Only two days after the 11 September attacks on New York City and Washington, DC, COMSUBPAC reservists went into action, filling key active-duty billets in support of American efforts abroad. The effort proved without a doubt that Submarine Force reservists are ready and able to join ranks at a moment's notice, whenever their country may call on them. 

On Thursday, 13 September, USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) requested that COMSUBRON 1 provide four personnel for duty as a Submarine Assistance Team augment. By close of business that day, three Naval Reserve officers had been identified as volunteers available to travel immediately in support of this request. 

The final team member was identified on the following day, prompting COMSUBRON 11 Reserve Liaison Officer, CDR Jeff Steinbronn, to make arrangements through Naval Air Station North Island to transport the team. On Sunday, 16 September, they departed California en route to Manama, Bahrain, arriving there the evening of Thursday, 20 September. 

"Making everything happen on such short notice was truly impressive," said CDR Guy Dunan, COMSUBPAC Naval Reserve Coordinator. "Everyone involved went above and beyond and were extremely professional," he added. 

The rapid response by the COMSUBPAC Naval Reserve team to fill this active duty requirement was due to the foresight of Submarine Reserve Program leadership and teamwork with active duty staffs developed over the past three years.

"Each submarine squadron commander has 35 reserve billets spread across three reserve units, whose personnel train for just this mission," Dunan said. "They are trained and qualified to provide water-space management for the prevention of mutual interference between submarines and ASW assets assigned to a CVBG Commander," he explained. 

Reserve CAPT Brian Konsugar, Commanding Officer of SUBRON 1 Battle Group Support Detachment in San Diego, alerted his people immediately. "As soon as I heard the newsflash of the attack, I sent a newsletter out to my people telling them to be ready for the possibility of being recalled," he added. 

CAPT Konsugar was extremely impressed with the reserve community and the way they stepped up to the plate on short notice. 
"The reserve community was ready to go to any mission at hand without a doubt. I did not have to prompt anyone to volunteer. They took initiative to get on a plane and leave home for 30-40 days to serve their country. They should be commended," he said. 

When asked what a submarine assistance team does, Chief Yeoman Philip Moore, Assistant Reserve Liaison Officer for COMSUBPAC, explained, "Basically they are a watch team that ensures safety of operations for the subs assigned to the CVBG. Their three primary jobs are: water-space management (ensuring our surface ships and submarines are not in the same piece of water shooting at each other), prevention of mutual interference (ensuring two submarines are not in the same piece of water at same time), and drafting/proofing/transmitting instructional messages to the subs assigned."

 "The first team has been out there for a month now, two of them have been relieved by other reservists and have returned to the San Diego area, while the other two have continued on station. We have come up with a manning plan that will ensure there is full coverage of the requirement through the end of January at a minimum," explained Dunan.

Since the initial mention of reservist recalls following the attacks, thousands have responded with a desire to return to active duty. But, as Moore explains, there simply aren't enough jobs yet. "We've been hit with a lot of people who want to be recalled but there are neither enough billets for them, nor requirements. Definitely since the attack, we have been inundated by people from all the ratings wanting to be recalled," Moore added. 

When tragedy strikes, as it has in our country, Americans always band together and show their patriotism and support for the nation. The United States armed forces work every day to be ready when the time comes to step up and fight for freedom around the world. They strive year round to do whatever it takes to keep our military ready and able should the need arise. When this need arose, our Naval Reservists were ready.

JOCS Ames is the COMSUBPAC Deputy Public Affairs Officer.

On the Back  Ballast Point, San Diego" John Charles Roach is an official Navy artist whose training began with three years of study in Paris at the National Academy of Fine Arts and culminated in a Master's Degree from American University. He served in Vietnam and with the 7th Fleet as an official Navy Artist to document naval activities in-country and offshore. On active duty in the Naval Reserves he has completed artist assignments depicting the Submarine Force of the 1980s, Desert Shield and Storm, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Among his private commissions, he designed and sculpted elements of the Navy Memorial in Washington, DC and completed a mural for the USS Arizona Visitors Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Artwork and information courtesy of the Navy Art Gallery.

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