Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro announced that the future Virginia-class submarine (SSN-813) will be named USS Atlanta during a ceremony at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in the city on Wednesday.
“It has been 25 years since the Navy has had a ship named after the proud legacy of the city of Atlanta. Today, it is my honor and privilege to name the next Virginia-class submarine, SSN-813, USS Atlanta,” he said in a Navy release.
The submarine’s naming is in line with the precedent of selecting cities as names for the Virginia-class boats. Five other ships have been named for the Georgia capital.
The USS Washington, a Navy fast-attack submarine, has been awarded a prestigious unit award for its work in securing key intelligence while deployed to the European theater, the service revealed in a statement.
The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, also known as the “Blackfish,” was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for “outstanding performance in action while conducting operations within U.S. Sixth Fleet” during a recent six-month deployment, a Navy statement announced Friday.
REGISTRATION IS OPEN for the USSVI Western Region Roundup 2025, scheduled for March 6-9, 2025 aboard “The Queen Mary” and hosted by the LA/Pasadena Base. The preparation is well underway, and the committee is looking forward to holding the event on this beautifully restored ship.
Registering is easy using our online Registration, Hotel Booking and Payment system which makes short work of the process. Your early registration will be a great help as we continue with the planning. Register Online Today!
As always, the goal of the Roundup is to provide a way for all Submariners to gather for their mutual benefit and enjoyment.
To perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives while voluntarily serving in submarine warfare in the pursuit of their duties while serving their country. That their dedication, deeds and supreme sacrifice be a constant source of motivation toward greater accomplishments. To further promote and keep alive the spirit and unity that existed among submarine crewmen during World War II. To promote sociability general welfare and good fellowship among our members. To pledge loyalty and patriotism to the United States of America and it’s constitution.
1. Bowfin Pearl Harbor Base
Bowfin Meeting – We conducted our October meeting at Clean Sweep Bar, Lockwood Hall. The following members attended – Base Commander Paul Jurcsak, Secretary Brett Kulbis, Treasurer Carl Tatro, COB Gary Johnson, and members Dave Atkins, George Barlett, David Bilek, Rodney Boucher, Allen Clemons, Chris Cunha, David Danby, Dan Del Monte, Karl Dye, Paul Ferguson, Ben McGowan, Crichton Roberts, Pat Suenaga, Wade Thode, and Ken Voorhees.
It was wonderful to see Chris Cunha and Paul Ferguson.
On October 19, Bowfin Subvet Dan Del Monte will be 1 of 96 people participating in the 15th Annual Over The Edge fundraiser for the athletes of Special Olympics Hawai’i. He will be rappelling 40 stories – that’s 400 feet – down the side of the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa for this great cause!
If you would like to support Dan and the Hawai’i Special Olympics please click HERE and donate TODAY! Dan’s goal is to raise over $4,000.
It is estimated that more than 25% of active-duty military families and 10% of veteran families in our area need assistance with food. The ASYMCA Marketplace helps to combat this issue in the community we serve. This program helps military families worry less about food and focus on mission readiness.
The ASYMCA Marketplace provides no-cost food assistance to active duty, guard, and reserve service members and their dependents in need of food assistance. For information on using this assistance, click HERE for more information.
4.Still On Patrol
Tolling of the bells for boats lost in the month of October.
Three living Nisei Veterans with Nisei Veteran Relatives. Photo courtesy of Clyde Sugimoto.
I was proud to represent my various veteran organizations at the 19th Annual Nisei Veterans Ceremony at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, as a Subvet, DAV Commander Chapter 1, VFW Post 1540 Trustee and Gold Legacy Member, VVA Life Member, and Japanese Hawai’i Veteran.
I am fourth Generation in Hawaii (Yonsei), my Dad was a third generation (Sansei) (also a veteran of the Army Air Corps as a MP and Translator during the post war occupied Japan at Johnson AFB near Tokyo. I have relatives that served in the 442nd and 100th Infantry.
Three living Nisei Veterans with Hawai’i Service Members and Veterans. Photo courtesy of Clyde Sugimoto.Myself, Dr. Joe Skoda (Commander VFW State of California) and his Wife Vanessa Phelps, Joe and Vanessa are also Members of Chapter 1 DAV the largest in Hawaii. Photo courtesy of Clyde Sugimoto.
Commander Joe and Pat with INDOPACOM Deputy Chief of Staff Col Melissa Tallent.
Pat Suenaga MMC(SS) USN RET Life Member: DAV, VFW, USSVI, VVA MEMBER SLAA, AMERICAN LEGION, NVL, JCCH, NAVY LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES, PACIFIC FLEET SUBMARINE MEMORIAL ASSN. BOC 1 CERTIFIED 2018 COMSUBPAC Submarine Veteran of the Year VFW Post 1540 Trustee DAV Chapter 1 Commander DAV Dept of Hi Jr Vice Commander Director Korean War Foundation Inc. Director Nisei Veterans Legacy
Navy leaders this week identified an aircraft carrier and two submarines affected by faulty weld issues during work at the Newport News Shipyard in Virginia, but say that the substandard work did not take place on components that affect ship safety or operations.
