The Navy’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget will ask Congress to fund one Virginia-class attack boat, a break from a steady two-per-year demand signal from the service and a sign that industry is still catching up to the current demand, three sources familiar with the proposed budget submission confirmed to USNI News.
The decision, initially contemplated last year, is a tacit recognition from the Navy and the Pentagon that the two shipyards building the attack boats and the industrial base can’t keep up with the two-per-year pace that the service says it needs to keep the fleet healthy, the sources all confirmed to USNI News.
The Navy has begun the most expensive building project in its history with construction of a $3.4 billion submarine-repair dry dock in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The initial work of installing foundational piles into the harbor waters began this month, with project completion expected by early 2028.
The initial work of installing foundational piles into the harbor waters began this month, with project completion expected by early 2028.
Celebrating 124 Years Defending Freedom from Under the Sea!
Commodores, Commanding Officers, CSP N-Heads, Command Master Chiefs, and friends of the Submarine Community,
Aloha, the 2024 Submarine Birthday Ball message is out and provided below. This year’s theme celebrates and honors the warrior spirit and is “HO’ONĀKOA” – to be brave, bold, and have courage.
The hotel registration link is active and there are 50 rooms for each night at $202/night + $40 hotel fee. Current cheapest room through direct booking with Hilton is $305/night + various fees and taxes.
For the Wardroom, the EventZilla link is live and active, tickets can now be purchased. We are experiencing some difficulties with EventZilla redirecting to the Hilton hotel reservation link, so if you receive an error message, please try copy/pasting the link directly into a new window and it should work as intended.
LT Adam L. Davis Flag Secretary & Staff Executive Officer Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet
—–OFFICIAL INFORMATION DISPATCH FOLLOWS—– RAAUZYUW RUOIAAA9005 0440019-UUUU–RUOIAAA. ZNR UUUUU R 130015Z FEB 24 MID60010090253574S FM COMSUBPAC PEARL HARBOR HI TO RUOIAAA/COMSUBRON ONE RUOIAAA/COMSUBRON SEVEN RUOIAAA/NAVSUBTRACENPAC PEARL HARBOR HI RUOIAAA/NAVSHIPYD AND IMF PEARL HARBOR HI RUOIAAA/SUBREADRON THREE THREE INFO ZEN/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUOIAAA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI RUOIAAA/JB PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM HI RUOIAAA/NAVSUP FLT LOG CTR PEARL HARBOR HI ZEN/SDV TEAM ONE ZEN/NAVSPECWARGRU EIGHT LOGSUPPU PEARL HARBOR HI RUOIAAA/NAVIOCOM HAWAII RUOIAAA/COMSUBPAC PEARL HARBOR HI BT UNCLAS MSGID/GENADMIN/COMSUBPAC// SUB/124TH PEARL HARBOR SUBMARINE BIRTHDAY BALL// POC/DAVIS, ADAM/LT/COMSUBPAC/-/TEL:808-473-2458/ EMAIL:ADAM.L.DAVIS26.MIL(AT)US.NAVY.MIL// POC/BREY,CHRIS/CMDCM/COMSUBPAC/-/TEL:808-473-1378/ EMAIL: CHRISTOPHER.L.BREY.MIL(AT)US.NAVY.MIL// RMKS/1. 2024 MARKS THE 124TH ANNIVERSARY OF SUBMARINE SERVICE IN PEARL HARBOR. TO HONOR OUR PAST AND CELEBRATE OUR FUTURE, SUBMARINE ENLISTED AND OFFICER BIRTHDAY BALLS, RESPECTIVELY, WILL BE HELD ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, 12 AND 13 APRIL 2024 AT THE HILTON HAWAIIAN VILLAGE. THIS YEAR’S THEME WILL BE “HO’ONAKOA” OR TO BE BRAVE, BOLD, AND HAVE COURAGE. 2. ALL SUBMARINERS – ENLISTED, OFFICERS, ACTIVE, RESERVE, RETIRED, AND ALL FRIENDS OF THE SUBMARINE FORCE, CIVILIAN AND MILITARY, ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THE PEARL HARBOR SUBMARINE BIRTHDAY BALLS. THIS MESSAGE PROVIDES THE LATEST INFORMATION FOR PURCHASING SUBMARINE BIRTHDAY BALL TICKETS AND RESERVING HOTEL ROOMS. 3. LOGISTICS. A. PEARL HARBOR ENLISTED SUBMARINE BIRTHDAY BALL WILL BE HELD FRIDAY, 12 APRIL 2024 IN THE HILTON HAWAIIAN VILLAGE CORAL LOUNGE AND BALLROOM, COMMENCING WITH SOCIAL HOUR (CASH BAR) AT 1700 AND PROGRAM BEGINNING AT 1800. (1) TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE VIA COMMAND SUBMARINE BALL REPRESENTATIVES FOR $100 EACH. (2) UNIFORM. – FULL DRESS WHITES OR DINNER DRESS WHITE JACKET. – CIVILIAN – BLACK TIE OR FORMAL BUSINESS ATTIRE. – COVERS ARE NOT REQUIRED. B. PEARL HARBOR OFFICER SUBMARINE BIRTHDAY BALL WILL BE HELD SATURDAY, 13 APRIL 2023 IN THE HILTON HAWAIIAN VILLAGE CORAL LOUNGE AND BALLROOM, COMMENCING WITH SOCIAL HOUR (CASH BAR) AT 1700 AND PROGRAM BEGINNING AT 1800. (1) TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE VIA EVENTZILLA, https://events.eventzilla.net/e/124th-pearl-harbor-submarine-birthday-ball-officer-2138606437 SELECT THE EVENT, 2024 PEARL HARBOR OFFICERS SUBMARINE BIRTHDAY BALL, OR SEARCH EVENTS BY LOCATION, HONOLULU, HI. – SELECT THE NUMBER OF TICKETS, DINNER PREFERENCE AND COMMAND, RETIREE, OR CIVILIAN. TICKETS ARE $110 EACH FOR O3 AND BELOW OR $130 EACH FOR O4 AND ABOVE AND CAN BE PURCHASED WITH A CREDIT CARD OR BY PAYPAL. – TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED NO LATER THAN 5 APRIL TO ENSURE GUESTS ARE SEATED WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMANDS. (2) UNIFORM. – O5 & ABOVE: DINNER DRESS WHITE JACKET. – O4 & BELOW: DINNER DRESS WHITE OR OPTIONAL DINNER DRESS WHITE JACKET. – CIVILIAN – BLACK TIE OR FORMAL BUSINESS ATTIRE. – COVERS ARE NOT REQUIRED. (3) INFORMATION FOR ASHORE AND AFLOAT COMMAND RECOGNITION AND CENTERPIECE COMPETITION WILL BE PROMULGATED SEPCOR. 4. HOTEL RESERVATIONS. FOR BOTH THE OFFICER AND ENLISTED SUBMARINE BIRTHDAY BALL, A BLOCK OF ROOMS AT THE HILTON HAWAIIAN VILLAGE AND HILTON DOUBLE TREE ARE AVAILABLE. SPECIAL RATE ONLY APPLIES FOR ROOMS BETWEEN 12-13 APRIL 2023. (1) HILTON HAWAIIAN VILLAGE – 50 ROOMS ARE AVAILABLE PER NIGHT. – NIGHTLY RATE OF $202, $40 PER NIGHT FOR OVERNIGHT PARKING. – EVENT LINK: https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/usnsubmarinebirthdayball/ 5. ALL WHO READ THIS MESSAGE ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE PART IN THIS TIME HONORED TRADITION AS WE CELEBRATE THE 124th ANNIVERSARY OF OUR FORCE AND PROVIDE TRIBUTE TO THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US TO DEFEND FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY FROM UNDER THE SEA.// BT #9005 NNNN
Dolphin Scholarship Foundation | February 13, 2024
Grab your pen and start sketching!
Contest Rules
1. Twelve (12) drawings will be selected for the 2025 Dolphin Scholarship Foundation cartoon calendar.
2. Drawings are to be humorous and submarine themed depicting life in the Submarine Service.
3. All cartoons must be: - Original artwork, not copies. - Hand drawn in black ink (not pencil) on white paper OR black & white computer generated. - Landscape orientated on 8 ½ x 11 paper.
4. Please print on a separate piece of paper: - Artist’s Name; - If current or former military member: rank/rate and duty station; - If dependent: sponsor’s name, rank/rate, duty station, and artist’s age if under 18; - Mailing address, e-mail address, & phone number.
5. Please DO NOT fold entry.
6. $100.00 cash prize for each selected cartoon.
7. Entries due by June 15, 2024.
Direct all entries (keep the originals!) or questions to:
Dolphin Scholarship Foundation 4966 Euclid Road, Suite 109 Virginia Beach, VA 23462
***IF SENDING DIGITALLY, PLEASE RETAIN ORIGINAL. WE MAY REQUEST A PAPER COPY IF A HIGHER RESOLUTION IS NEEDED FOR PUBLISHING***
Our Contact Information Dolphin Scholarship Foundation 4966 Euclid Road, Suite 109 Virginia Beach, VA 23462 757-671-3200 http://www.dolphinscholarship.org
A second, larger contingent of Australian sailors is training alongside U.S. counterparts on Guam as part of an agreement to create a nuclear-powered submarine force for the Australian navy.
Australia sent 37 officers and enlisted personnel to Naval Base Guam to train aboard the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land, according to a Feb. 4 news release from the country’s Department of Defence.
HONOLULU, HI – DECEMBER 07: The Pass-in-Review by the USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) as Pearl Harbor Commemorates the 78th Anniversary Of World War II Attacks at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial on December 7, 2019 in Honolulu, Hawaii. On the morning of December 7, 1941 the Japanese mounted a surprise military air strike on the naval base at Pearl Harbor leading to the United States’ formal entry into World War II the next day. 2,335 were killed in the attack and dozens of naval ships were damaged or sunk. (Photo by Kat Wade/Getty Images)
By the time police responded to a call shortly before 10 a.m. regarding a Chinese man and woman conducting surveillance near a security entrance of the historic Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, the two fled in what police identified as a 2021 silver Nissan Altima, with unidentified plates.
The two suspects had been “capturing digital media of the entry control point,” police said. Later that afternoon the pair–a man with a black crew cut and the woman with shoulder-length hair, a pink top, and a white skirt–appeared at another entry point. Police issued a “BOLO,” or “be-on-the-lookout,” notice for the two at all base entrances.
What allows the Pasadena, as well as every submarine in the Navy’s fleet, to live up to the “anytime, anywhere” motto is the ability to be self-sufficient. This includes making its own fresh water and oxygen for the 140 sailors on board.
“Every time we make the decision to surface, we are saying, ‘Here we are,’ ” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Eddie Murray, the master chief of the Pasadena’s engineering department.
The Navy said Friday that it will allow those without a high school diploma to enlist as long as they score a 50 or higher on the Armed Forces Qualification Test that all prospects must take, the latest move to boost recruitment in the face of an historic recruiting crisis reverberating across the services.
Slouching tiger: For the second year running, Heritage’s Index of U.S. Military Strength has given the U.S. military an overall rating of “weak.” America’s response to the Chinese spy balloon is just one example of a military leadership that lacks the capability to ensure a strong national defense.
Retired Green Beret Joe Kent spoke at the launch of the Index and emphasized how the military has suffered under the Biden administration’s incompetence, which includes the blanket vaccine mandate that contributed to its recruitment crisis.
Hidden dragon: Heritage also released the 2024 China Transparency Report, which details the lack of transparency in Communist-controlled China and describes how this corruption poses a direct threat to the U.S.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Heritage President Dr. Kevin Roberts said “the Chinese Communist Party has become the number one adversary, not just for Americans, but for free people around the world.”
Happy Three-Year Anniversary toOur Renovated Museum
It’s hard to believe it has already been three years since we reopened the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum following a two-year, $20 million renovation. Since then, nearly one million visitors have immersed themselves in the history of the United States Navy’s Submarine Force during World War II, the Cold War period, today, and into the future.
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive:
“Great museum and an excellent submarine walk-through. Being able to actually walk the top deck of the sub was a cool experience. The museum itself was fun with interactive experiences and short films that provided a lot of good information. There is also a covered patio with tables and a food truck, which we ended up eating at. A great visit!” – The Laguna Chef
“Very interesting site and educational and well-done museum. Unbelievable how submariners lived and worked in WWII!” – Sandra K.
“This was extremely extraordinary. It was worth the money. Very informative. Lots to see and you get a feel of how the crew would have felt in close quarters.” – Darlene A.
Says Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum Executive Director Chuck Merkel, “While the Bowfin submarine is the main attraction, the museum adds another layer to the visitor experience. It provides an educational component that explains the story and sacrifice made by our submariners over the decades. Archive photos and interactive displays provide depth to our story, and we show the STEM connection on the science of how a submarine works and how technology has improved over the years.”
We’ve revamped our website to better tell the story of the Bowfin, the bravery of her crew, and the history of the U.S. Navy’s submarine force. With brighter, more attractive graphics and an enhanced user experience, our new website makes it easier to book museum tours and visit our online museum shop. Take a peek here atwww.bowfin.org.
Honoring Our Bowfin Crew: Robert Beynon
Born in August 1924 in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Dr. Robert Beynon embarked on a remarkable journey to the USS Bowfin (SS-287), where he served as an electrician during Patrols 8-9.
After completing electrician school in New London, Connecticut, Beynon was given the choice between submarines and landing craft. Opting for the less-traveled path, he selected to work on submarines and went on to engage in nine successful patrols, playing a role in the sinking of 44 ships.
In his 2002 book, “The Pearl Harbor Avenger, U.S.S. Bowfin,” Beynon highlights the unwavering spirit of his crew and the achievements of the 220 men who manned the ship during its nine war patrols.
Beynon’s story is a testament to human resilience, the impact of education, and the enduring bonds of brotherhood in the face of adversity. His evolution from a young electrician to a decorated veteran and esteemed scholar inspires and shows that even challenging paths can lead to remarkable destinations.
Bowfin Pearl Harbor Base 