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USS San Francisco (SSN 711)

USS SAN FRANCISCO was the 24^th submarine in the LOS ANGELES-class and the sixth ship of that class built by Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va. The USS SAN FRANCISCO was the third ship in the Navy to bear the name. On November 4, 2016, SAN FRANCISCO held a Change-of-Command and Deactivation Ceremony at her homeport of San Diego, Calif. Afterwards, she proceeded to Norfolk, Va., arriving there by the end of 2016. After arrival, she commenced conversion to a moored training ship (MTS) at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va. Today she serves pierside in Charleston, SC., as a modern nuclear propulsion training platform.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS SAN FRANCISCO. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

• Click here to view the list.

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• Click here to see which USS SAN FRANCISCO memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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History of USS SAN FRANCISCO:

USS SAN FRANCISCO was built at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia and was commissioned on 24 April 1981. After initial shakedown operations, the ship joined the Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet and transited to its homeport of Pearl Harbor. While enroute, the ship conducted its initial visit to San Francisco, participating in Fleet Week 1981.

During its first operating cycle the ship completed deployments to the Western Pacific in 1983, 1985, and 1986, conducting a variety of operations and exercises as a member of the U.S. Seventh Fleet. The ship conducted independent submarine operations deployed to the Northern Pacific in 1986 and 1988, and earned the coveted Battle Efficiency "E" for Submarine Squadron SEVEN in 1985 and 1988.

During a demanding DEPOT Modernization Period (DMP) at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in 1989-1990, the ship was equipped with the newest and most capable submarine sensor and combat systems and made fully ready to perform the variety of missions assigned to the submarine force.

Following the DMP, SAN FRANCISCO completed sea trials and a series of rigorous certification inspections and returned to the fleet to resume operations. Two highly successful deployments to the Western Pacific were completed in 1992 and 1994 with ports of call in Hong Kong, Singapore, Chinhae, South Korea, Guam, Sasebo, Japan and Yokosuka, Japan. In December 1994, the ship conducted a dependents cruise to Lahaina, Maui.

In January of 1995, SAN FRANCISCO was awarded the 1994 Commander Submarine Squadron SEVEN "T" for excellence in tactical operations. SAN FRANCISCO was also awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for its outstanding performance during the WESTPAC deployment in 1994.

USS SAN FRANCISCO was the host ship for the COMSUBPAC Change of Command ceremony on February 23, 1996. From June - December 1996 the ship deployed to the Western Pacific, visiting Yokosuka and Sasebo, Japan; Subic Bay, Philippines; and Guam, USA.

In October of 1999, SAN FRANCISCO returned to it's namesake city of San Francisco to participate in Fleet Week 1999.

On December 18, 2002, the submarine shifted forward - arriving at her new homeport at Apra Harbor, Guam - to support higher-tempo theater requirements in the Western Pacific immediately after the post-9/11 surge in Indo-Pacific commitments.

While en route from Guam on a routine transit, the boat suffered her most serious casualty on January 8, 2005: at flank speed and operating at approximately 525 feet, SAN FRANCISCO struck an uncharted undersea seamount roughly 360 nautical miles southeast of Guam in the Caroline Islands region. Ninety-eight sailors were injured, and Machinist's Mate 2nd Class Joseph A. Ashley died of injuries the following day. Despite severe damage to the bow - including the sonar dome and forward ballast tanks - the pressure hull and reactor plant remained intact. The crew surfaced the submarine and navigated her back to Guam, arriving January 10. An investigation concluded that critical elements of voyage planning and navigation had not been fully implemented. After temporary repairs in Apra Harbor to restore watertight integrity and buoyancy, SAN FRANCISCO departed Guam on August 17, 2005 for a surface transit of about 5,600 nautical miles to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington, escorted out of Apra by the tug GOLIATH.

The Navy determined the submarine should be repaired and returned to service. In 2006, the service approved replacing SAN FRANCISCO's damaged forward section with the bow (including sonar sphere and forward ballast tanks) of the recently decommissioned USS HONOLULU (SSN 718). On October 10, 2008, SAN FRANCISCO undocked at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard with her new bow installed - a one-of-a-kind industrial evolution that involved cutting and fitting more than a million pounds of structure from HONOLULU to SAN FRANCISCO. Following post-repair workups and sea trials completed in April 2009, she left Bremerton and shifted homeport to Naval Base Point Loma, San Diego, resuming fleet operations.

