USS Oklahoma City to be decommissioned Friday

USS Oklahoma City to be decommissioned Friday

OKLAHOMA City.-The nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723) will be decommissioned Friday, May 20, at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, after more than 34 years of service.

The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine was commissioned July 9, 1988 and declared out of service Feb.10 2022. At 361-feet long and displacing more than 6,900 tons, the USS Oklahoma City supported various missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

The sub’s home port was Guam, and the motto is “The Sooner, The Better.” It was the first submarine to upgrade from traditional paper navigation to an all-electronic navigation suite, marking the first significant shift in U.S. Navy navigation practices since the introduction of GPS in the 1990s. 

USS Oklahoma City’s notable deployments include the Mediterranean to participate in Operation Desert Shield, the Persian Gulf, Eastern Pacific and Guam.

Efforts are underway to preserve the ship’s sail and bring it back to Oklahoma City as a tribute to Oklahoma City’s naval history.

“The City of Oklahoma City in the near future will be honored to receive from the U.S. Navy the sail from its namesake submarine USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723),” said retired rear admiral and former Under Secretary of the Navy Greg Slavonic. “The sail will be proudly displayed in Oklahoma City and will educate and serve as a constant reminder of the important mission "our" submarine performed for 34-years in defending our nation and protecting our freedom.”

The ship was sponsored by the late Linda Nickles, wife of former Senator Don Nickles and commissioned by Mayor Ronald J Norick.

“Sailors assigned to the submarine and the residents of Oklahoma City formed a close reciprocal relationship over the years,” said City Council Chief of Staff Debi Martin. “The sub’s crews reached out to offer their support during our biggest crisis’ and represented our City in ports around the world.”

The USS Oklahoma City is the second ship to be named for Oklahoma City. The first was a US Navy ship (CL-91) commissioned in 1944 and sponsored by Anton Classen.

Commanders

Joseph Krol

Kevin Reardon

James Holloway

Philip M. Polefrone

Richard L. Snead

John G. Cooke

James Foggo

Richard Voter

Ron LaSalvia

Gordon C. Williams

Ed Mayer IV

Aaron M. Thieme

Andrew Peterson

Michael Conner

Patrick Friedman

Thomas P. O’Donnell

Steven Lawrence

Sean Welch