USS Colorado returns from deployment, just in time for Christmas
NavyTimes
By: Diana Stancy Correll
December 20, 2023
The fast-attack submarine Colorado wrapped up a six-month deployment to the European theater and arrived back at Naval Submarine Base New London in Connecticut on Tuesday.
While underway, the submarine steamed nearly 36,000 nautical miles and conducted port calls in Grøtsund, Norway, and Rota, Spain, according to the Navy. Additionally, 30 sailors out of the more than 130-person crew earned their submarine warfare devices during the deployment.
“It’s always great to have a homecoming and see families reunited,” Capt. Jason Grizzle, commander of Submarine Squadron 12, said in a Navy news release. “But to have one just in time for Christmas – seeing the joy and happiness on the pier today – it really emphasizes the sacrifice and commitment a submariner and their family makes to protect our nation’s interests.”
“Our submarines are unparalleled in the undersea domain, but submarines cannot execute their mission without the men and women who put in the work,” Grizzle said. “And they cannot operate without the love, support, and sacrifices their families make here at home - it’s truly a rewarding experience.”
The submarine joined the fleet in 2018 – the fourth U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name. The first ship named Colorado commissioned in 1858 and was named after the Colorado River. However, the Navy named the subsequent vessels after the state.
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