Last March 11, the USS Columbus (SSN 762) has departed Pearl Harbor Naval Station for her first Western Pacific deployment in four years. Commander James Doody, Columbus’ commanding officer, said his crew is looking forward to deploy after their overhaul period. Columbus returned to Pearl Harbor in December 2006 after spending two years at Submarine Base Bangor, Washington.

“The mood is pretty upbeat and everybody’s pretty excited to get out there and do what we have to do,” said Doody. “Especially since a lot of people have done a lot of work not only to maintain the ship while it was in the shipyard, but to do all the operational preparation that it’s going to take for us to be successful.”

Machinist Mate Fireman Robert Bresley, a new check-in on panel Columbus, agreed with his skipper.

“I just got here last week,” he said. “I’m very excited and I’m all packed up and ready to go on my first deployment.”

Columbus is heading to the Western Pacific, where according to Doody, they will be conducting the “conventional” intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations and too will be willing to enter in any procedure called upon by commandant, 7th Fleet operating commandant.

Columbus is the 51st of the Los Angeles blast submarines and the 12th “improved” edition of this course, which includes a Tomahawk cruise projectile steep launching structure and an improved hull pattern for under-ice operations. Columbus has been homeported in Pearl Harbor since 1994.