The U.S. Navy announced today that the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) will change its homeport to Naval Base Guam. As part of the U.S. Navy’s long range plan to put the most advanced and capable units forward, Emory S. Land will move to Guam from Diego Garcia to support four fast-attack submarines homeported in Guam and rotationally deployed submarines throughout the U.S. Pacific Fleet area of responsibility.
The decision to homeport Emory S. Land with its sister ship USS Frank Cable (AS 40) in Guam supports recent moves by the Navy in relocating submarines and provides essential forward support for those units to complete their missions.
Commissioned July 7, 1979, Emory S. Land and its integrated crew of approximately 350 officers and enlisted Sailors working alongside 150 civil service mariners provide logistical support including food, water, electricity and other consumables to the submarine forces. In terms of operational support, it provides ordnance, spare parts and maintenance support as required. Additionally, the ship provides medical, dental and legal services to submarine personnel.
As a forward deployed naval asset, Emory S. Land is tasked to provide expeditionary intermediate level maintenance and repairs, as well as provide hotel service and logistics support to deployed guided-missile and fast-attack submarines deployed in the U.S. Fifth and Seventh Fleet areas of operations.
The security environment in the Indo-Asia-Pacific requires the U.S. Navy to station the most capable ships forward. This action supports the maritime strategy to maintain naval presence where it matters, allows the most rapid response times possible for maritime and joint forces when it matters, and brings the Navy's most capable ships and submarines with the greatest amount of striking power and operational capability for contingency response.
