Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Kaitlyn Eads | APRA HARBOR, Guam (Aug. 23, 2022) – Ens. Ryan Gettings, the quality assurance...... read more read more
The Emory S. Land-class submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) returned to its homeport of Apra Harbor, Guam, Aug. 23.
Frank Cable departed Guam June 11, kicking off her third patrol since turning over lead maintenance activity responsibilities with her sister ship, USS Emory S. Land (AS 39), in September 2021.
“I'm very proud of our combined U.S. Navy-Military Sealift Command crew,” said Capt. John Frye, Frank Cable's commanding officer. “They performed remarkably well as ambassadors of our Navy, helping to continue to strengthen partnerships with our Indo-Pacific neighbors.”
Frank Cable’s first port visit Singapore hosted the Republic of Singapore Navy’s Head of Submarine Systems Center, Military Expert 7 Chow Yuk Hin, along with other local submarine command leadership.
Frank Cable’s next stop was the seaside city of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia where leadership and subject matter experts participated in the 13th Royal Malaysian Navy and U.S. Navy Submarine Staff Talks with Royal Malaysian Navy officials. Frank Cable also hosted shipboard tours demonstrating the ship’s repair, rearm, and resupply capabilities.
After departing Malaysia, Frank Cable’s search-and-rescue (SAR) team took to the open ocean where they conducted man overboard drills in the South China Sea.
Frank Cable, one of only two submarine tenders in the U.S. Navy, is a hybrid crew consisting of both U.S. Navy Sailors and Military Sealift Command (MSC) civil service mariners. The MSC operated deck department along with SAR swimmers that ensure a crewmember's safe and quick rescue should they fall overboard.
“It keeps us ready, prepared, and focused when the time comes to deploy for a real casualty,” said MSC civil service mariner Carlos Laguana, from Guam, one of Frank Cable’s three SAR swimmers. “The drill helps us improve operational readiness, exercises our abilities to deploy effectively, and maintains our proficiency at all times while underway.”
The next city to host Frank Cable was the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. While in Jakarta, Frank Cable hosted the 6th Indonesian National Military-Naval Force and U.S. Navy Submarine Staff Talks, led by Rear Adm. Rick Seif, Commander, Submarine Group (SUBGRU) 7/Task Force (CTF) 74. Seif also attended a ceremony on board Frank Cable honoring the lost Indonesian submarine KRI Nanggala (402) that tragically sunk April 21, 2021 off the coast of Bali.
Returning to sea, Frank Cable held a wreath laying ceremony honoring the 53 Indonesian National Military-Naval Force sailors lost aboard Nanggala.
“Submariners are a special breed who depend on each other in perilous circumstances,” said Cmdr. Patricia Coley, command chaplain aboard Frank Cable, during the ceremony. “They have trust in each other that is greater than most. Many will never understand their call to duty, the call of the deep, and the call to a brotherhood that is stronger than most family bonds.”
Next, Frank Cable moored pierside in the city of Visakhapatnam, India, where they hosted several engagements, including a bilateral dinner with Indian Navy partners and several outreach events. Sailors played sports with children at the Ken Foundation Government Children Home for Boys and planted trees with female cadets of the National Cadet Corps at Andhra University.
Frank Cable’s last stop of the patrol was to Subic Bay, Philippines. The crew was able to relax and take in the sites of the coastal city.
“The crew performed exceptionally well during all of our port visits in the Indo-Pacific,” said Frank Cable’s Command Master Chief Norman Clarke. “I am extremely proud of the crew’s conduct ashore and at sea during our third patrol.”
Next up for the 43-year-old Frank Cable is a regularly scheduled maintenance period.
"With each port visit and exercise of this deployment, the crew of Frank Cable flawlessly executed logistics support, key leader engagements, and community outreach efforts that improved our readiness to operate alongside our allies and partners," said Seif. "The Frank Cable team once again demonstrated the unique capabilities of our forward-deployed submarine tenders and served as tremendous ambassadors of the U.S. Navy while operating throughout the U.S. 7th Fleet theater."
Frank Cable, forward-deployed to the island of Guam, repairs, rearms, and re-provisions submarines and surface vessels in the Indo-Pacific region. Frank Cable returned to homeport after conducting expeditionary maintenance and logistics in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
For more information about Frank Cable visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/FrankCableAS40
| Date Taken: | 08.23.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.31.2022 00:50 |
| Story ID: | 428359 |
| Location: | APRA HARBOR, GU |
| Web Views: | 671 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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