The submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) hosted the mayors of its three sister villages aboard the ship at Polaris Point to strengthen their relationship, May 1.

Land's Commanding Officer Capt. Douglas A. Bradley, led a tour of the ship and hosted mayors Frankie Salas of Asan-Maina, Ernest Chargualaf of Merizo and Melissa Savares of Dededo, and their respective staffs, for lunch in the wardroom. The tour included stops at the dive locker, fleet machine shop, ship's store and the bridge.

Land and the three villages, established and routinely, build upon the sister village relationship in order to strengthen the bond between the Navy and the local community. Through community relations (COMREL) events and other interactions, Land Sailors are able to demonstrate the U.S. Navy's commitment to the local community while simultaneously learning about the Chamorro culture.

Bradley explained the importance of maintaining a strong, positive presence in each of the mayors' respective communities.

"We are committed to improving the quality of life for the people of Guam as well as the military that call Guam home," said Bradley. "Actively engaging with the local leaders and communities through (COMREL) events helps further our goals. Not only do we have our primary mission in the 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operation, but we are dedicated to maintaining a positive and productive relationship with the local community."

Land's COMREL coordinator, Lt. Takana Jefferson, a chaplain, explained the importance of fellowship and how the Navy creates a positive influence in Guam.

"I'd like to see the relationship continue to grow and reflect our 'One Guam' commitment," said Jefferson. "In recognition of our commitment, we strive to participate in a (COMREL) event every week. The more positive our presence, the greater chance we have at improving the quality of life on Guam for everyone."

Land alternates between providing support for in-port submarines on Guam and deploying in support of forward-operating units across the 5th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility. One of their primary missions is providing rapid on-site repairs for forward-deployed units to maintain their material readiness. Another part of the submarine tender mission is fostering relationships with the local leaders of Guam and with partner nations while deployed through COMREL events and ship tours.

Guam is home to the U.S. Navy's only submarine tenders, USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) and USS Frank Cable (AS 40), as well as four Los Angeles-class attack submarines. The submarine tenders provide maintenance, hotel services and logistical support to submarines and surface ships in the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operation. The submarines and tenders are maintained as part of the U.S. Navy's forward-deployed submarine force and are readily capable of meeting global operational requirements.

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Are you interested in taking orders to Guam? Want to learn more about the duty station and life on our island? For more information, check out the 'Go Guam!' website at http://www.csp.navy.mil/go-guam/ and download the '1st Fifteen' checklist.

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For more news from USS Emory S. Land (AS 39), visit www.navy.mil/.