| Question | Answer | Last
Updated |
| hello my son is in bess right now, he has been asking me where he should try to get stationed i suggested west coast sence we are from boston, i did not recommened ga. i was stationed there in the army, tell me where is the best place in your openion to go, a father who was a grunt. |
Dear concerned father, it's a tough choice, if he gets one (choice that is). He most likely will get assigned to an SSN or SSBN according to the needs of the Submarine Force. I really can't recommend either coast. I have served tours in Groton CT, Kings bay GA, and Bangor WA and enjoyed every minute. Other Submarine bases are San Diego CA, Norfolk VA, Guam, and Pearl Harbor Hi. Either way, feel comfortable that he will be among the best of the best no matter where he gets stationed. P.S., since you live in Boston, Groton CT might not be such a bad choice!-S.B. |
12/7/2005 7:27:29 AM |
| Dear Submarine Bob, I am heading off to Great Lakes pretty soon. My job is SKS. I''ve talked to a lot of people in the Navy, its like people who haven''t been on subs say its terrible, its one of the worst jobs in the Navy. But guys who have actually worked on subs say its very hard work, but a great experience. Is it true the first two weeks on a sub you get very sick? Whats it like, are there any cases where sailors just couldn''t handle it that you''ve witnessed?- Jason D.(Minneapolis) |
Dear Jason, being on Submarines has been the most rewarding experience of my life. I'm not sure who you have been talking to, but obviously they have not been deployed on any of our fine warfighting machines. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but definately worth the effort. As for your question about getting sick the first two weeks, it's a myth. In my 21 years of Submarine service, I have seen only a handful of sailors who permanently disqualified in submarines. In these cases they were either emotionally or physically unprepared or were dismissed due to disciplinary problems. Basically, when the rubber meets the road, we as Submariners absolutely have to be mentally and physically prepared to meet every challenge at a moments notice. You see, each and every sailor onboard depends on the other to do what he is trained to do for the survival of the ship in any situation. We are firefighters, navigators, communicators, engineers, mechanics, electricians, and cooks. We are the elite, but most of all we are the best of the best.-S.B. |
12/2/2005 8:26:40 AM |
| i have seen footages of a surfaced submarine in what part of the ocean we are not allowed to know i guess.some of the crew were taking a dip in the water also there was a grill on the deck.sounds like a party with the biggest pool ever.are there any security concerns or shark issues? |
Although "Swim Calls" are not a normal occurrance during life onboard a submarine, the opportunity does present itself when we are in abnormally calm and warm waters. Security and mission concerns are evaluated heavily prior to any recreational activities that require the ship to be on the surface. During a swim call, we station a "Shark Watch" with several crewmembers that are armed with M-16's that do nothing but look for sharks and other dangerous sea creatures. If a swim call isn't possible but weather is permitting, we can do what we call "Steel Beach". This allows the crew to sunbathe topside and take advantage of the sun. During "Steel Beach", the Culinary Specialists prepare food topside or belowdecks for the crew to enjoy. I hope this answers your question.-S.B. |
11/10/2005 2:33:23 PM |
| do they serve wine or alcoholic drinks aboard modern submarines? |
No alcoholic beverages of any kind are allowed onboard U.S. Submarines.-S.B. |
10/31/2005 11:58:21 AM |
| What is your medical capability? What would you do if there was an emergency which the medical department could not handle? |
Submarines are assigned an independent duty corpsman, normally an E6 or above. He is trained in basic denistry and surgery. We also have an Emergency Medical Assistance Team (EMATT) that are trained in triage and advanced first aid. During emergencies that cannot be adequately treated by onboard medical personnel, a message is sent to our bosses, explaining the medical condition, what on site treatment has been applied, and all vital statistics and patient condition. At that time, assistance will be supplied either by additional instructions and/or arrange for a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) of the patient at the nearest port.-S.B. |
10/31/2005 11:58:11 AM |
| What is the instrument that tells a submarine how deep it is? |
The use of an Analog Depth Gage which senses water pressure is our primary method for indicating depth of the submarine in the water.-S.B. |
10/31/2005 11:57:01 AM |
