Are lost submarines still on patrol?
Sophia Koch
Updated on February 18, 2026
In the traditions of
the United States Navy
With 336,978 personnel on active duty and 101,583 in the Ready Reserve, the U.S. Navy is the third largest of the U.S. military service branches in terms of personnel. It has 290 deployable combat vessels and more than 2,623 operational aircraft as of June 2019.
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Why are lost submarines considered still on patrol?
When they do not come home, the crew and boat is simply Still On Patrol.Does a US Navy consider a missing submarine still on patrol?
[WP] The US Navy has a tradition that no submarine is ever considered lost at sea. Subs that don't return are considered "still on patrol." Every year, sailors manning communications hubs send holiday greetings to those listed as still on patrol.How many US submarines are on eternal patrol?
On Eternal Patrol Memorial Reef is CompleteThe On Eternal Patrol Memorial Reef is a group of 67 reef balls, each weighing approximately 3,800 pounds, one for each of the 65 missing submarines marked with a plaque indicating the name of boat, best known last location and loss of life.