USS Santa Fe (SSN-763)

USS "Santa Fe" (SSN-763), a "Los Angeles"-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Santa Fe, New Mexico. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 21 March 1986 and her keel was laid down on 9 July 1991. She was launched on 12 December 1992 sponsored by Mrs. Joy Johnson, and commissioned on 8 January 1994, with Commander Rodger P. Krull in command. The current Captain of "Santa Fe" is Commander Vernon Parks who assumed command from Commander J. Stephen Perry in January 2007. Her most successful Captain was L. David Marquet who led the ship through highly successful deployments in 1999 and 2001, her first Battle "E" and numerous awards. His leadership was recognized by Franklin Covey in his book The Eighth Habit.

"Santa Fe" deployed for another Western Pacific deployment in September 2003 to March 2004. For this deployment she participated in ANNUALEX '03 with the Japanese Maritime Defense Force. The ship made port calls in Singapore, Guam, multiple times in Sasebo, Japan, and in Yokosuka, Japan in which she rode out a typhoon while in port. "Santa Fe" was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation, the second highest award given to a submarine, for actions completed on this deployment. She underwent a three month Interim Drydocking in October 2004.

After the ship completed sea trials and other various workups she then completed a two month Eastern Pacific Deployment that started in May 2005. After returning back to her homeport of Pearl Harbor in June 2005, she again deployed to the Western Pacific on August 9, 2005. During this deployment she participated in Exercise Malabar with the Indian Navy. "Santa Fe" was only the second U.S. nuclear submarine to participate in the exercise and also to port in Goa, India. After Malabar the ship made a brief stop in Phuket, Thailand. It was the first U.S. submarine to do so since 2001. The ship returned to Pearl Harbor in February 2006. She made the transit to the East Coast in July 2006, surfacing near the North Pole on the way.

USS "Santa Fe" recently completed a major repair period lasting 18 months at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.Fact|date=March 2007 After undergoing sea trials at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia and transiting through the Panama Canal, she has returned to her homeport of Pearl Harbor, HI.

Awards

* In 2000 she won the Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy for most improved ship in the Fleet.
* In 2001 she won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award.
* In 2005 she was awarded the Naval Unit Commendation which is the second highest award that can be given to a Naval vessel.
* In 2006 "Santa Fe" was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation.

External links

* [http://www.csp.navy.mil/css7/763.htm USS Santa Fe official website]
* [http://www.csp.navy.mil/news/santafeab.htm Santa Fe Wins Arleigh Burke Trophy]
* [http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=17500 Submarine Commodore Mentioned in Covey Book]

References