From San Diego, the submarine executed local operations and preparations through 2010-2012, then deployed again to the Western Pacific. She departed Naval Base Point Loma for a scheduled six-month WESTPAC on December 18, 2012. During the early months of 2013, she operated in Seventh Fleet waters with liberty and upkeep at Yokosuka, Japan, and a maintenance/liberty stop at Polaris Point, Guam, before completing additional underway tasking. Imagery from the period documents her presence in Yokosuka in January 2013 and mooring at Polaris Point on April 3, 2013.

SAN FRANCISCO began another WESTPAC on July 10, 2014, again from San Diego. After extended operations, she returned to Naval Base Point Loma on February 9, 2015. During that deployment the boat conducted port visits to Diego Garcia, Guam, and Yokosuka. In conjunction with the Yokosuka stop in January 2015, she was recognized as a Battle "E" winner for tactical excellence, with routine voyage repairs and upkeep completed alongside before getting back underway.

Her final operational cruise followed in 2016. On May 30, 2016, SAN FRANCISCO arrived in Singapore for a port visit during an Indo-Asia-Pacific deployment, then continued a busy underway schedule that included a Yokosuka visit announced August 15 (mooring on August 14). After subsequent operations, she conducted a non-Navy operational visit to her namesake city from October 10-12, 2016, participating in a memorial event honoring the 107 sailors lost aboard heavy cruiser USS SAN FRANCISCO (CA 38) at Guadalcanal. Two days later, on October 14, 2016, the submarine moored at Naval Base Point Loma, officially concluding the six-month deployment - the last of her active-duty career.

A change of command and farewell ceremony at Point Loma on November 4, 2016, formally marked the end of 35 years of operational service and the beginning of her conversion to a moored training ship. She subsequently shifted to the East Coast for work at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. On May 11, 2017, she entered "In Commission, Special" status to support the conversion program. After undocking milestones in 2020 and completion of major conversion tasks in 2021, the future training ship SAN FRANCISCO was towed from Norfolk to Charleston on August 16, 2021, to join the Nuclear Power Training Unit in Goose Creek, South Carolina. The submarine was officially decommissioned and stricken on May 15, 2022. Today she serves pierside as a modern nuclear propulsion training platform.

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Accidents aboard USS SAN FRANCISCO:

Date	Where	Events
January 8, 2005	350 miles south of Guam	At 12 noon, January 8, Guam Time, the USS SAN FRANCISCO hits an unchartered undersea mountain while travelling at high speed about 500 ft below surface. The submarine is able to surface and head back to Guam. One critically injured sailor died January 9, while 23 other crewmen are treated for injuries by SEAL medical personnel that came aboard January 9. On its way back to Guam, the SAN FRANCISCO is escorted by USNS GYSGT FRED W. STOCKHAM (T-AK 3017) and USCGC GALVESTON ISLAND (WPB 1349). USNS KISKA (T-AE 35) as well as military aircraft stood by to assist if required. USS SAN FRANCISCO arrived at Guam the afternoon of January 10. There were no reports of damage to the reactor plant which is operating normally. The photos below show the SAN FRANCISCO dry-docked at Guam on January 27. Clearly visible is the heavy bow damage. On May 9, 2005, the Navy announced the completion of the investigation into the accident. The report states that "The findings of fact show that SAN FRANCISCO, while transiting at flank (maximum) speed and submerged to 525 feet, hit a seamount that did not appear on the chart being used for navigation," and that "Other charts in SAN FRANCISCO’s possession did, however, clearly display a navigation hazard in the vicinity of the grounding. SAN FRANCISCO’s navigation team failed to review those charts adequately and transfer pertinent data to the chart being used for navigation, as relevant directives and the ship’s own procedures required." The report continues "If SAN FRANCISCO’s leaders and watch teams had complied with requisite procedures and exercised prudent navigation practices, the grounding would most likely have been avoided. Even if not wholly avoided, however, the grounding would not have been as severe and loss of life may have been prevented." "Earlier evacuation or arrival of medical officers would not have changed the outcome for [Petty Officer] Ashley" the investigation said in regard to the two additional medical personnel flown aboard by helicopter and two attempts to medically evacuate him by helicopter. Another 97 of 137 crew members reported injuries ranging from minor bruising and muscle strains to two who suffered dislocated shoulders. Sixty-eight of them were evaluated and treated aboard, while the remaining 29 were treated at Naval Hospital Guam when SAN FRANCISCO returned to port under her own power January 10. Just three of them were admitted overnight for further evaluation and treatment. As a result of the collision, U.S. 7th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert relieved Cmdr. Kevin Mooney of his command of SAN FRANCISCO February 12 following non-judicial punishment proceedings in Yokosuka, Japan. Mooney also received a letter of reprimand. But Greenert, in his endorsement of the investigation, also praised Mooney’s prior record and performance following the impact. "Although the grounding incident compelled me to punish and remove him from command, in my opinion it does not negate 19 years of exemplary service," the admiral wrote. "Prior to the grounding incident, USS SAN FRANCISCO demonstrated a trend of continuing improvement and compiled an impressive record of achievement under Mooney’s leadership. Moreover, the crew’s post-grounding response under his direct leadership was commendable and enabled the sub’s recovery and safe return to port." Greenert also criticized the executive officer and navigation team for their share of the responsibility, saying their "failure to adequately and critically review applicable publications and available charts led to submission of an ill-advised voyage plan and hindered the commanding officer’s ability to make fully informed safety-of-ship decisions." Six crew members (including enlisted, senior enlisted and officer) were punished March 22 by Capt. Bradley Gehrke, commander of Submarine Squadron 15 on Guam, to which SAN FRANCISCO was assigned. The punishments included reduction in rate and punitive letters of reprimand. The photo below shows the SAN FRANCISCO still undergoing repairs at Guam on May 8, 2005.

