USS Buffalo (SSN-715)
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USS ''Buffalo'' (SSN-715) was a , the second vessel that actively served the United States Navy to be named for Buffalo, New York (another USS ''Buffalo'' was named for the animal). The contract to build her was awarded to
Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is the largest industrial employer in Virginia, and sole designer, builder and refueler of United States Navy aircraft carriers and one of two providers of U.S. Navy ...
in
Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...
on 23 February 1976, and her keel was laid down on 25 January 1980. She was launched on 8 May 1982 sponsored by Mrs. Joanne Kemp, wife of former
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
quarterback and New York's 31st congressional district representative
Jack Kemp Jack French Kemp (July 13, 1935 – May 2, 2009) was an American politician and a professional football player. A member of the Republican Party from New York, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bu ...
, who was credited with winning approval to name the ship after the city in his district. ''Buffalo'' was commissioned on 5 November 1983, with Commander G. Michael Hewitt in command. ''Buffalo'' was decommissioned on 30 January 2019 after 35 years of service.


Operational history


1980s

Upon commissioning, ''Buffalo'' was assigned to Submarine Squadron 8 in
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
. In 1984, after a five-month post-
shakedown Shakedown may refer to: * Shakedown (continuum mechanics), a type of plastic deformation * Shakedown (testing) or a shakedown cruise, a period of testing undergone by a ship, airplane or other craft before being declared operational * Extortion, ...
maintenance availability, ''Buffalo'' transited through the Panama Canal during a change of homeport to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where she was assigned to
Submarine Squadron 1 Submarine Squadron 1 (also known as SUBRON 1) is a squadron of submarines of the United States Navy based at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i. The submarines that make up SUBRON 1 include: * * * * * * History Strate ...
. ''Buffalo'' completed her first deployment to the Western Pacific in 1985, where she became the first
nuclear-powered submarine A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor, but not necessarily nuclear-armed. Nuclear submarines have considerable performance advantages over "conventional" (typically diesel-electric) submarines. Nuclear propulsion, ...
to anchor off the coast of
Pattaya Pattaya ( th, พัทยา, , ) is a city in Thailand. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about southeast of Bangkok, within, but not part of, Bang Lamung district in the province of Chonburi province, Chonburi. Pattaya City ( ...
Beach, Thailand. ''Buffalos second Western Pacific deployment came in 1987, after which she was awarded her first
Battle Effectiveness Award The Battle Effectiveness Award (formerly the Battle Efficiency Award, commonly known as the Battle "E"), is awarded annually to the small number of United States Navy ships, submarines, aviation, and other units that win their battle effectiveness c ...
, which she proceeded to win for three consecutive years. She conducted another Western Pacific deployment from late 1988 to early 1989.


1990s

After conducting Western and Eastern Pacific deployments in 1990, the next year ''Buffalo'' entered
dry-dock A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...
in Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and began a yearlong Depot Modernization Period during which she was temporarily assigned to Submarine Squadron 7. In the following years, ''Buffalo'' conducted numerous deployments to the Eastern and Western Pacific, earning a CNO Letter of Commendation for her 1997 deployment. ''Buffalo'' conducted the first-ever dual Selected Restricted Availability, sharing a dry-dock with the USS ''Los Angeles'' (SSN-688) in 1998, followed by an Eastern Pacific deployment that included special Joint Operations with the United States Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard, for which she was awarded the Coast Guard Special Operations Ribbon. In 1999, she conducted another Western Pacific deployment, earning the Battle "E" again, which occurred again in 2001.


2000s

In 2002, ''Buffalo'' entered dry-dock in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and became the first ship to undergo the multi-year
nuclear refueling The nuclear fuel cycle, also called nuclear fuel chain, is the progression of nuclear fuel through a series of differing stages. It consists of steps in the ''front end'', which are the preparation of the fuel, steps in the ''service period'' in w ...
process in Hawaii. In late November 2005, the DDS was used to launch an underwater glider capable of gathering and storing information to be later transmitted using a built-in satellite phone.


Operations in Guam

''Buffalo'' changed homeport again in 2007 to Naval Base Guam, where she operated out of
Apra Harbor Apra Harbor, also called Port Apra, is a deep-water port on the western side of the United States territory of Guam. It is considered one of the best natural ports in the Pacific Ocean. The harbor is bounded by Cabras Island and the Glass Breakwa ...
assigned to
Submarine Squadron 15 Submarine Squadron 15 (also known as SUBRON 15) is a squadron of submarines of the United States Navy based at Naval Base Guam. Fleet Ballistic Missile squadron 1963–1981 Submarine Squadron Fifteen was established on 1 September 1963 at Pear ...
as one of the Navy's most forward-deployed submarine assets. While stationed in Guam, she conducted 11 missions vital to national security and visited
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, Philippines, Republic of Korea,
Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...
,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, Singapore, and Thailand. She won numerous awards including three Battle "E" awards, the prestigious Pacific Fleet
Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy The Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy is an award presented annually by the United States Navy to the ship or aviation squadron that demonstrates the greatest improvement in battle efficiency from the previous year. Two commands annually, one from each co ...
, and a
Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or s ...
.


2010s


Return to Hawaii

After five and a half years in Guam, ''Buffalo'' returned to Pearl Harbor in early 2013, rejoining Submarine Squadron 1. After completing a 17-month Pre-Inactivation Restricted Availability, on 23 December 2016 ''Buffalo'' completed her final Western Pacific deployment prior to scheduled decommissioning, for which she earned a
Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy and U.S. Marine Corps commands may recommend any Navy or Marine Co ...
. On 1 May 2017, ''Buffalo'' departed Pearl Harbor for the final time.


Inactivation and decommissioning

Per the Annual Report to Congress on Long-Range Planning for Construction of Naval Vessels for FY2013, ''Buffalo'' was originally scheduled for decommissioning in 2017. On 26 May 2017, ''Buffalo'' arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Friday for inactivation and decommissioning. ''Buffalo'' was officially placed in reserve status, inactivated but in commission on 30 September 2017. On 16 July 2018, ''Buffalo'' conducted her inactivation ceremony, the final public event prior to the ship's official decommissioning, which would occur within the access-controlled Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. ''Buffalo'' was decommissioned on 30 January 2019 and is currently pending disposal.


References


External links


NavSource.orgNVR
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buffalo (SSN-715) Los Angeles-class submarines Cold War submarines of the United States Nuclear submarines of the United States Navy 1982 ships Submarines of the United States Ships built in Newport News, Virginia