USS Topeka Returns From Deployment
While I love reporting on the accomplishments of all submarines, I'm always proudest to talk about the boats on which I used to serve (USS Topeka, USS Connecticut, and USS Jimmy Carter). That's why I was so happy to see that USS Topeka (SSN 754) had returned safely from another WestPac last week:
More pictures from her homecoming are here, here, and here. While it looks like they didn't get much in the way of port visits, they did visit the Philippines, which is fairly unusual for a submarine these days.I hope the crew enjoys their well-earned standdown time.
posted by Bubblehead at 11:21 PM
15 Comments:
I never handled lines in anything but dungrees. Always glad to see our guys make it home safely.
One visit to the Philippines was enough for me.
4/22/2008 6:42 AM
One three year shore tour in the Philippines was enough for me.
Hopefully Topeka got to get a little taste of what it was like before.
4/22/2008 6:53 AM
They used to make us do shore power in dress whites - you might as well buy a new set afterwards because there's no way to get them clean enough to pass an inspection when you're done. Nice of the old man to "award" us a $150 penalty for being nucs.
4/22/2008 6:55 AM
FTN,
That's a darn shame about shore power, I always had my e-div guys shift to working uniform to do shore power.
ex o-ganger.
4/22/2008 4:46 PM
Our CO gave us a choice - go up in whites if you wanted to do shore power while there was still singing & dancing on the pier, or wait until everyone left and do it in dungarees. Most people opted to trash their whites for the sake of going home sooner. Still a waste of money, as noted above.
4/22/2008 5:22 PM
Try doing it in Pearl, where you had to climb out on the boom to lower the cables. Even dungarees got trashed.
4/22/2008 7:08 PM
Two comments:
1. Topeka also had a brief stop in Pearl on the way home. Not a real West Pac port call, but fun for many just the same.
2. Climbing out on the Shore Power Boom in Pearl Harbor is now a thing of the past (too many safety concerns). Sadly that has also made bringing on Shore Power even slower in Pearl, since you now have to get a Shore Power Brow craned over at some of the piers.
Grumpy Old LDO
4/22/2008 10:27 PM
STANDOWN!!! - By "instruction" those guys should get 30 days, but they won't and no one gives a damn!
Each guy should have the opportunity to take 2 weeks leave and then the other 2 weeks showing up to the boat for duty only. The sub force treats its returnees like crap. The surface community for the most part gets this right.
CSP and CSF follow only those instructions which suit them!
Grumpy 24 year ETCS(SS/SW)
4/23/2008 10:00 AM
I am an STS1(SS) stationed aboard the USS CONNECTICUT (SSN-22). When we pulled in from deployment this January, our uniform was utilities. I thought this was strange but a welcome change due to shore power and rigging topside.
We also hit the PI (now referred to as the ROP), but I will save the details in an effort to save marriages. As far as standown was concerned, we had a full month of it with 2 weeks of leave and 2 weeks of duty only. However, the personnel who were augmented during deployment were denied leave. Since we did a change of homeport during deployment (left Groton, pulled in to Bremerton) some guys did not see their wives until long after standown was over. The submarine force is losing good submariners due to the way they treat them.
4/23/2008 3:14 PM
As a former member of both the ship's company and SUBRON 11, I can say at least in San Diego that we try to leave the ships alone during the post deployment standdown. It doesn't always work out the way we want, but that is often beyond the control of the squadron. For example, when the ship is getting ready to go into the drydock and specific maintenance items that the duty section can't do have to get done.
4/24/2008 10:54 AM
Way to go TOPEKA. Great to see you're still getting it done.
-Former TOPEKA O-ganger (2000-2002)
4/28/2008 7:54 PM
Our WESTPAC standdown was cut down to a little over two weeks for a scheduled upkeep. Most of the first week was dedicated to getting the boat ready for a Change o' Command. The last remaining days required us to show back up, not as frequently as COC preps, but always begain with COB saying, "We've only got a few days of standdown left and we've got a lot of work to do before upkeep." Us married O-gangers had an advantage, provided we got our leave chits in early enough. People were frequently called back in for painting, PMS, etc. You pretty much had to take leave if you wanted to avoid coming into work during standdown.
4/29/2008 9:33 AM
Welcome back crew of Topeka! You make us proud!
O-gang plankowner (1987-1992)
5/06/2008 1:43 PM
4 boats in 15 years of service, and three were an honor and pleasure to serve aboard. And then there was Topeka...
Hopefully the 754 is a better duty station than when I was aboard her.
12/30/2008 2:06 PM
Goodness, there is a lot of worthwhile info above!
10/13/2011 1:42 AM
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