PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy announced Dec. 23 that submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) will shift its homeport from Diego Garcia to Naval Base Guam.

Emory S. Land will join USS Frank Cable (AS 40) in Guam to support four fast-attack submarines stationed there in addition to submarines rotationally deployed throughout the U.S. Pacific Fleet area of responsibility.

The decision to homeport Emory S. Land in Guam supports recent moves by the Navy in relocating submarines and provides essential forward support for those units to complete their missions.

Commissioned July 7, 1979, Emory S. Land and its integrated crew of approximately 350 officers and enlisted Sailors working alongside 150 civil service mariners provide logistical support including food, water, electricity and other consumables to our submarine forces. In terms of operational support, she provides ordnance, spare parts and maintenance support as required. Additionally, the ship provides medical, dental and legal services to submarine personnel.

As a forward-deployed naval asset, Emory S. Land is tasked to provide expeditionary intermediate-level maintenance and repairs, as well as provide hotel service and logistics support to deployed guided-missile and fast-attack submarines deployed in the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operations.

The security environment in the Indo-Asia-Pacific requires the U.S. Navy to station the most capable ships forward. This action supports the maritime strategy to maintain naval presence where it matters, allows the most rapid response times possible for maritime and joint forces when it matters, and brings our most capable ships and submarines with the greatest amount of striking power and operational capability for contingency response.