USS La Jolla Departs for Western Pacific Deployment
By MC2 Steven Khor
COMSUBPAC Public Affairs

Release Date: 8/30/2012

(PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii) – Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS La Jolla (SSN 701) departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Thursday, Aug. 30, for a scheduled six-month deployment in the Western Pacific region.

USS La Jolla's commanding officer, Cmdr. Jeff Bernard, commented that the crew is extremely excited and well prepared to get underway.

"It's a new team. We are very excited about our tasking, and I'm very excited about the potential for professional growth with all our crew members," said Bernard.

This deployment will be the first for the majority of the crew, where according to Bernard; they will be conducting many training exercises and qualifications as well being available for any tasking which comes their way.

"Our goals are to safely navigate the ship throughout the Western Pacific, conduct ourselves as ambassadors ashore with pride, and return the ship safely back to Pearl Harbor," said Bernard.

USS La Jolla is named for La Jolla, Calif. and is the first warship named after this township. Commissioned Oct. 24, 1981, La Jolla is the fourteenth ship of the Los Angeles-class of nuclear attack submarines, is 360-feet long and displaces 6,900 tons. The submarine can be armed with sophisticated Mark-48 ADCAP anti-submarine torpedoes and Tomahawk guided cruise missiles.