Cmdr. Christopher Marolt, the submarine’s commanding officer, said the crew prepared for the change of home port while completing what he described as the shortest maintenance availability in the shipyard’s history. “We are ready to integrate with Submarine Squadron 1 and reunite with our families,” he said.
During its time at the shipyard, the crew earned a Retention Excellence award in 2024 and the Atlantic submarine force’s Battle Efficiency award in 2024 and 2025. The Navy said the awards recognized the crew’s readiness, performance and efficiency.
Capt. Christopher Hedrick, the squadron’s commodore, welcomed the crew and their families to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. “We are proud to have you on the team, supporting our strategic advantage in the Pacific,” he said.
The Navy commissioned North Dakota (SSN 784) on Oct. 25, 2014. It is the second U.S. warship commissioned under the name, after the World War I-era battleship USS North Dakota (BB-29).
The Pacific Submarine Force’s missions include strategic deterrence, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, and precision strikes against land targets. It also provides intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, early warning and special warfare capabilities worldwide.
