USS Louisville DV Embark

Here's a video from the SUBPAC PAO about a recent Distinguished Visitor embark on USS Louisville (SSN 724):



I support bringing CEOs like this on board the boat for tours like this (especially since it involved a BSP on both ends, meaning the crew didn't have to get underway just for the dog-n-pony show) -- hopefully the CEOs will hire Submariners when they come looking for a job.

We Get Letters

I got an E-mail from a young man a few days ago that I just got around to answering. Here's what he said:

I am considering the NUPOC program and I have been doing a lot of research about it. There are a few questions I have. How much did you enjoy your time while you were in? Was going out to sea exciting or boring? What percentage of your time in were you at sea? Would you recommend the program based on your experience?

How would you answer this young person?

Weekend Reading

Check out this report on the Submarine Race in the Pacific, posted at The Heritage Foundation. (Disclaimer: A post from here is listed in the footnotes! I don't think I've ever been a footnote before.)

Changing CO/XO Tour Paradigm?

Word on the street is that the Submarine Force Flag Officers are going to be discussing (at an upcoming "Clambake") the desirability of changing the current model whereby a submarine officer serves as XO on a boat for less than 2 years, then goes to shore duty, thence to PCO training and then a 2-3 year CO tour on a different boat. They're looking at the SWO/Airdale model, where a guy goes through PCO training, then shows up as XO, does that for 18 months, then relieves the CO and stays in command for another 18 months. The theory is, I suppose, that this could help reduce the number of Class "A" mishaps.

What do you think? Assuming NR buys off, do you think this model could work in the Sub Force? Or should we stick with what we have, or go off in some other direction?

A Call For Civility

As anyone who follows the news has seen, we've seen an uptick in incivility in the political discourse over the last several years in this country. Lately, though, it seems to have gotten even worse -- now you've got U.S. Senators calling political opponents "Tea Baggers" (I wonder if they'd mind if their opponents started calling progressives "Rim-Jobbers" because of their new focus on jobs), and you've got a former Congressman wanting to bring back voting literacy tests because he thinks there are too many "multicultural" people voting. Nothing pisses me off more than people who try to take citizenship and voting rights away from American citizens.

No real suggestion on how to stop this trend here -- just a rant.

Duty Van Breakdowns

A reader sent in a picture of the Pasadena's duty van broken down on the side of the road yesterday outside of West Loch:

My best story involving a duty van was previously recounted here. Do you have any good stories about trying to get out to (or back from) liberty?

USS Flier Found

SUBPAC announced today that the final resting place of USS Flier (SS 250) has been located and verified. Flier was sunk by a mine in the Philippines in August 1944; eight of 86 crew members survived the sinking to be rescued later that month. Hopefully this news can provide comfort to the families of the Submariners lost on this boat.

An Official SUBVETS Tartan?

(Intel Source: Chapomatic) Having never been to Holy Loch, I was not aware that there was an official "Polaris Tartan", but it turns out there is one. Not only that, a SUBVETS chapter is proposing that this be designated as the "Official Organizational Tartan" for USSVI.

Does this mean there's going to be an upswell in the number of Submarine veterans wearing kilts?

NWS Charleston Base CO Arrested

The Commanding Officer of Naval Weapons Station Charleston, home of Nuke School and NPTU Charleston, has been arrested for soliciting an undercover policewoman posing as a prostitute. Excerpts from a local newspaper article:

Capt. Glen Melvin Little, 55, of Goose Creek, has been temporarily reassigned to the office of the commander, Navy Region Southeast, in Jacksonville, Fla., said Scott Bassett, public affairs officer at the Weapons Station.
According to a North Charleston police report, Little was arrested about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday after having approached an undercover female police officer who was posing as a prostitute in the Charleston Farms area on Remount Road...
... The officer then asked Little if he wanted "business," and he said he did want "business" and asked her several times if she was a police officer.
Little offered to pay $20 for an oral sex act and invited the officer into his vehicle. The officer told Little it would be better if he were to pick her up in the rear of the building, where other officers moved in and took Little into custody, the report said.

It looks like even the oldest LDOs can be caught believing the old urban myth that police have to admit they're law enforcement personnel when asked when they're undercover.

Although CAPT Miller's bio has been scrubbed from the NWS Charleston website, they couldn't scrub the Google cached version (which could get updated to the blank page at any time), where we find that he is a Submariner from his enlisted days, serving on USS Birmingham (SSN 695) and USS Phoenix (SSN 702). He later commanded the drydock USS Arco (ARMD 5), after which he served as the Submarine and Nuclear LDO Detailer, so he's familiar to many Submariners. Hopefully he'll be able to retire quietly and not have this unfortunate incident be all that he's remembered for in the Navy.

NR Recruiting Video

The Navy posted a video featuring a Naval Reactors engineer -- in uniform! It's fairly interesting; it actually shows her going to a ship in civvies, and she explains why they do that.



