He was stationed at the old Charleston naval base but his sub deployed from Kings Bay Georgia.
Some cool things I learned about nuclear submarine crews.
1. There is an “ Off crew” and an “ on crew” kinda self explanatory. When the sub is out to sea the crew that just returned is the “ Off Crew.
2. Since they are on patrol for 90 days at a time, they get their pay in advance to pay their bills before they leave. Off crews and on crews share the same apartment. When they go on patrol the on crew pays 3 months rent in advance for the off crew. They return the favor when they become the on crew.
3. The refrigerator must be fully stocked with Budweiser. By fully stocked it means nothing but Budweiser is in the fridge. Every nook and cranny must be filled.
4. When noob “ bubbleheads” go on their first patrol the seasoned sailors tie string to the walls of the sub in the bunk area. The sub is designed to give and underwater at depth the string naturally slacks a little but the older sailors act like something seriously is wrong and try to freak the noobs out.
5. Nuclear subs are called “ boomers” they surface once or twice during patrol hundreds of miles out to receive messages. Usually at night. The sailors get to sit out on deck. They say the ocean can look like a lake or glass.
6. The depth of a nuclear sub is not to be divulged to civilians.
7. Russian or Soviet subs had very loud engines. U.S. subs were quiet and would locate Soviet subs once or twice a patrol.
8. I was told a story how the sailors get bored and look for shit to entertain them. On one patrol the theme was “ Batman”. Everything was Bat this or Bat that. Sailor man your Bat sonor! The commanding officer got irritated and would remind them that this was a United States nuclear sub and cut out the nonsense. The sailors made little cutouts of the Batman logo and wear them, the CO made them take them off.
The last week of the cruise the CO gave up and was wearing one too.
9. At the end of the patrol they have to be evaluated for radiation. If they have been exposed to too many “Rads” they have to be quarantined.
Just some cool things I learned from my friend.
Some cool things I learned about nuclear submarine crews.
1. There is an “ Off crew” and an “ on crew” kinda self explanatory. When the sub is out to sea the crew that just returned is the “ Off Crew.
2. Since they are on patrol for 90 days at a time, they get their pay in advance to pay their bills before they leave. Off crews and on crews share the same apartment. When they go on patrol the on crew pays 3 months rent in advance for the off crew. They return the favor when they become the on crew.
3. The refrigerator must be fully stocked with Budweiser. By fully stocked it means nothing but Budweiser is in the fridge. Every nook and cranny must be filled.
4. When noob “ bubbleheads” go on their first patrol the seasoned sailors tie string to the walls of the sub in the bunk area. The sub is designed to give and underwater at depth the string naturally slacks a little but the older sailors act like something seriously is wrong and try to freak the noobs out.
5. Nuclear subs are called “ boomers” they surface once or twice during patrol hundreds of miles out to receive messages. Usually at night. The sailors get to sit out on deck. They say the ocean can look like a lake or glass.
6. The depth of a nuclear sub is not to be divulged to civilians.
7. Russian or Soviet subs had very loud engines. U.S. subs were quiet and would locate Soviet subs once or twice a patrol.
8. I was told a story how the sailors get bored and look for shit to entertain them. On one patrol the theme was “ Batman”. Everything was Bat this or Bat that. Sailor man your Bat sonor! The commanding officer got irritated and would remind them that this was a United States nuclear sub and cut out the nonsense. The sailors made little cutouts of the Batman logo and wear them, the CO made them take them off.
The last week of the cruise the CO gave up and was wearing one too.
9. At the end of the patrol they have to be evaluated for radiation. If they have been exposed to too many “Rads” they have to be quarantined.
Just some cool things I learned from my friend.
