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USS Dallas -- Yes, A Submarine Named After Big D -- Completes Last Deployment

John Narewski
/
U.S. Navy photo
The attack submarine USS Dallas has returned to its home port in Connecticut after completing its last scheduled deployment.

The attack submarine USS Dallas has returned to its home port in Connecticut after completing its last scheduled deployment.

The Los Angeles-class submarine has been in service for more than 30 years.

The submarine, led by Navy Cmdr. Jack Houdeshell, traveled about 34,000 miles on it latest deployment, visiting ports in Bahrain, Diego Garcia, Spain and Portugal. The submarine and its crew of 140 sailors left Connecticut in May. They returned to Naval Submarine Base New London on Monday.

The submarine, named for the city of Dallas, was commissioned in 1981 in Groton, circumnavigated the globe in 1984, and participated in Operation Desert Storm in Iraq in the early 1990s.

Los Angeles-class attack submarines are equipped to hunt adversary vessels, attack land-based targets and support special forces. In addition, they are able to conduct intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and mine warfare missions.

Eric Aasen is KERA’s managing editor. He helps lead the station's news department, including radio and digital reporters, producers and newscasters. He also oversees keranews.org, the station’s news website, and manages the station's digital news projects. He reports and writes stories for the website and contributes pieces to KERA radio. He's discussed breaking news live on various public radio programs, including The Takeaway, Here & Now and Texas Standard, as well as radio and TV programs in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.