| Dear Sub Bob, My son is getting ready to join the gold team as a CS. How often is the mail transfered? If we write to him is the mail held until he gets back into port? Not like a jet or a helo is going to be landing on the deck to bring in the mail. This I understand is how the mail was delivered when my father was on carriers. Lillian in Maryland |
Dear Lillian, "Mail Drops" as we call them, come very few and far between during deployments. Usually this occurs when we have a scheduled personnel transfer by a small boat or tugboat. The opposite crew will coordinate the delivery of mail in advance through the command ombudsman. A message will be sent via phone call to crewmembers relatives (that are designated on their Pre-Deployment forms) for the deadline and delivery instructions. Regular mail delivered through the U.S. Postal Service (if it is mailed to the ship's address) will also be delivered on the mail drop.-S.B. |
10/31/2005 11:56:33 AM |
| What is the difference between a gold crew and a blue crew? Is it like peace time and war time? |
There are two crews for each TRIDENT Submarine. Each crew is a separate command, USS "Ship's name" Blue or Gold. While one crew has "command" of the submarine, the other crew is in a "Pre-Deployment Training Period" where the crew conducts training in preparation for taking the submarine back to sea. This cycle continues until the submarine combines crews for an extended maintenance period or overhaul.-S.B. |
10/31/2005 11:56:13 AM |
| Dear S.B., Do the Mess Specialists undergo any special culinary training, if so where is the school. |
Our Mess Specialists are now called Culinary Specialists. They currently get their culinary skills training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas.-S.B. |
10/31/2005 11:56:00 AM |
| Dear Submarine Bob,
How much privacy does a submariner have living aboard a sub?
-William D. (Barranquitas, Puerto Rico)
|
Dear William,
Privacy is a little tough to come by on the submarine. Most of the enlisted men sleep in 9-man bunkrooms. The bunks (or "racks" as we call them) are stacked three bunks high. Each rack has a privacy curtain to close it off from the rest of the room. The officer bunkrooms (or "staterooms") sleep two or three people, although they are much smaller. The CO's and XO's staterooms are capable of sleeping two, but are usually not shared with anyone else. Bathroom facilities are shared with several people at once. There are some areas of the ship that are not traveled as frequently, so it's possible to get a little time to yourself just by walking around.
-S.B.
|
10/28/2005 12:34:41 PM |
| As an officer how many people are in a room? What is the best part about being on a submarine? What do you think is the worse part about being on a sub? - Joe |
Unfortunately I am not an officer, but the staterooms have 2 to 3 officers in each one of them. Being on a submarine is like being an astronaut. Not many people get to do and you get to go where no one has really ever gone before. The worst part is being away from family and friends. It gets harder every time we go out, to say goodbye. |
12/24/2004 9:10:57 PM |
| Do both crews get to spend Christmas at home usually or do they rotate from year to year? - Mitch (Baton Rouge) |
Mitch-
That really depends on the schedule of ship and I am not really able to say. Sorry. |
12/18/2004 9:33:43 PM |
| Dear Submarine Bob,
Obviously, you work in an environment that has no 'day-time' hours. How is that staffed? It would be assumed that you are manned, somewhat, 24 hours. But, is there a 'period' of time that a majority of the crew is sleeping and/or off-duty? Or do you maintain a continuous staffing of all positions, 24 hours a day (like a 50/50 rotation)?
-Scott S. (San Antonio, TX)
|
Dear Scott,
While a few crewmembers work normal daytime hours, most of the crew is on three-section shifts of 6 hours each. This makes our days (for many purposes) 18 hours long. Each person will generally do 6 hours of watch, 6 hours of training/drills/maintenance, and 6 hours of sleep (or qualifying to stand other watches).
-S.B.
|
12/14/2004 9:54:59 AM |
| Dear Submarine Bob,
How does it affect the submarine if/when there's a typhoon/hurricane raging and you're submerged?
-Charlie (Austin, TX)
|
Dear Charlie,
That all depends on how deep the submarine is. In general, severe weather can be avoided by going deeper (but I can't give you numbers). I've never been through a typhoon or hurricaine so I can't say how well we would do.
-S.B
|
12/14/2004 9:10:17 AM |
| Dear Submarine Bob,
What is your favorite thing about serving aboard a submarine? Also, I've seen pictures of sailors standing in uniform on top of the sub when it looks like they are eaither leaving or comming into a port, why are they doing that?
-Jourdan M. (Lebanon PA)
|
Dear Submarine Bob,
What is your favorite thing about serving aboard a submarine? Also, I've seen pictures of sailors standing in uniform on top of the sub when it looks like they are eaither leaving or comming into a port, why are they doing that?
