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.)
In between my two Eng tours, on Connecticut and Jimmy Carter, I did a deployment as the Submarine Liaison Officer on the Stennis Battle Group staff. So I was happy to see this picture of USS Connecticut (SSN 22) and USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) moored at the same pier in Singapore a couple of days ago:
posted by Bubblehead at 4:30 PM
I'm Joel Kennedy -- a married, 48 year old retired submarine officer and esophageal cancer survivor with three kids who has finally made the transition to civilian life. Politically, I'm a moderate realist. In Idaho, that makes me a Democrat. (If you don't like something on this blog, please E-mail me. Don't call me at home.)
33 Comments:
The only picture I can see of my old boat is of the RC in that trench at Hanford. Sorry to see the Queenfish go. I think she still had a few good years left in her.
2/01/2012 4:34 PM
When in PSNS, what was left of my old Skate-class boat was brought in and tied up across the pier. One night while I had duty, I conducted an extensive tour of the pier area that included my old boat. It brought back lots of great memories of Pearl Harbor, Waikiki, WestPac, and a tight-knit crew.
2/01/2012 4:59 PM
In other news...the Non-continuation board results have been released to commands with Chiefs who are being told to go home for formal notification. This year is a little different - they will FRR NLT 120930 vice the 30 June date used for the last two years. Operational waiver requests to get a 90 day delay can be submitted through channels.
2/01/2012 4:59 PM
I must admit a little nostalgia but at the same time, that wierd feeling when you oh, so slightly vomit in your mouth.
2/01/2012 5:01 PM
"Does seeing pictures of your old boat generally bring back feelings of happy nostalgia or some other emotion?"
Although I pride of my own submarine service and respect others who served with me, my relief upon honorable discharge has rarely been matched.
Related SSN photos restore a mélange of arduous duty, unimagined sacrifice, comaraderie, personal pride, and episodes of intense terror. Hope that answers your question. Whew!
2/01/2012 5:20 PM
Well, perhaps appropriate for this thread - let us all observe a prolonged and sincere moment of silence:
Jimmy "Godfather" Looby's Horse and Cow founder passing
(Tacoma National Cemetary) James "Jimmy" Looby, 79 of Bremerton, passed away on Monday, January 30, 2012. As a veteran of the United States Army, he proudly served during the Korean War. Starting out as a night club manager in San Francisco, with his passion of entertaining his patrons; he created his own bar the "Horse and Cow" in 1953. Dedicating this establishment to serving submarine Sailors, he created an atmosphere that the submarine sailors can call home. He continued to run the "Cow" until 1997 when he retired to provide care for his wife Jeanette Looby. He maintained a close relationship with the submarine community and became known as the "The Godfather". The traditions and legacy's he established are being carried on by his family today and you can still get an Upside Down Margarita in Guam.
2/01/2012 5:57 PM
Usually seeing a pic or having a thought of the ole Boat induces a shitting spree....Good times,, beards and no dole tests... Searching for Ivan and enjoying unrestricted liberty to the fullest..Only way to serve your country........
2/01/2012 7:08 PM
For anyone who hasn't seen the submarine RCs at Hanford...
Google map: http://g.co/maps/bg9e3
Also, here's a poster and names of the boats in the trench.
Quite a resting place. From all of us, "thanks for the rides, girls."
2/01/2012 9:04 PM
The picture reminded me that small boys always left first and returned last vs. the carrier. Says the carrier: "Its good to be the king!" (probably has more to do w/ CO's rank or Admiral onboard, I'm sure...)
Can anyone say how Changi Naval Base is these days? Back in 2002, it had just opened to US ships and it was a pier and not much else (for visitors, anyway; RSN had some facilities for their guys and were building more as Tuas scaled down). Had to take a 20+min bus ride to the nearest train station, or 45min taxi to downtown. Sembawang at least had a sports bar, laundry, gift shop, gym, etc.
I remember a carrier pulled in to Changi & some sailors refused to wait in line for buses so they tried hoofing it - after a few weeks at sea, the 5mi walk in equatorial weather had them begging to be picked up before they got to the first intersection!
2/01/2012 9:23 PM
Was at Changi about nine months ago. Its still crap. About the only thing they had was a fancy guard shack and a taxi stop. Great port though, once you got away from the base. The housing units that they had converted to the Navy Lodge at the Sembawang base were huge.
-SMAG
2/01/2012 11:37 PM
When I see pictures or read something about my old boat I will smile really big, remembering the fun I had with the people there. However any time I see a clock and it's 7:24, I cringe a little bit.
2/02/2012 6:36 AM
I'll second the last with 7:52...
However, a good memory would be liberty expiring @ 0752. I seriously doubt they do that now.
2/02/2012 8:49 AM
^^^^^^^^
I sometimes I wish I had been on a boat whose hull number was not a valid time. I swear that it happens twice a day, every day. And that, my friends, is a no shitter.
2/02/2012 8:51 AM
Very nice!
2/02/2012 12:59 PM
When I see my last "boat" before I retired, the USS Daniel Webster, all I can think about is F that place
2/02/2012 1:50 PM
the Webster was my boat also. she got a better end than most.
2/02/2012 2:44 PM
When I was on the old Bainbridge the IC2 that ran the ships TV station made a video of her underway. he shot it from a helicopter and set it to Hearts "Dreamboat Annie" It was very well done and every time I hear that song I see that video in my head She was a good ship
2/02/2012 2:48 PM
Tied to a pier in Singapore? The numerous times I was there both on the NYC and the Vinson, we had to throw the hook. The memory of Singpore I have is that I indulged in my gastronomical hobby. The local food was awesome. Funny thing, though, two buddies and I went to Sentosa Island. Burger King is there. They had to have Burger King, I ate the local food. They got food poisoning, I was fine. Proof positive is that Americans only know how to do American food. Always eat the local food, you can never go wrong.
