YOKOSUKA, Japan –
Commander, Submarine Group (CSG) 7, held its Submarine Birthday Ball at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, April 21.
Rear Adm. Rick Seif, commander, Submarine Group 7/Task Force 74 was the guest speaker. The ball celebrated the 123rd anniversary of the creation of the submarine force, as well as the heritage of the military submarine and submariner.
“We are a world-class organization of professionals from a wide range of communities and backgrounds,” said Seif. “The work you all do directing forces throughout the 5th and 7th Fleet really matters. Our combined efforts are what make CTF-74 such a successful task force and staff.”
For the first time since 2019, members from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) were in attendance for the occasion.
Leaders from the JMSDF in attendance included Vice Adm. TAWARA Tateki, commander, Fleet Submarine Force; Rear Adm. KOSUGI Masahiro, chief of staff, Fleet Submarine Force; Command Master Chief SASAMOTO Jun, and captains and commanders from multiple JMSDF submarines.
During dinner, guests were treated to entertainers who performed traditional Japanese music and dance.
Guests also paid their respects to those submariners who lost their lives in the line of duty. During a time honored tolling of the bells ceremony, a video was played with the names of each of the U.S. submarines lost in U.S. Navy history.
Mr. Andy Arena was recognized as the guest of honor and received a standing ovation from the crowd for his 50 years of combined service to the submarine force and his country—30 years as an active-duty Sailor, and now 20 years working as a senior analyst with Undersea Warfighting Development Center Detachment Yokosuka.
After enlisting in 1973, Arena worked his way through the ranks, eventually becoming a Command Master Chief, serving multiple tours across the submarine and surface force, including two tours as Command Master Chief at CSG 7. Arena was presented a plaque by current CSG 7 Command Master Chief Brett Jackson and Seif, in recognition of his five decades of service.
Before the end of the evening, Seif and Tawara presided over the cake-cutting ceremony. As tradition dictates, Arena, the longest-qualified submariner, cut the cake with Lt. Hannah Tsuji from CTF-74, the most recently-qualified submariner.
The Submarine Ball is traditionally held in conjunction with National Submarine Day on April 11, which marks the day the first submarine, USS Holland (SS 1) was purchased by the U.S. Navy in 1900.
CSG 7 directs forward-deployed, combat capable forces across the full spectrum of undersea warfare throughout the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Sea.
For more news from Commander, Submarine Group 7, visit www.csp.navy.mil/csg7/.