Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Doug Brennan said this is the second time for USS Louisville to visit Saipan.
“The first visit to Saipan was in Oct. 2005,” Brennan said.
USS Louisville has about 130 officers and crewmembers and they will be here until Saturday, Oct. 16.
Brennan said a reception will be held for the crewmembers at the Hard Rock Café Saipan at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
“The crewmembers will be going to the beaches, go diving and snorkeling, play golf and enjoy what the island has to offer,” Brennan said.
USS Louisville is the third military ship to visit Saipan in less than two months.
Last week, USS Defender, a Texas-based mine warfare ship, docked on Saipan with 80 officers and crewmembers.
On Sept. 24, USS Tucson, a Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine, arrived on Saipan with 115 officers and crewmembers.
It was USS Tucson’s second visit to Saipan and USS Defender’s first.
Brennan said military ships are always welcome in the CNMI.
“With the hard economic times, we value military visits because they can help a lot to spur the island economy.
They come here to spend their money and spread the word to others about the island, enticing more visitors,” Brennan said.
