Operational History
Columbus completed a Post Shipyard Availability in June 1994 in Groton, Connecticut after initial construction and shakedown operations. In September 1994, the ship conducted an interfleet transfer to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and joined the U.S. Pacific Fleet Submarine Force. Columbus deployed to the Western Pacific in late 1995 through early 1996 and conducted a variety of operations as a unit of the U.S. 7th Fleet along the way making port visits in Hong Kong, Subic Bay, Guam, and Yokosuka, Japan.
Columbus was the first Submarine equipped with the BYG-1 Fire Control System in December 2002. Two successful test launches of Tactical Tomahawk (Block IV) cruise missiles were conducted in late May 2003 from USS Columbus (SSN 762), underway in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California. Columbus departed Pearl Harbor for another western pacific deployment in late 2003 and visited Chinhae, South Korea, Singapore, and Japan while taking part in Annual-Ex 2003(exercise) with various units of the Japanese Navy Defense force.
Columbus departed Pearl Harbor in March 2008 for a regularly scheduled six-month deployment, during which she supported theater security cooperation efforts and conducted port visits to Saipan, Guam, Okinawa, Sasebo, and Yokosuka, Japan. In January 2009 Columbus won the Submarine Squadron 7 Battle Efficiency (Battle "E") award, given to the submarine crew that best demonstrates technical proficiency and continual mission readiness throughout the year. CDR David Minyard relieved CDR Doody as Commanding Officer on May 8, 2009. In July 2009, the Chief of Naval Operations announced that the ship was the Pacific Fleet winner of the Calendar Year 2008 Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy.
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