USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) is the lead ship in her class of submarine tenders in the U.S. Navy and was named for Admiral Emory S. Land.

In April 1999, the Emory S. Land changed its homeport from Norfolk, Virginia, to the Mediterranean theater of operations. Sixty-two Naval Reservists augmented the ship's company for the 17-day trans-Atlantic crossing that included a brief port call in Rota, Spain.

October 24, 2004 USS Emory S. Land started its Phased Maintenance Availability (PMA) period Oct. 1 and is scheduled to continue through Dec. 21.

January 19, 2005 The submarine tender pulled to Rota, Spain, to repair some of the small boats that belong to Naval Station Rota’s Port Operations Department before continuing its mission to the Gulf of Guinea to support the navies of West Africa and build relationships with those countries. The Gulf of Guinea deployment is similar in nature to the regularly-scheduled West African training cruises (WATC), conducted since 1978.

February 16, AS 39 recently arrived to Port Gentile, Gabon, for a scheduled port visit.

March 22, Sailors from Emory S. Land recently enjoyed a well-deserved break in Rota, Spain, after two months of Gulf of Guinea operations in western Africa, enhancing security cooperation between the United States and participating Gulf of Guinea nations. The submarine tender is now headed toward its homeport in La Maddalena, Italy.

February 27, 2006 As part of a larger U.S. interagency effort towards greater stability in Africa, approximately 1,400 Sailors and Marines aboard USS Emory S. Land are deploying to the Gulf of Guinea region in late February. The deployment will include numerous bilateral maritime safety and security training opportunities.

April 30, AS 39 completed its Gulf of Guinea deployment with a final port call in Dakar, Senegal, April 26-28. This is the second year the ship has deployed to the region with embarked mobile training teams designed to bolster existing capabilities within each of the partner nations.

May 25, 2007 USS Emory S. Land departed Tivat, Montenegro, after a week port call. She is the third U.S. Navy ship to visit Montenegro since the United States began diplomatic relations with the country in August 2006. She returned to La Maddalena, Italy, May 30.

September 29, USS Emory S. Land departed La Maddalena for the final time, for its new homeport of Bremerton, Wash. The submarine tender left after eight years of providing mobile fleet support to submarines and surface ships in the 6th Fleet area of responsibility. The ship departed Naval Station Norfolk Oct. 26.

November 29, USS Emory S. Land pulled into its new homeport at Bremerton's Delta Pier on Naval Base (NB) Kitsap. While here, the ship will convert to a hybrid crew of Navy sailors and Military Sealift Command mariners and its total crew size will be trimmed to 450. The military component will include 151 Sailors that are currently part of the ship's on-board repair department.

February 1, 2008 USS Emory S. Land was officialy transfered to Military Sealift Command. Instead of having a USNS designation and being commanded by a civilian master, Land will operate as a commissioned ship with a U.S. Navy captain in charge of the hybrid crew. The 6th Fleet command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC/JCC 20), which transferred to MSC in 2004, is the only other MSC ship that retains its commissioned status and operates with a similar leadership and crewing configuration. AS 39 is currently awaiting entry into nearby Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) in June, where the ship will undergo a 10-month equipment overhaul and maintenance.

December 2, 2009 The Emory S. Land will change its homeport to the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia in the summer of 2010. The second of the Navy's two submarine tenders, USS Frank Cable (AS 40), is expected to transfer to MSC early next year.

June 14, 2010 AS 39 departed Bremerton for its new homeport of Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Teritory. Near the end of the ship's availability, the submarine tender completed repairs to several propulsion train elements during a dry dock period in Cascade General Shipyard, Portland, Ore. Following completion of sea trials, the ship hosted over 100 family members and guests for a Family Day cruise during its short transit from Indian Island, Wash., to Bremerton.

June 22, USS Emory S. Land, commanded by Capt. Edward B. Seal, arrived in Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, where the ship will undergo two major inspections; Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection certification inspection and Ship Material Assessment and Readiness Testing (SMART).

July 14, The submarine tender arrived in Naval Base Guam for a routine port call.

August 14, USS Emory S. Land arrived in Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia for the first time.

February 26, 2011 The Emory S. Land arrived in Manama, Bahrain, to provide service to USS La Jolla (SSN 701) and USS Hampton (SSN 767), as part of a deployment to U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility.

April 22, AS 39 pulled into Goa, India, to provide tended support services to USS La Jolla.

June 21, USS Emory S. Land pulled into Manama, Bahrain, to provide tended support services to USS Bremerton (SSN 698).

July 15, Rear Adm. Phillip G. Sawyer, commander of Submarine Group 7 and Task Force 74/54, relieved CO Capt. Eric Merrill for a "loss of confidence in his ability to command", after the Emory S. Land struck a channel buoy while heading into Mina Salman port in Bahrain on June 21. No sailors were injured in the incident, but the sub tender has been in Bahrain, where it is currently making preparations for repairs. Capt. Thomas Stanley assumed temporary command of the ship.

October 11, USS Emory S. Land pulled into Sepanggar naval base for a goodwill visit to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, and to provide tended support services to USS Columbia (SSN 771). The ship is currently en route to the Marianas Island of Guam for an extended deployment.

October 25, The submarine tender recently pulled into Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines.

October 28, Capt. Paul E. Savage relieved Capt. Thomas P. Stanley as CO of the AS 39 during a change-of-command ceremony on board the ship at Subic Bay.

November 21, USS Emory S. Land arrived at Naval Base Guam to temporarily assume the responsibilities as Guam's main submarine repair facility during the Frank Cable's scheduled overhaul in Portland, Ore.