alexandria Sailors which to me underscores the crew s commitment to continued advancement and improvement The Navy crew also made a scheduled port visit to Busan South Korea in an effort to maintain the strategic and critical relationship between the United States and South Korea This visit also provided an opportunity for Alexandria s crew to gain a deeper understanding of Korean beliefs Port visits give us that time to explore new places get chosen well-earned rest and experience the tradition food and hospitality of our Allied and partner nations Fire Control Technician rd Class Justin Guerra Upon arriving home and as part of a time-honored Navy tradition Electronics Technician Submarine Navigation rd Class Dylan Caruthers departed the boat for the first kiss I am thrilled to be home with my family and I m proud of all the great work we accomplished on deployment stated Torpedoman s Mate rd Class Ezekiel Hamner This morning when I heard the order to station the maneuvering watch and send line handlers topside it really hit that we were at the end of our deployment It was an awesome feeling USS Alexandria is the third ship to bear the name Alexandria The unit s motto is Twice as Strong which denotes the fact that it is named for Alexandria Virginia and Alexandria Louisiana She is the th Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine and was commissioned in Alexandria is assigned to Commander Submarine Squadron home to four Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines which are capable of supporting various missions including anti-submarine warfare anti-ship warfare strike warfare and intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance