The USS Los Angeles attack submarine is in the Port of Los Angeles for its decommissioning ceremony Saturday. (Robert Casillas/Staff Photographer)
Glancing at the green-and-black sonar screens aboard the USS Los Angeles, Cmdr. Steven Harrison reminisced about the brief 1 1/2 years he oversaw operations aboard the nuclear-powered submarine.
Goodwill stops throughout the Pacific Ocean and intense training missions are just some of the moments he will miss, but it's memories of his young crew that he'll cherish the most.
"Most of these guys are in their early 20s, but they're some of the brightest men in the Navy who are able to drive a nuclear submarine," Harrison said. "They don't know what to expect when they start out, but they realize it's an important job and don't mind being on a sub for 30 to 60 days at a time."
The 360-foot nuclear-powered sub the USS Los Angeles has patrolled the world s oceans for 33 years. Commander Steven Harrison explains the operation of its torpedo tubes. (Robert Casillas/Staff Photographer)
Harrison's crew of 141 officers and sailors are slowly disbanding as the USS Los Angeles prepares for a decommissioning ceremony this morning at the vessel's namesake port.
Many of the sub's former crew members will be on hand during the private event, which will feature speeches by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, and Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn.
After that, the submarine will head north to Bremerton, Wash., where it will be dismantled and likely turned into scrap metal by Dec. 1.
The USS Los Angeles was commissioned in 1976 to spy on enemy Soviet ships during the Cold War, spawning 44 similar models that will eventually be replaced over the next several years by the larger, more technologically advanced Virginia class of submarines.
But during the 1970s, the Los Angeles subs were considered to be revolutionary because they are stealthy and can move at speeds of up to 35 knots.
As relations thawed between the United States and the Soviet Union, the USS Los Angeles was used as a training and goodwill vessel that made all but one of its 18 deployments throughout the Pacific.
"The Los Angeles-class subs were designed for a 30-year lifespan and so, unfortunately, it's time to start taking them apart," said Lt. Cmdr. David Benham, a Navy spokesman.
A pair of Navy patrol boats have guarded the 360-foot-long submarine since it berthed at the southern tip of the Port of Los Angeles on Wednesday. About two-thirds of the vessel's black body is hidden by the port's murky waters, with the conning tower and periscopes visible to passers-by.
The windowless sub's control room is equipped with a mix of modern computers and equipment that dates back to the 1970s. A pair of periscopes and sonar equipment help the sailors navigate their way, sometimes plunging at depths of more than 800 feet in the Pacific Ocean.
"We're kind of blind when we're submerged," Harrison said. "We just listen, watch the bearings and that's how we drive around."
Machines, engines and a nuclear reactor comprise about two-thirds of the vessel. After doing some research online, San Diego native Paul Tuazon said he signed up for the Navy to specifically work as a submarine electrician.
"The fastest way to advance in the military is through the submarines, so I decided to go for it," Tuazon said. "Plus, being able to say that you can operate a nuclear reactor at the age of 24 is pretty great, too."
Narrow wood-paneled hallways and common areas are covered with awards and commendations that the submarine has received over the past three decades, including a framed thank-you note from President Jimmy Carter, who caught a ride in 1978.
The captain's state room is no bigger than a walk-in closet, equipped with a meeting area that converts into a bed. Next door, the second executive officer's bedroom is no larger than the cab of a big rig, while the submarine's chief officers crowd into three small rooms equipped with triple bunks. The rest of the crew sleeps in shifts in a nearby room equipped with three sets of triple bunks.
Despite the confined quarters, the Navy does not place height restrictions to serve on a submarine.
The limited space leads to lasting friendships, said Cassidy Siflinger, a 22-year-old sailor who has spent the past three years as a submarine technician.
"We all get along pretty good," said Siflinger, a Simi Valley native.
"When you're underwater, it's kind of like being kept indoors for a long time, so we watch a lot of movies and play video games together," Siflinger said. "It can get kind of boring, so you're lucky if you get to move any of the knobs in the control room."
Down the hall, the chief officers gather for meals and strategy meetings around a small blue table, which can quickly be converted into an operating bed in case of an emergency surgery. The rest of the crew members take turns eating in a small dining room that seats 24 people, while meals are prepared in an adjoining stainless steel galley.
The torpedo room is hidden in the lowest area of the submarine, equipped with computers and four 21-inch tubes to fire the massive explosives. The vast space is capable of holding up to 21 missiles, but was emptied last month to prepare for the decommissioning ceremony.
"It really is the end of an era because this ship is going to be cut up for scrap metal or recycled in just a few months," Harrison said. "But it was a great ride." (Source:dailybreeze)
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