CNMI Military Military Affairs Executive Director Ruth Coleman yesterday said this is USS Albuquerque’s maiden visit to Saipan.
She said the USS Albuquerque, a Los Angeles-class attack submarine, has 132 crewmembers under Cmdr. Michael Badorf.
Coleman said the governor’s office, the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, VFW and the Saipan Seaport will jointly host the crewmembers at the VFW tonight.
USS Albuquerque special weapons officer Lt. Eric Stoffel said this is the first time for most of the 132 crewmembers to visit Saipan.
“Some of the crew, maybe less than 10, had been here with different military ships before but for the majority of us, this is the first time,” Stoffel told the Variety.
He said stopping by Saipan is a “pleasant surprise” for them.
“We didn’t know that we will be visiting this island, and this is a visit where we can relax,” he added.
Some of the crewmembers said they had already seen some of the island yesterday but they would also like to explore the beaches.
USS Albuquerque, the second ship of the Navy to be named for Albuquerque, New Mexico, was commissioned on May 21, 1983 with Capt. Richard H. Hartman in command.
Last week, two military vessels spent a few days of rest and recreation here.
The USS Pathfinder, a military research ship with 42 officers and crewmembers, and the USS Charlotte, a Los Angeles-class submarine with 152 crewmembers, were here for the Liberation Day parade. Both left the island on July 6.
