By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Cynthia Clark, Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public AffairsPEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- USS Bremerton (SSN 698) returned to Pearl Harbor Naval Station, March 14, after completing her first set of sea trials in more than three years.
According to Capt. Stephen Marr, Commander, Submarine Squadron One, Bremerton entered the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in February 2004 for an engineering refuel and overhaul and had been in the shipyard ever since.
“It feels tremendous to have Bremerton join us at the submarine piers,” Marr said. “After three years of hard work in the shipyard, their first set of sea trials went superbly and ahead of schedule.”
Bremerton’s return to the submarine piers at Pearl Harbor Naval Station marks her as an up-and-running, operational submarine, ready and willing for service with the fleet.
“It’s good to be back in business,” said Cmdr. Thomas Zwolfer, Bremerton commanding officer. “It’s good to bring her back to her natural home. The shipyard did a good job getting the ship back together and we look forward to getting out to sea again as soon as possible.”
Both Zwolfer and Master Chief Fire Control Technician (SS) Dave Steele, Bremerton’s chief of the boat, agreed the crew’s “high morale and hard work were key to the success and completion to the underway.”
Bremerton, the 10th ship of the Los Angeles class of submarines, was commissioned March 28, 1981. With a crew of more than 120 enlisted and 10 officers, she is 360-feet long and has the capability to carry Tomahawk missiles and MK-48 torpedoes.