GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
USS Louisville Cmdr. Michael Jabaley greeted his family yesterday at Pearl Harbor after returning from an eight-month deployment to the Persian Gulf to participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Louisville returns
after war in IraqThe attack submarine fired
Tomahawk missiles in
Operation Iraqi Freedom
The nuclear submarine USS Louisville, one of four U.S. Los Angeles-class attack subs to fire cruise missiles at Iraq two months ago, returned home to Pearl Harbor last night.
The Louisville, led by Cmdr. Michael Jabaley, was one of six Pearl Harbor-based vessels that fired Tomahawk missiles during the war.
Besides the Louisville, the submarines USS Key West, USS Columbia and USS Cheyenne were part of the coalition attack, as well as the destroyers USS Paul Hamilton and USS O'Kane.
The destroyer Hamilton was said to have launched the most missiles, although the Navy will not give the exact figure.
The Cheyenne was credited as launching the first Tomahawk strike. Only the O'Kane and the Columbia are still at sea.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
As the USS Louisville returned to Pearl Harbor yesterday, Jessica Jarrett, above left, son Will Jarrett, 3, Norma Lynn Locher, and daughter Hayley Jarrett, 8, strained to see familiar faces aboard the nuclear-powered submarine. The crew, including Executive Officer Andrew Jarrett, was deployed for eight months to the Persian Gulf and participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In the 1991 Gulf War, the 6,900-ton Louisville made naval history by firing the first submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missile.
The 360-foot Louisville left Pearl Harbor Sept. 10 on what was supposed to be a routine, six-month deployment, but was later assigned to the Persian Gulf area for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
At last night's homecoming attended by family members, friends and representatives from the sub's namesake city of Louisville, Ky., the crew was given Louisville Slugger baseball bats and a Civil War-era Kentucky long rifle.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Machinist Mate Chief Tom Vatter, with beer in hand, got a hug from a friend, Diane Thompson.
