USS Emory S. Land departs La Maddalena

Oct 02, 2007
U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Sixth Fleet Public Affairs

LA MADDALENA, Sardinia — Sailors assigned to submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) man the rails Sept. 29, 2007 as the ship pulls out of her homeport in Italy for the final time. The ship is on a deployment to her new homeport in Bremerton, Wash., after eight years of service and support to the fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. (Department of Defense photo by Navy Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class R. David Valdez)

LA MADDALENA, Sardinia — As part of a previously scheduled homeport shift, the U.S. Navy ship Emory S. Land (AS 39) departed La Maddalena, Sardinia September 29, 2007.

In 2006, the U.S. and Italian governments jointly announced that the U.S. will withdraw its forces from Naval Support Activity La Maddalena, Italy. The decision was a result of the ongoing transformation efforts of the U.S. Navy in the European theater and is part of a realignment of U.S. defense posture globally.

The first part of the withdrawal comes with the USS Emory S. Land leaving. Homeported in La Maddalena since 1999, the submarine tender and its crew of approximately 850 Sailors will now be stationed in Bremerton, WA.