Keeping the blogosphere posted on the goings on of the world of submarines since late 2004... and mocking and belittling general foolishness wherever it may be found. Idaho's first and foremost submarine blog. (If you don't like something on this blog, please E-mail me; don't call me at home.)

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Life On A Sub

For some reason I missed this official Navy propaganda video when it first came out in January:



At least one of the guys in that video is from my old boat, Topeka. A couple other videos I missed about that time (I did share two of them that came out in January) were "Fast Attack", focusing on Virginia-class boats, and "Experience". All five videos are aimed at getting people to visit the official Navy submarine officer recruiting page.

Have you ever been in an official Navy video?

Update 0957 13 August: Here's another one I missed, from back in February, featuring a simulated battle on a Virginia-class boat:

34 Comments:

Blogger John Byron said...

It's life IN a sub.

Quoting Samuel Eliot Morrison, dean of naval historians ("Notes on Writing Naval - Not Navy - English," pp. 5-10, January 1949 American Neptune): "A sailor serves or fights IN and not ON a ship; if you use ON, it must be accompanied by BOARD."

Glad we got that straight...

8/10/2011 8:53 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh brother. Let me guess you knew him too.

8/10/2011 9:09 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

In a bunch of those official videos, there's a kid with his ribbons on upside down (no fish). Good QA on those.

8/10/2011 9:46 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Liked the video.

Not to worry, RD, the missing "BOARD"
may be closer than even you suspect.

The open question, "Have you ever been in an official Navy video?", includes surveillance footage featuring your own sub flubs.

Flubflot 2

8/10/2011 10:06 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey Duckie!

Bad grammar is the bane of the modern English speaking world. One only need listen to news journalists.

Fighting it is as futile as trying to sweep the dirt off of a gravel road.

8/10/2011 10:11 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

RD has been in a few, directed a few, produced a few and was the creative consultant on many. I think he also won an oscar for one of the movies Clancy did (yep, he is buddies with him). Oh and I think he designed the modern Dolphins that are worn.

8/10/2011 10:57 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anon.10:11: RD's correct. Aside from Navy writing guidelines, I imagine life ON a sub would be pretty difficult, unless you could hold your breath for weeks at a time. Little things like that count and there are still folks who care about them. - former newspaper copy editor.

8/10/2011 11:32 AM

 
Anonymous NHSparky said...

Official? No. Unofficial liberty videos or pictures? Depends.

8/10/2011 11:38 AM

 
Anonymous RFO said...

Damn you guys crack me up...

RD - I like most of your posts and disagree with much of the content, but you DESERVE all the crap you get for this post! LOL

8/10/2011 2:37 PM

 
Anonymous 4-Stop said...

Rubber Duckie, you’re the one, you make submarining so much fun, you know everything about the submarine world, oh what would we do if we couldn’t make fun of you!

8/10/2011 3:29 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What does the nub JG know about downtime? Why does he know about downtime?

FYI, "Sharks of Steel Week" on Military Channel.

8/10/2011 4:21 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Told an officemate today about how I lived life on a sub, "Yeah, six months at sea, having it worse than a prisoner. Then three months of heavy drinking and pickin' up chicks in Waikiki. ...Ah, those were the days..."

8/10/2011 8:09 PM

 
Blogger John Byron said...

The Duck is pleased to have a fan club, though most in it are so easy to rile up that it's no challenge. Getting nukes to twitch is like shooting fish in a barrel.

8/11/2011 5:05 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow.... now the mallard is speaking in the third person. Sweet!

8/11/2011 8:42 AM

 
Anonymous 610ET said...

I was watching some Sharks of Steel last night and there was a good bit on the Topeka. I know Joel had a CO who “must not be named” and I was wondering if Cdr. J…..ski was that guy? He seemed a bit "off" but maybe it was just the cameras making him nervous?

8/11/2011 10:59 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

..."ski"? That's the guy.

8/11/2011 11:53 AM

 
Blogger Bubblehead said...

Yes, CDR "Fast Eddie" Jablonski. Guy could drive a submarine, I'll give him that. My only scene in Sharks of Steel is during the "Battle Stations" part; I'm one of the JOs leaving the wardroom (and the only one who pushes my chair back under the table).

8/11/2011 2:46 PM

 
Anonymous 610et said...

For those who missed it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=HuSs_MsPS4Q

8/11/2011 5:48 PM

 
Anonymous 610et said...

At the 1:43 mark. Good to be neat and tidy at all times! :)

8/11/2011 5:52 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

610ET, is that Claude Barron at the 2:00 point?

8/11/2011 7:30 PM

 
Anonymous 610ET said...

Don't know. I wasn't on the Topeka.

Sorry.

8/11/2011 9:37 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anon@10:57 Ah. So that how Clancy obtained his information.

8/11/2011 10:55 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

BH. Getting your foot caught in that chair was a lost incident. Probably went on your record son.

8/11/2011 11:04 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Being told that "I WILL" support a 60 Minutes interview by CSP was fun. But I liked ADM Sullivan. Then
I was told I couldn't sue gannet for publishing my private emails.


hagar,
A pox to all......
I laugh now.

8/12/2011 3:02 AM

 
Blogger TM1(SS) said...

Yeah... check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=2F5IiVf5Kg8

I'm the guy with glasses working with the Torpedo...

Oh, and to the anon that commented about that LTjg and downtime... trust me, he didn't have a lot of downtime... and he is a damn good LT... with fish. One of the best I've ever served with.

8/13/2011 12:50 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Filmed in a an official Navy documentary? No. But I was filmed by the Discovery Channel onboard (see, I can use proper grammar) the USS Carl Vinson titled "Carrier, Life At Sea" narrated by Martin Sheen. Specifically I was filmed shooting a sunline using a sextant while describing my actions. Apparently that clip ended up on the cutting room floor.

8/13/2011 11:09 AM

 
Anonymous Stsc said...

I was in "Steel Boats, Iron Men" for all of a second or two. They filmed our class going through BESS in '89, but concentrated most of the filming on another section (each class was divided up into 2-3 sections) who had a more photogenic and gung ho instructor than the chubby A- ganger (who was crusty as he'll but very well liked by all of us) we had. They put all 3 sections together for a B-roll shot of us marching.

8/13/2011 11:36 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Did I hear a classified depth given? Maybe they changed the official line on how deep we can go?

8/13/2011 5:24 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

No, but I impersonated a pork chop for a recruiting brochure. The photography team had chop insignia and scotch-taped them on the sleeves of my blues.

8/13/2011 5:36 PM

 
Blogger Old Man from the Sea said...

Video #2: USS Texas?

8/14/2011 4:55 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anon, the new publicly releasable depth is 800'

8/14/2011 11:15 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

@11:09 AM Anon: Reload, grammar boy...the correct spelling in your example is "on board," a prepositional phrase.

"Onboard" is an adjective, used best in examples like "the onboard computer network" or, in more current usage, "the SSBN's onboard tampon dispenser is located in the officers' washroom, formerly known as 'the head'."

8/14/2011 12:05 PM

 
Blogger John Byron said...

Props to Anon @ 12:05 just above. We gotta learn these nukes good. Keep it up...

8/15/2011 4:05 AM

 
Blogger TM1(SS) said...

old man from the sea - yes that is the USS Texas... and that is me with the Torpedo... there are several more videos on youtube.com under UnitedStatesNavy... starring yours truly and the rest of the outstanding crew of the USS Texas..

8/15/2011 1:47 PM

 

Post a Comment

<< Home