Submarine Trades
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Hey good question...I was wondering that too!
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They're forced inside the subs at gun point, towed out to sea and then cast off with 2 maps- one to the AO and one to get home.
Of course it volunteer... you have to pass a pressure test, amongst other things. I failed it... my ears friggin' near imploded.
Of course it volunteer... you have to pass a pressure test, amongst other things. I failed it... my ears friggin' near imploded.
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Submarine service is no longer just volunteer, however, volunteers are accepted.
I was "screened" for sub service two years ago (non-voluntary) and was lucky, my left eardrum ain't in such good shape (thin inner membrane, likely to burst if I did the Wet Escape Pressure Testing. *UNFIT*
If you're Voluntold to go subs, you have a 2 year tour to complete before you're allowed to get out of the world. That's two years AFTER The completion of your sub training package, and earn your dolphins.
Now, that said, lots of folks I know love being in 'boats' as the atmosphere is somewhat different than surface ships. More individual responsibility and such.
NavyShooter
I was "screened" for sub service two years ago (non-voluntary) and was lucky, my left eardrum ain't in such good shape (thin inner membrane, likely to burst if I did the Wet Escape Pressure Testing. *UNFIT*
If you're Voluntold to go subs, you have a 2 year tour to complete before you're allowed to get out of the world. That's two years AFTER The completion of your sub training package, and earn your dolphins.
Now, that said, lots of folks I know love being in 'boats' as the atmosphere is somewhat different than surface ships. More individual responsibility and such.
NavyShooter
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sledge said:
My God, I've been transformed into a lubber!!!!
I'm curious as to when the policy was put in place to impress people into the subs - is it just for certain trades? I volunteered as a Mar El, I don't ever recall being told that that they could actually post a non-volunteer to the subs. Of course, that was a long time ago and we were all trying to get in for the money, [they paid us next to nothing in those days.]
It was my ears that gave trouble as well- couldn't equalize pressure.
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I remember when it was first announced that women would be allowed to serve on subs, I was asked by the media what my opinion was. I told them they were all crazy -- men and women alike. Who would want to serve in a sub with a rack that is smaller in volume than an issue sleeping bag? (Not quite that bad, but it might as well be). ;D ;D ;D
I have enough problems sharing a tent with a bunch of guys for a week. I can imagine the smell in a sub...gross.
I have enough problems sharing a tent with a bunch of guys for a week. I can imagine the smell in a sub...gross.
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Strike said:
No hot bunking in army or army aviation, eh?
For me, I wanted to go on the Subs for the extra pay for what i foolishly thought was the same amount of work and risk. [don't forget our ships back then were not exactly modern or well protected]. Also, the gov't was planning on acquiring a whole fleet of SSN's at the time, and after i had a tour of the USS Indianapolis [a 680 class], I was hooked. It looked so huge, and had more firepower potential than our whole squadron. But alas, it was never to happen for moi.
I remember a Delta on the surface back in 1986- it was a monster of a boat, just as long as our DDE [if not longer] probably 5 or 6 times our tonnage. We were very close to it, with regular glasses we could clearly see the expressions on the faces of the few crew members topside as the EW guys were snapping as many pics of them and the boat as they could get away with. I wonder if those guys volunteered for the racket they found themsleves in, and whether it was worth it for them.
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Pssssst 688 class...680 was part of the Sturgeon class(long hull) and the 680 was the USS William H Bates. Sowwy had to jump in there.
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Yes, you're right. Thanks.
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Ex-Dragoon said:
And whats with this? ^ Into the liquor cabinet again eh?
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whiskey601 said:
Hey! I rememble that remark...I only had one drink tonight or so....
Subs became a regular posting in 1988 shortly after the boats had to be tied up for lack of qualified people. Manning was a real mess in the mid-eighties. It actually happened to people that as soon as their boat tied up from a cruise, they were ordered to grab their kit, trot down the jetty to get on the next boat so it could put to sea. I was lucky, it only happened to me once.
Not that I am bitter, but I will never forget the squadron meeting called in late 86 so an admiral and his posse from Ottawa could order us to stop complaining, they had the proof that the average posting to subs was 18 months. There was four of us PO's sitting in a row that all had over 5 years straight time on the boats. I was standing 1 in 5 home port duty watches at the time, we were so short of qualified stokers, so when my career mangler told me later that afternoon that he had no idea when I could expect a posting out of the sub sqadron, I started working up my release letter.
Spring of 88, the fecal matter hit the rotary air impeller, couple of court martials, it went public, the boats got tied up for a while, some brass got shuffled to desk jobs, the navy bought a habour queen from the brits for training, and subs became non-voluntary.
Not that I am bitter, but I will never forget the squadron meeting called in late 86 so an admiral and his posse from Ottawa could order us to stop complaining, they had the proof that the average posting to subs was 18 months. There was four of us PO's sitting in a row that all had over 5 years straight time on the boats. I was standing 1 in 5 home port duty watches at the time, we were so short of qualified stokers, so when my career mangler told me later that afternoon that he had no idea when I could expect a posting out of the sub sqadron, I started working up my release letter.
Spring of 88, the fecal matter hit the rotary air impeller, couple of court martials, it went public, the boats got tied up for a while, some brass got shuffled to desk jobs, the navy bought a habour queen from the brits for training, and subs became non-voluntary.
Let me get this straight. You take a Brit Centurian tank, stretch it out 200 feet, plug up most of the holes, fill it full of junk, then press gang some hillbillies into it at sabre-point, and drive it into the ocean. Oh yeah, I left out the part where it has lots of batteries and other electrical stuff. Anyone who has been aound an Austin Mini/MGB/Ferret/Scimitar knows how they do electrics.
;D
You submariners got more balls than a ten pound bag of number 9 shot.
Tom
;D
You submariners got more balls than a ten pound bag of number 9 shot.
Tom