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About the Ship's Name, about the City of San Francisco:

The ship's name honors the city of San Francisco: California's "Port of Gold;" the financial and insurance capital of the west; a dominant port in world trade and "THE CITY" to northern and central Californians. This 200 year old port occupies a 46 square mile fingertip between the Pacific Ocean and one of the world's greatest natural harbors. San Francisco's first permanent settlements were the Presidio, established in 1776 by the Spanish, and the Mission San Francisco do Asis, founded by the Franciscan fathers at about the same time. With the discovery of gold in 1848, the sleepy settlement sprang almost overnight to a city of 900 people and then steadily grew to nearly 5 million residents today. San Francisco’s cosmopolitan character comes primarily from the fact that three out of every ten inhabitants of the Bay Area were born outside of the United States or have at least one foreign-born parent. The city - known variously as the Paris of the Est, Baghdad-by-the-Bay, and the Gateway to the Orient - has some 30 foreign language publications. Its culture has been enriched by the traditions and folkways of countless ethnic groups. Within its boundaries are Chinatown, North Beach, Fisherman's Wharf and Nob Hill. It is truly a city of great charm.

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USS SAN FRANCISCO Patch Gallery:

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USS SAN FRANCISCO Image Gallery:

The photo below was taken by me on September 29, 2011, and shows the SAN FRANCISCO dry-docked in ARCO (ARDM 5) at Submarine Base Point Loma, Calif.

The photos below were taken by me on May 8 and 10, 2012, and show the SAN FRANCISCO at Submarine Base Point Loma, Calif.

The photos below were taken by me on October 4 (the first two photos) and October 11, 2012, and show the SAN FRANCISCO at Submarine Base Point Loma, Calif.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the SAN FRANCISCO at Submarine Base Point Loma, Calif., on October 2, 2015.

The photo below was taken by Sebastian Thoma and shows the SAN FRANCISCO at Submarine Base Point Loma, Calif., on January 9, 2016.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the SAN FRANCISCO arriving at her namesake city of San Francisco, Calif., for a farewell visit on October 10, 2016. The USS SAN FRANCISCO had left her homeport of San Diego, Calif., on March 30, 2016, for her final WestPac deployment. After the two-day stay at San Francisco, the submarine continued to Naval Submarine Base Point Loma arriving there on October 14, 2016 - officially marking the final homecoming of the boat. On November 4, the SAN FRANCISCO will hold a Change-of-Command and Deactivation Ceremony at her homeport. Afterwards, she will proceed to Norfolk, Va., arriving there by the end of 2016. After arrival, she will commence her conversion to a moored training ship (MTS) at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va. Her sistership LA JOLLA (SSN 701) is presently undergoing the same conversion in Norfolk.

The photos below were taken by Steven Collingwood and show the SAN FRANCISCO arriving at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on December 12, 2016, after completing the transit from San Diego, Calif. This arrival was probably the last time the SAN FRANCISCO was underway under her own power. She will now commence her conversion to a moored training ship (MTS) at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va.

The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the SAN FRANCISCO at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va., on October 4, 2017. She is undergoing conversion to a moored training ship (MTS).

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