JUNE 5, 2025 – The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Columbia (SSN 771) returned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam following a seven-month deployment, June 1, 2025.
Columbia departed Pearl Harbor in November 2024 for the regularly scheduled deployment, during which the submarine and its crew performed a full spectrum of operations in the Indo-Pacific region.
“I am proud of the crew for their hard work in preparing for and conducting this extended deployment,” said Cmdr. Brad Foster, Columbia’s commanding officer. “Their enthusiasm, integrity, and tenacity made it possible for Columbia to demonstrate the long-range endurance and advanced capabilities of the submarine.”
Columbia’s crew trained for combat readiness before departure and maintained high standards throughout the deployment. Throughout the deployment, Columbia meritoriously advanced four Sailors during the advancement cycle and ranked higher than the Navy-wide average with nine E-6, nine E-5, and eight E-4 advancements.
“In the beginning, there was some nervousness, but our crew is impressively resilient,” said Master Chief Sonar Technician Justin Culbertson, Columbia’s chief of the boat. “Seeing the transformation of less experienced Sailors doing a job for the first time, then performing well beyond our expectations and with confidence, was rewarding.”
During the seven months deployed, 36 Sailors and eight officers earned their Submarine Warfare Insignia.
“Being away, at sea, leaving behind our families and loved ones, we all became a family of our own design,” said Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Skylar Magallanes. “We became a family of submariners capable of the most complex tasks underway in the deepest of oceans, all to protect our nation and families at home.”
Columbia was commissioned Sept. 24, 1994, and is the 60th Los-Angeles class submarine, named for the cities of Columbia in Missouri, Illinois, and South Carolina. At 360 feet long with a beam of 33 feet, the Los Angeles-class submarine is capable of supporting various missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Scott Barnes
Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet