"Tending" to Business


Since 06-07-03

by J02 Terrina Reed, USS Emory S. Land (AS-39)

 

As our designator suggests, the USS Emory S. Land (AS-39) is a "submarine tender" and a member of the Submarine Community. This has earned us the right to fly the Submarine Centennial Jack, and most of the time - wherever we are - the "customers" tied up alongside are nuclear-­powered submarines.

But not always. Since there are no longer any active destroyer tenders, our services have been much in demand by surface ships as well - particularly when they're on deployment. In the past month, three surface ships have come to Land to take advantage of her skilled crafts­men and 53 specialized technical shops, all contained in a ship the size of a small town. A six-day availability for surface ships in Souda Bay, Crete de­manded 8,733 man-hours from Land's crew, in hundreds of jobs that ranged from hanging pictures to the more complicated task of replacing 350 feet of lagging. Repair parties turned to at 0700 and frequently were still at it until after 2200.

This required an unbelievable amount of overtime from the crew, according to ETI (SS/SW) Michael Harvey, the ship's maintenance supervi­sor. Since Land doesn't normally carry technical documentation for surface ships, it's been difficult sometimes to meet all the needs brought to us by our surface counterparts. "Everything is a challenge and the learning curve is very steep," said Harvey. "But we're learning what it is they need and the knowledge and skills we need to support them." So call us a "submarine ten­der" if you must. But we're really a Mediterranean Fleet Support Ship. We're here to serve, and we're ready for your "boat". . . whether it submerges or not.