2/02/2012 3:11 PM
Former Bainbridge midshipma from the late '70s here. She was indeed a good ship. But, wow, were the non-nuke officers on board ever a bag of rocks. One in particular...the assistant weps, as I recall. Just off-the-charts stupid.
2/02/2012 5:07 PM
Mine, the former USS Long Beach, is still pierside at PSNS; I can check on it with whichever provider has the most recent image.
The ship was fine, but most senior nucs and the topsiders were insufferable. And yes, there was blue-tiled officer's country.
The flag bridge was a nice hangout when no flag was embarked, but those levels were off-limits otherwise.
Drills are important, right? During a drill that involved wearing charcoal-lined suits in the tropics, we were told to violate Circle William for the staff's comfort.
I am so glad that I wasn't sent to either the East Coast or a carrier. The good memories would probably be fewer, and the bad ones far more numerous.
2/02/2012 5:29 PM
Attended the Philly de-comm last year. It was good to bring my kids down on the boat particularly the youngest who had never been. Also some friends who had never been on a boat. It gives them at least a little perspective.
The reunion activities had me laughing so hard my stomach hurt for days. It was like you hadn't been apart for 20+ years.
2/02/2012 7:19 PM
Don't really need to see pics of Ustafish (either one) or the tender. Two of the three are decommed, the other one can't be very far behind.
Biggest thing--I'll never get that SMELL out of my head.
EVER.
2/03/2012 5:43 AM
Honestly, whenever I hear Joel talk wistfully about the Connecticut, I get jealous because that must have been Disney World given how new it is. Hardly any QA jobs, clean, everybody loves you.
When I think of my boat, I think of broke-dick metal can.
2/03/2012 10:26 AM
3383 said "I am so glad that I wasn't sent to either the East Coast or a carrier. The good memories would probably be fewer, and the bad ones far more numerous."
You have no idea how right you are. I spent three sea tours in boats in Pearl (awesome memories), then a tour on a Carrier (Vinson, drunk LCPO who I battled with continually) after I got in trouble on shore duty. Talk about doing both extremes. Then when I was up for shore duty, I requested more sea duty back in the boats. By then, submarines had done away with QM's, IC, RM, etc. I got out instead.
2/03/2012 10:50 AM
3383--concur with the last statement. The tender is a prime example and the closest you'll ever want to get to the "surface navy". The submariners weren't bad, but the skimmers were totally ate up with the dumbass.
Generally speaking, of course--there are dumb submariners, and smart skimmers--fortunately for submariners, and sadly for skimmers.
2/03/2012 12:35 PM
I work with a couple of former surface nukes. I always feel so bad for them when I hear about the BS.
And, unlike the conventional skimmers, they KNEW just how dumb it was. And the surface Chiefs all sound horrendous - I've heard that from both former surface nuke officers and blueshirts. When a former skimmer nuke LCDR and LT swear never to hire anyone above E6 or O4, you know something might be hosed.
2/04/2012 11:37 AM
BH,
nonrelated question, but what is that fence looking thing hanging off the stern of the carrier? noticed it on all Nimitz class carriers but not on any prior classes
2/05/2012 2:51 PM
Hi there, I visited the USS John C Stennis while it was moored in Singapore, and I have to say it was an unforgettable experience (from the viewpoint of a Singaporean, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience).
I also saw the USS Connecticut moored next to it, was pretty impressed with the display of military hardware - I normally only see them in movies/pictures/videos.
2/06/2012 4:06 AM
As I have been out of the Navy long enough that my memories of my boat and my time aboard are fond ones. The memories of working around the clock many times have been pushed way back by time.
However, I spent my first year in the Navy on a carrier out of Jax and can say that I can remember in excrutiatingly detail, almost every minute I spent on board. Of course I was a bottom feeding E-2, but hated it never the less
2/07/2012 9:15 AM
Thanks for the article. Very interesting.
2/11/2012 3:57 AM
I have pictures on a photo album from my days on the boat, when I got my dolphins, etc.
Also found one of my boat at PSNSY with a spray painted hull number awaiting to become scrap.
As for nasalgia, having been 20 years since I left I still remember going from a happy to be in the Navy kid to "what the hell did I sign myself up for". The negativity sucked every bit of positive energy from me and did not end until walking down the pier for the last time.
And the worst part is they/we do it too ourselves rather than the Navy doing it too us.
I gained a lot from the Navy and my sea duty was payment for the "free" education. Certainly no love loss. It was everyman for himself on my boat and if you wanted leave, weekend liberty, etc any chance of working together to help each other out was not even a chance in hell.
Seeing that the Navy is doubling the throughput of nukes tells me how f-ed up the Navy is. How about keep the people you've already trained and offer something with teeth? Nope, just throw bodies at the problem. Obviously nothing has changed.
My condolences to anyone in the yards, especially as you get closer to steaming. Of course you're probably not reading this as you're either working or sleeping. lol
2/26/2012 3:59 PM
Oh don't talk to me about the Connecticut. Not only did they take the Battle E from us but they also get to pull into foreign ports. I'm sure you'll never see an All Hands cover with the Carter on it either. Gah! 2011 goes to you Connecticut, but 2012 will be ours!
3/01/2012 8:01 AM
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3/04/2012 8:04 PM
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