Fifteen sea cadets from U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps Marianas Division Guam visited submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) at Polaris Point, July 14.

Land supported the tour as part of the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC) Recruit Training Contingent, a ten-day program demonstrating the Navy's diversity of opportunities, importance to national security, sea power and projection.

The sea cadets toured the ship, stopping at the dive locker, fleet machine shop, a repair locker and the bridge. They rotated through four stations after the tour, where they participated in damage control training, small boat operations, observed dive operations and used the ship's Fire Arms Training Simulator (FATS).

"The cadets were very attentive and took an active interest in the material presented to them today," said Machinist's Mate 3rd Class James Morrissey, a Land Sailor who helped lead the sea cadets through the day's program. "They weren't just told what happens on the ship, they got to live it for themselves for a few hours. From donning damage control equipment and charging a hose to using FATS, they were excited about everything they participated in."

Land's commanding officer, Capt. Douglas Bradley, explained the importance of creating a positive presence for local youth groups such as the sea cadets.

"The sea cadets gained a wealth of knowledge and experience from their time on the ship," said Bradley. "Rotating through the stations and listening to the experiences of our Sailors gave them insight on what we do, how we do it and what it means to be a Sailor. Whether they join the military or not, they can learn a lot from experiences like these and carry that knowledge forward in a positive way."

Land's crew furthered the goals of its community outreach program by engaging the sea cadets and showing them some of the submarine tender's capabilities.

"It's always a lot of fun getting to show the dive locker to kids," said Navy Diver 1st Class Austin Amaro, one of the day's presenters. "They take a lot of interest in our mission and light up when they get to look at all the equipment we use. It is a satisfying feeling to see the enthusiasm they show toward things that may seem routine to us."

USNSCC was established in 1962 as a federally chartered, non-profit youth development program supported by the Department of the Navy and the Navy League of the United States.

Guam is home to the U.S. Navy's only submarine tenders, Land and sister ship 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.

For more information about USS Emory S. Land (AS 39), visit http://www.csp.navy.mil/emorysland/ or like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/EmorySLand, or on Twitter @EmorySLand.

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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