Based on current construction performance, the Navy reported in April 2024 that the first (lead) Columbia class submarine is estimated to be delivered 12 to 16 months after its originally planned date. This would result in delivery between October 2028 and February 2029. A late delivery could ultimately jeopardize the lead submarine’s planned availability for operations in 2030.
According to GAO’s analysis of program data from January 2022 through May 2023, cost and schedule performance for lead submarine construction has consistently fallen short of targets. Through early 2024, those trends had not improved, and future risks will likely add to current cost and schedule growth. The program has reported that the shipbuilder needs to take swift and significant actions to address the causes of poor construction performance. However, as GAO has previously reported, the program has tried to mitigate some of these causes—such as late materials and detailed design products—for years.
WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it will conduct a scientific assessment to determine if there is a relationship between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure during military service and kidney cancer among Veterans.
This scientific assessment — a process codified under the PACT Act — will help VA determine if kidney cancer should be considered a presumptive service-connected condition for Veterans exposed to PFAS. When a condition is considered presumptive, eligible Veterans do not need to prove that their service caused their disease in order to receive benefits for it; instead, if they served in certain locations during certain time periods, VA automatically assumes (or “presumes”) that exposure during military service caused the disease and provides benefits accordingly.
This review is a part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to expand benefits and services for toxic-exposed Veterans and their families, and helps advance the President’s Unity Agenda and Biden Cancer Moonshot goals to understand and address environmental and toxic exposures and end cancer as we know it. As a part of these efforts, VA expeditedhealth care and benefits eligibility under the PACT Act by several years — including extending presumptions for head cancer, neck cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, reproductive cancer, lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, melanoma, hypertension for Vietnam Veterans, and much more. Since the PACT Act was signed into law, VA has extended presumptions for more than 300 new conditions, includingmost recently for male breast cancer, urethral cancer, and cancer of the paraurethral glands.
“At VA, we want to understand the health conditions that Veterans are living with so we can provide them with all of the benefits they deserve — and that’s what this review process is all about,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “As a result of this scientific review, we may be able to make kidney cancer a presumptive condition for Veterans exposed to PFAS, thus lowering the burden of proof on these Veterans. But make no mistake: Veterans should not wait for the outcome of this review to apply for the benefits and care they deserve. If you’re a Veteran and believe your military service has negatively impacted your health, we encourage you to apply for VA care and benefits today.”
PFAS are a class of over 12,000 chemicals and have been used in the military since the early 1970s. VA’s assessment methodology follows guidance from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and other key stakeholders, and will consider available peer-reviewed scientific literature, Veteran claims data, and other relevant data. Regardless of whether a condition is an established presumptive condition, VA will consider claims on a case-by-case basis and can grant disability compensation benefits if sufficient evidence of service-connection is found — and VA is always working to get to yes.
VA prioritizes claims processing for Veterans with cancer and offers comprehensive cancer care services to Veterans across the nation — from screening through treatment. Since President Biden signed the PACT Act into law, VA has delivered disability compensation benefits to more than one million Veterans and their survivors, amounting to more than $7 billion in earned PACT Act benefits. During the same period, nearly 740,000 Veterans have enrolled in VA care and more than 5.6 million Veterans have been screened for toxic exposures.
VA is soliciting public comment on the proposed scientific assessment between PFAS exposure and kidney cancer via the Federal Register. The public will have a 30-day period to provide comments. VA will also host a listening session on Nov. 19, 2024, to allow individuals to share research and input. Individuals interested in participating can registerhere. The public may also comment via either forum on other conditions that would benefit from review for potential service-connection. ###
VA encourages all eligible Veterans and survivors to enroll in health care and file a claim. For more information about the PACT Act and a full list of presumptive conditions covered under the law, visit VA.gov/PACT.For more information about VA cancer care, visitcancer.va.gov.
Mahalo,
Yolanda R. Ehere Secretary State of Hawaii Office of Veterans’ Services (Tripler Army Medical Center) 459 Patterson Rd. E Wing, Rm 1-A103 Honolulu, HI 96819 Phone: (808) 433-0423 Fax: (808) 433-0385 Email: yolanda.r.ehere@hawaii.gov Website: http://dod.hawaii.gov/ovs/
Shipuilder Newport News Shipbuilding, Va., informed the Department of Justice of faulty welds that may have been made intentionally on non-critical components on on new construction and in-service submarines and Ford-class aircraft carriers, USNI News has learned.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition Nickolas Guertin told Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti the workers did not follow proper techniques to weld the suspect joints with an early indication that some of the welding errors were intentional. Based on the Newport News assessment of the welds, the shipyard notified the Department of Justice over the issue.
A U.S. fast-attack submarine and its crew of around 130 sailors arrived at South Korea’s largest port on Monday, the first stop in Busan by a U.S. sub that’s been closed since December.
The USS Vermont’s visit to the city, about 200 miles south of Seoul, is a scheduled port visit, Submarine Group 7 spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Samuel Boyle said in an emailed statement Monday.
Bowfin Pearl Harbor Base 