While she doesn't seem to know the number of active aircraft carriers (she says 10 vice 11, although I suppose the interview could have been filmed before the Bush was commissioned a year ago), she comes across as kind of having a clue. Not sure how effective it is as a recruiting spot, since they seem to be a little more honest than normal in this one -- probably because NR had to approve it (which makes me wonder how they missed the error in the number of CVNs).

As I've said before, I never really had any problems with the Electric Boat NR guys -- they were mostly helpful. It's the standard waterfront and prototype guys (and I guess gals now) who generally seemed to be power-hungry jerks. Have they gotten any better in the 5 1/2 years since I got out?

Update 0821 28 Jan: On further reflection, it's fairly clear that this LT is one of the desk-bound HQ NR types who generally only go out to the ships during RSEs or on familiarization tours as part of their initial indoctrination, so I still don't know if there are any female engineers in the field offices. The headquarters type of NR engineer are, in my experience, generally more helpful than not.

Repealing DADT

In the State of the Union address last night, President Obama called on Congress to repeal the "ban" on gays in the military. I think it's going to happen eventually, so it might as well happen now (although I doubt it will pass the Senate before 2013, since there's no political gain to doing it before the next Presidential election; however, it could sneak though as part of the conference report on the Defense Appropriation Bill after the November 2010 mid-terms if the Democrats don't do as badly as expected). What do you think?

USS Los Angeles Goes "Home" To Decomm

USS Los Angeles (SSN 688) was decommissioned today in her namesake city. Articles discussing the occasion can be found here, here, and here; pictures of her arriving are here and here. This leaves USS Philadelphia (SSN 690) as the oldest commissioned submarine in the U.S. Navy.

USS Boise Gets MUC

As Idaho's first and foremost submarine blogger, I feel a special responsibility to highlight the accomplishments of USS Boise (SSN 764) whenever she's in the news. Here's a press release from SUBFOR. Excerpts:

The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Boise (SSN 764) was presented the Meritorious Unit Commendation for the boat's continued operational success.
The award highlighted Boise's success in exceeding operational requirements during a 2008 deployment in the European Command area of operations, conducting four highly successful allied naval exercises with the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain.
During the deployment, Boise was a key contributor to the Global Maritime Awareness Force that maintained a common operational picture in support of efforts against illegal fishing, human smuggling and narcotics activities.
Commander, Submarine Squadron 8 Capt. Frank Cattani presented the award to Boise Commanding Officer Cmdr. Paul Snodgrass and the boat's crew...
... In addition to participation in the multinational exercises, Boise Sailors sustained reconnaissance efforts, enabling decision makers to carry out effective foreign policies and conducted independent operations in the North Atlantic.
"Without a doubt, I am most pleased that our crew was able to demonstrate a full spectrum of capabilities and versatility in several different environments," said Snodgrass. "This is a testament to the their ability to adapt to change, and my department heads' and chief's quarter's ability to communicate the mission and translate guidance into action. The award also reflects the crew's enduring positive attitude, and their willingness to do that one extra thing necessary to achieve success."
Boise has been awarded three Meritorious Unit Commendations since the submarine's commissioning in 1992, receiving the honor in 1995 and 1998.

Well done to the men of the "One Ship Fleet".

Busy Week At SUBASE NLON (Not!)

A while back, I posted about confusion regarding when Sailors can wear the Navy Working Uniform off base. They decided you can make "brief stops" while wearing the NWU; at SUBASE New London, they seem to be having some "problems", so they issued a clarification on Facebook (not sure if you'll be able to see the link if you're not logged into Facebook). Excerpts (capitalization as posted by the original source):

There is still some confusion regarding the wear of the NWU (Navy Working Uniform) and some of its components.

Authorized Stops
Routine short-term stops while transiting between work and place of residence via pov or public transportation in the NWU are authorized. Examples of short-term stops include drop off/pick up for child care, dry cleaners, gas stations, banks, and convenience stores. Several Sailors have been observed shopping at local malls such as the crystal mall and department stores such as walmart. Shopping at non-military installation retail store outlets or malls or attending off-base entertainment venues are considered extended stops and are therefore not authorized in the NWU. Wearing the NWU is generally not authorized at formal off-base official navy or government functions, for example: Sailor of the year events, navy league functions, award banquets. Off base working parties, including community relations (comrel) projects may be authorized by commanders to wear the NWU. Wear of the NWU is not authorized for off base personal appointments (examples: court, dmv, civilian medical visits, off-base education). During the prescribed workday routine short-term stops and off installation dining in the nwu/cuu are authorized.

Sailors in working uniforms at the Crystal Mall -- shocking! I know that we've never been allowed to go to the mall in our working uniforms, but I continue to be amazed that the Navy decided to replace our old working uniforms that were too ugly to be seen by the general public with... another working uniform that they're still to embarrassed of to allow Sailors to be seen at the Mall while wearing it.

The post goes on to explain the authorized style and wear of boots with the NWU, then adds this kicker:

As of 1 march 2010, on subase the blue foul weather jacket is no longer authorized for use with any working uniform. all waterfront units should turn in foul weather jackets to NSSC and shore commands to the base. NSSF will provide guidance to those sailors that have to work in heavy industrial areas where outer garments are necessary.

So... Sailors are no longer allowed to wear the blue foul weather jacket, but no replacement is mentioned. I hope that Sailors who have to work outside in Groton, CT, in early March will be able to use NSSF's "guidance" to stay warm. Hopefully "guidance" is a euphemism for "a sturdy warm jacket provided by the Navy for people working outside in cold weather".

Submariners On Reality Shows

My wife and I are thinking about applying for The Amazing Race -- it's our favorite reality show, and while we recognize our odds of getting selected are pretty low, we still think the application process could be fun. My theory is that the reason you don't see Submariners (with one notable exception) on reality TV is that they know we'd completely dominate; living through the crucible of a submarine deployment pretty much prepares you for everything there is in terms of interpersonal power-play relationships and overcoming system-generated adversity.

What do you think? Which reality TV show do you think Submarining best prepares you for?

Tweeters On USS Hampton

As I type, several San Diego-area Twitter users are embarked on USS Hampton (SSN 767) on a day trip arranged by the Navy to, apparently, get good press from the local Tweeters. Here's a live feed. (There might be a better one, but I'm completely unfamiliar with Twitter.) And here's an earlier blog entry from one of the guys who's there.

I think this is a good thing from the public relations standpoint, and I'm sure the crew was REALLY, really excited to get underway on a Friday to show a bunch of netheads around the boat. What's the tour group that's most "excited" you for which you've gotten underway to show around for a day?

Update 1720 19 Jan: Here's an after-action report.

Ode To The Rack

This picture of a Submariner in his rack on USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN 730) got me thinking about how much I used to love my rack on the boat.

A Submariner's rack is a place of safety; a place where he can get a few minutes to himself. Sure, it's a place to rest ("Joel, come sleep in me" my rack used to call when I finished an especially tiring day) but it's also a place of refuge in a small tube filled with 130 smelly guys. We had this one JO on Topeka could could, literally, spend 18 hours in the rack on Sundays when there was nothing going on. Another guy tried to float a leave chit in the middle of deployment to spend an entire day in his rack. (Got disapproved.)

How much did you love your rack? And do you have an especially humorous or poignant stories about submarine sleeping spaces?

Update 1625 15 Jan: For non-Submariners reading the comments who wondered what it meant to "pin" someone up is their rack, a reader sent in a photo from USS Sturgeon (SSN 637) in the early '80s:

More Sturgeon photos from this era can be found here. Remember, current day Submariners shouldn't do this, because it's considered to be "hazing". (And, let's face it, it's unsafe if someone were left like that and there was fire or flooding.)

Tube Daze: Episode 1-01

Patrick Hrabe of Tube Daze Productions, creator of the very popular "Hey, Shipwreck" video series, has launched his long-promised new project with the release of the first episode of Tube Daze, set on a modern day submarine. Here it is:



I can't wait to see future episodes!

Update 1000 21 Jan: A reader sent in a picture of a "field day hat" he had made:

Longer Deployments In The Future?

We already had this discussion a couple of weeks ago, but here's a Navy Times article discussing submarine numbers over the next couple of decades and the likely effect on time spent at sea for Submariners. Excerpt:

Under the current 30-year procurement plan, the number of attack subs will fall below the required 48 boats in 2022 and will bottom out six years later at 41 boats. The shortfall will continue until 2034.
“[The Navy] doesn’t have a lot of choice in this gap,” said one congressional analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity. “This is the result of decisions made in the past 20 years that are coming home to roost.”
The Navy plans to meet typical requirements with longer deployments and older boats. The service lives of 16 Los Angeles-class subs will be lengthened by as much as 24 months, and at least one month will be added to 40 deployments — about 25 percent of total deployments — over an eight-year period to provide the roughly 10 subs combatant commanders need on any given day. The typical attack sub deployment is six months; it was unclear when the longer deployments are expected to begin.

For now, there seems to be no political will to justify increased SSN purchases above the current plan, but I could see budget pressures causing a slowdown in the projected buy rate of two per year starting in 2011. That could result in serious problems 25 years down the road.

Base News From SUBASE NLON

Here's an article in The Day about how my old CO, CAPT Marc Denno, has been doing as the SUBASE Commanding Officer. It looks like he has his priorities in the right place. Excerpts:

"The base exists for one reason, and that is to homeport and operate submarines out of, and that has to be our primary mission. That has to be our focus," Denno said in an interview this week. "It's not that submarine hasn't been in it, but there have been distractions from the submarine primacy."
"We're getting a new commissary, a new exchange and that's all good," he added. "But we are in existence to serve the submarines, and right now the condition of that part of the base does not deliver that message."
Denno, who became the commanding officer of the base in June, said he does not like seeing the aging piers and infrastructure, leaking pipes, poor roads and inadequate parking for sailors at the waterfront.
"You have to make hard choices in the constrained fiscal environment that we're in right now," Denno said. "When I have one dollar to spend, I want that dollar to be spent on the submarine part of the base."

So are the new commissary and exchange in the same place, or are they putting them somewhere else?