-Jourdan M. (Lebanon PA)
|
12/14/2004 9:10:17 AM |
| Dear Submarine Bob,
About how long is one of your deterrent patrols?
-Peter
|
Dear Peter
Although the length may vary, one patrol is generally between two and three months long.
-S.B.
|
12/14/2004 9:10:17 AM |
| Dear Submarine Bob,
How often do you go out to sea, How long do you stay out,and how fast can you travel. Do any other nations use subs for their military? Can you connect online while in the water.
-Lowell L. (San Antonio, TX)
|
Dear Lowell,
Right now, the ship is in overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, where it will stay until late 2001. After that, we will resume making normal patrols. The way it averages out, each of the two crews make two patrols each year. Each patrol lasts 2-3 months. Unfortunately, I can't discuss the speed of the ship. There are several other nations with active submarine forces.
Although many surface ships in the Navy can get online while at sea (through satellite), submarines are not able to make an internet connection. The nature of our job requires that we stay silent and hidden.
-S.B.
|
12/14/2004 9:10:17 AM |
| Dear Submarine Bob,
I joined the navy on 28 April 2000 as a Machinest Mate. I was just wondering what life is like on a sub. Is it as crowded as everyone says?
-Joe W. (Mansfield TX)
|
Dear Joe,
Although many submarines are pretty small, the USS ALASKA is one of the OHIO-Class subs, which are the largest type in the U.S. Navy. On the Alaska, there is a great deal of room to move about. Our mess decks, for example, can seat 48 people comfortably. The passageways are almost wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side, but the ladders (stairs) are only wide enough for one at a time.
-S.B.
|
12/14/2004 9:10:17 AM |
| Dear Submarine Bob,
Your website says that you have about 160 people on board. It must take a lot of food to feed that many people! How much food do you bring?
-Stacy M. (Nashville, TN)
|
Dear Stacy,
Several other people have wanted to know how much food we carry for one patrol. We start with 22,140 eggs and 2580 pounds of ground beef and go on from there. For a list of more items, check out our "Statistics" page under "About Alaska".
-S.B.
|
12/14/2004 9:10:17 AM |
| Dear Submarine Bob,
It must be cold and lonely under water. What do you do for entertainment? Can you watch TV?
-Jimmy A. (Casper, WY)
|
Dear Jimmy,
Sometimes it's cold, but with more than 150 guys to keep you company, it's not lonely. (Of course, we still miss our wives, girlfriends, family, etc.) We can't receive TV signals when we're under water, but we do have TVs and VCRs so we can watch movies when we have free time. We usually carry over 500 movies with us on 8mm cassette tapes.
-S.B.
|
12/14/2004 9:10:17 AM |
| Dear Submarine Bob,
What do you see when you look out of the portholes?
-Carol S. (Chicago, IL)
|
Dear Carol,
The ocean is a really dark place. Since it would be too dark to see, we don't have any portholes. This also helps to keep the hull of the submarine strong by using only steel, not glass.
-S.B.
|
12/14/2004 9:10:17 AM |
| Dear Submarine Bob,
How much food do you have onboard a submarine? Could you stay submerged for one year? And does it taste that good? Does the captain get better food? What type of drinks are onboard? How many chefs are onboard? Got milk? What soda brand [brand names deleted] do you drink? Where is the best place to work onboard the sub?
Ben S. (Tualatin, OR)
|
Dear Ben,
We have to carry quite a lot of food. You can check out a "shopping list" of some of the items we normally carry for one patrol on this site by choosing "About Alaska" from the home page, then selecting "Statistics" at the top. Although we could technically stay submerged for much greater than a year, we would have to carry much more food.
The food is actually pretty good. We get many common brand-name items. Since we are preparing food for a relatively small group (by Navy standards), it's not bad cooking either. We usually have our choice of two main dishes. The Captain eats the same food as the rest of the crew. The milk is fresh 2% (and some boxed UHT milk). Although I shouldn't mention brands, we drink major-brand sodas. (I'll just say that the commercials feature polar bears). There are about eight cooks per crew.
Now the tough question... "Where is the best place to work onboard the sub?". I'm going to take the easy way out and say that that really depends on what you are into. Some of us work on pipes and valves, others work on electronics, cooking, navigation, etc.
-S.B.
|
12/14/2004 8:50:00 AM |