Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan Riley | 260806-N-MZ309-1204 KEYPORT, Wash. (Aug. 6, 2026) Capt. Justin Hoff, commanding...... read more read more
Subscribe
KEYPORT, Wash. – Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS San Juan (SSN 751) held a decommissioning ceremony at the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport, Washington, Aug. 6, marking the end of a distinguished 38-years in service.
Held on the anniversary of the ship’s commissioning, the ceremony marks the decommissioning of the only U.S. Navy submarine named for the capital city of Puerto Rico.
Commissioned in 1988, San Juan joined the fleet as the first of the 'improved' Los Angeles-class submarines. This enhanced design provided capabilities that would define the next generation of submarine warfare, incorporating strengthened sail for ice operations along with advancements in sonar and combat systems. Due to those innovations, San Juan remained ready and effective for decades after construction, allowing the ship to adapt to evolving operational demands and remain a capable presence in the undersea force for nearly forty years.
Throughout the ship’s service, San Juan completed multiple deployments and completed missions across the spectrum of submarine operations around the globe. During its final underway in 2023, San Juan navigated the Northwest Passage alongside Canadian and allied forces.
Over the past several years, USS San Juan has forged a renewed relationship with Puerto Rico. Working alongside Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón, San Juan Mayor Miguel A. Romero Lugo, local officials, veterans' organizations, and community leaders, the crew reinforced the connection between the submarine and its namesake city through official correspondence, historical preservation efforts, and community outreach initiatives. These efforts have strengthened a collaborative relationship focused on preserving the submarine's history and honoring the crew.
"To lead Sailors in service to our nation is among the greatest privileges and highest honors entrusted to a commanding officer," said Capt. Justin Hoff, final commanding officer of San Juan. "From the day I assumed command, the mission I set forth before this crew was clear: to remain ready, willing, and able in every task and challenge we were called upon to meet. Through steadfast dedication, professionalism, sacrifice, and pride, the crew of San Juan have fulfilled that mission with distinction."
The San Juan’s impact extends well beyond each crew's tour aboard the submarine. Throughout its years of service, the wardroom, Chiefs Mess, and crew developed officers and enlisted leaders who later served throughout the fleet and at senior levels of national defense.
Among those who served aboard San Juan include retired Rear Adm. Charles Young, the submarine's first commanding officer; retired Vice Adm. Joseph Mulloy, former deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Integration of Capabilities and Resources; Rear Adm. Ollie Lewis; Rear Adm. John Craddock; and Dr. John F. Plumb, a former submarine officer who later served as the first assistant secretary of defense for space policy.
During the ceremony, former and current crew members stood together once more, accompanied by family, friends, and supporters whose lives have been shaped by San Juan across generations of service. For some, the ceremony closed a chapter that began in Groton in 1988. For others, it was their first opportunity to experience the history of a submarine they had known only through the stories shared by their loved ones. For all, it was a final opportunity to bid “fair winds and following seas” to a ship that has faithfully stood its final watch.
San Juan is assigned to Commander, Submarine Group (COMSUBGRU) 9 which exercises tactical and administrative control authority for assigned submarine commands and units in the Pacific Northwest providing oversight for shipboard training, personnel, supply, and material readiness of submarines and their crews. COMSUBGRU 9 is also responsible for nuclear submarines undergoing conversion or overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton.
| Date Taken: | 08.06.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.06.2026 19:13 |
| Story ID: | 571774 |
| Location: | KEYPORT, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 74 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, USS San Juan Holds Decommissioning Ceremony After Nearly Four Decades of Service, by PO2 Randy Breigle, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
