Capt. James E. Crosley relieved Cmdr. Kevin K. Roach, as commanding officer of the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS La Jolla (SSN 701) during a change of command ceremony held at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., Dec. 4. Originally assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron One and home ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, La Jolla arrived at its new homeport in Norfolk, Va., Nov. 17, to begin its 32-month conversion to a Moored Training Ship (MTS). Guest speaker was retired Vice Adm. Bruce Grooms. "It is an honor to be here today and participate in this wonderful ceremony," said Grooms. "Thanks to Cmdr. Roach for the invitation to share in this special moment, and congratulations to Capt. Crosley for his continued service in command as he leads the effort to convert the La Jolla into the first Los Angeles-class Moored Training Ship. "A successful command begins with the leadership and the culture and the climate they foster. Cmdr. Roach, his executive officer and chief of the boat are a fantastic team, dedicated to making La Jolla the very best it could be. Each and every one should be very proud of yourselves, your boat and the legacy you leave behind. Capt. Crosley, your talents and expertise are exactly what is needed as you prepare to make La Jolla the training platform of the future." Once converted La Jolla will be designated Moored Training Ship (MTS 701), and will assigned to the Nuclear Power Training Unit (NPTU) at Naval Support Activity in Charleston, S.C. At NPTU, the ship will provide a platform for Naval officers and enlisted personnel to train in the operation, maintenance and supervision of Naval Nuclear Propulsion Plants. "If I have had success at all it is because so many people have helped and influenced me, and most of all my family," said Roach, a 1995 graduate of the University of Texas with a Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering. "I have had the distinct pleasure of serving with some great submariners, also. Crew, I am amazed at your commitment and perseverance. You are the heart of the ship, and you bring her to life. In her final year of 33 years of operations your herculean effort resulted in an 80 percent operations tempo steaming more than 30,000 miles sailing the Eastern, Western, Northern, and Southern Hemispheres. "As if that was not enough, you are part of the most complex engineering endeavor that our Navy has attempted since putting reactors on submarines - the creation of the next MTS. In all aspects of our profession you have made me proud. It has been said that we take the best and brightest of our nation's youth and put them on watch in the most complex machines ever devised by man, deep beneath the sea - as sentinels, first lines of defense for are nation. You are those sentinels, you are the best and brightest and it has been my privilege to sail with you. So let me say it one last time as your commanding officer - LA JOLLA RED AND GOLD!" Roach will report to the Center for Special Operations at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla. Crosley's last assignment was as the Strategic Forces, Nuclear Weapons, and Force Protection directorate head on the staff of Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic. "When the La Jolla opportunity first presented itself, I assumed I would be put in charge of a lifeless piece of hardware in need of continued technical management," said Crosley, a 1990 graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in physics. "What I have found is a living, breathing command with great leadership opportunities and numerous decisions at hand which will impact the lives of this crew as well as generations of nuclear trained operators. "Cmdr. Roach, you have done a spectacular job in leading the La Jolla through the difficult transition from an operational warfighting machine. The standards you have embedded into the culture on La Jolla will serve the crew and me well as we enter another transition period where the focus becomes putting the ship back together and re-gaining operational proficiency. "For the crew, I can't express in words how honored I am to work with all of you. In the last month, I have been consistently impressed with your level of dedication and performance. There have been many opportunities to let the standards slip and take on a victim mentality, but I am 100% confident you are dedicated to success and look forward to leading us to that success in becoming the Nuclear Navy's premier training platform from 2018 to 2038." La Jolla is the first Los Angeles-class submarine to undergo conversion to a NPTU. The current NPTUs in service at Charleston are Daniel Webster (MTS 626), a converted Lafayatte-class ballistic-missile submarine, and Sam Rayburn (MTS 635), a converted James Madison-class ballistic-missile submarine. Sam Rayburn was reclassified as MTS 635 in July 1989 and will remain in service until May 2019. Daniel Webster was designated MTS 626 in August 1990 and will remain in service until November 2022. La Jolla will remain in service for the majority of the conversion until its reclassification to MTS around Aug 2017 a few months before the boat is scheduled to complete conversion. La Jolla is expected to provide 20 years of service as a MTS. Commissioned Oct. 24, 1981 at Naval Submarine Base, New London, Conn., La Jolla was the first warship named after the township of La Jolla, Calif., and the 14th ship of the nuclear-powered Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines. It is 362-feet long, and displaces 6,900 tons. The submarine can be armed with sophisticated Mark-48 Advanced Capability (ADCAP) anti-submarine torpedoes and Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles. Along her illustrious 33-year career serving the U.S. Submarine Force, La Jolla had many 'firsts' under her belt, including the first of the Los Angeles-class of submarines to be home ported in San Diego; the first to participate in the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force and Korean Maritime Self Defense Force's first multi-national exercise, Pacific Reach 2004; the first to deploy overseas with the advanced AN/BQQ-5D sonar system on board; and the first to be fitted with the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV). -30-

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