LA-class submarine USS San Juan arrives at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for decommissioning

Peiyu Lin, Kitsap Sun
Updated ·2 min read
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The USS San Juan is flanked by the US Navy tug Baker as the submarine heads for Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton on Sept. 20.
The USS San Juan is flanked by the US Navy tug Baker as the submarine heads for Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton on Sept. 20.

BREMERTON — The Los Angeles class submarine USS San Juan (SSN 751) arrived in Bremerton Wednesday afternoon for its scheduled decommissioning and deactivation at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, after 35 years of service.

The San Juan departed the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut on Aug. 21, according to Submarine Readiness Squadron 32. Before heading to Puget Sound, the sub participated in its final exercise, Operation Nanook 2023 with the Canadian Armed Forces and the U.S. Coast Guard. As part of the annual sovereignty operation and maneuver warfare exercise, the San Juan transited from the East Coast to the West Coast through the Northwest Passage, according to spokesperson Lt. Corey T. Jones at Submarine Group 9.

The San Juan's last deployment was completed in June when it returned to Groton from a six-month deployment to the European Command area of responsibility, according to the Navy.

A reception planned by the Navy League of the U.S. Bremerton-Olympic Peninsula Council and the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Naval Submarine League will be hosted on October 6 to welcome the crew, the Navy League's spokesperson, Alan Beam confirmed.

The welcoming event will be at 4:30 p.m. at The Horse And Cow Pub And Grill in Bremerton.

The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS San Juan (SSN 751) prepares to sail in formation for a photo exercise for Operation Nanook, Aug. 29, 2023. OP NANOOK is an annual sovereignty operation and maneuver warfare exercise conducted by the Canadian Armed Forces in the Arctic, with participation by U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard.
The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS San Juan (SSN 751) prepares to sail in formation for a photo exercise for Operation Nanook, Aug. 29, 2023. OP NANOOK is an annual sovereignty operation and maneuver warfare exercise conducted by the Canadian Armed Forces in the Arctic, with participation by U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard.

The arrival of the 361-foot-long boat was a surprise for several local residents who happened to be at Bachmann Park or the surrounding area in the afternoon.

Carol Clingan, a health and PE teacher at Mountain View Middle School, saw the boat on her way home from school. Seeing the San Juan sailing into Bremerton brought a sense of nostalgia to the former military spouse. For 16 years Clingan would watch the USS Nevada leaving past the Hood Canal Bridge, as Clingan's ex-husband served on the Bangor-based USS Nevada in the 1990s.

"That's so cool," Clingan said for her first time seeing a submarine at the Bremerton waterfront.

Seabeck resident Paula Miller-Barth and her son, Hayden, stopped by the park to have lunch. Having a neighbor who retired from the Navy, Miller-Barth has heard a lot about submarines and felt a sense of patriotism watching it return. She brought up a video call with her mother in New York so her mother could see the submarine and shared the excitement through her cellphone screen.

The USS San Juan was commissioned in August 1988. It's the second U.S. warship named after San Juan, Puerto Rico. The boat has a crew of over 110 personnel, according to the Navy.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: USS San Juan to be decommissioned at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard