By now we're all aware of the grounding of the USS San Francisco (SSN 711) on January , 2005. Visit this blog for the complete story:
Submarine Brotherhood
Also, in the right hand column I've added a link to MM2(SS) Joseph A. Ashley's Guestbook. Please visit and show your support to the Ashley family.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
The Night Before ORSE
Any submariner out there knows the hell that is an ORSE work-up. Endless drills... constant cleaning... tests for the nukes... and LOK's for all of Engineering Dept... So here's a little something similar to "The Night Before Christmas" to raise your spirits.
The Night Before ORSE
The Night Before ORSE
Saturday, April 23, 2005
For all you who hate PMS
Here's a little something for all of you who know the pain that PMS can be. Just yesterday my entire division's liberty was secured till all the PMS for the week was done. I know it has happened to you to. (You'll need Adobe Reader to view file)
MRC D-1R Perform bowel movement
MRC D-1R Perform bowel movement
Friday, April 22, 2005
"Qualified in submarines"
The wearing of Dolphins is a longstanding naval tradition. Earning Dolphins is a significant event in submariner's career; a special high point that instills tremendous personal pride and a sense of accomplishment.
The origin of the U.S. Navy's Submarine Service Insignia dates back to 1923. On 13 June of that year, Captain Ernest J. King, USN, later to become Fleet Admiral and Chief of Naval Operations during World War II, and at that time Commander Submarine Division Three, suggested to the Secretary of the Navy, via the old Bureau of Navigation, that a distinguishing device for qualified submariners be adopted. The design chosen consisted of a bow view of a submarine proceeding on the surface, with bow planes rigged for diving, flanked by dolphins in horizontal positions with their heads resting on the upper edge of the bow planes.
The Officer Insignia was then and is now a gold plated metal pin, worn above the left breast pocket. Enlisted men wore the insignia, embroidered in silk, on the outside of the right sleeve, midway between the wrist and the elbow. In mid-1947 the embroidered device shifted from the sleeve of the enlisted man's jumper to above the left breast pocket. Subsequently, silver metal Dolphins were approved for enlisted men.
Dolphins are earned through a rigorous qualification process. Individuals must learn the location of equipment, operation of complex systems, damage control procedures and have a general knowledge of operational characteristics of their boat. Dolphin wearers qualify initially on one boat and must requalify on each boat to which they are subsequently assigned. Once Dolphins have been earned, they are awarded to the individual by the Commanding Officer in a special ceremony.
The qualification certificate reads: "Having successfully completed the rigorous professional requirements for qualification in submarines, having gained a through knowledge of submarine construction and operation, having demonstrated his reliability under stress, and having my full confidence and trust, I hereby certify that he is Qualified in Submarines"
Profile of a Submariner
(Written by Dr. Joyce Brothers following the loss of THRESHER in 1963) The tragic loss of the submarine Thresher and 129 men had a special kind of an impact on the nation.....a special kind of sadness, mixed with universal admiration for the men who choose this type of work.
One could not mention the Thresher without observing, in the same breath how utterly final and alone the end is when a ship dies at the bottom of the sea....and what a remarkable specimen of man it must be who accepts such a risk.
Most of us might be moved to conclude, too, that a tragedy of this kind would have a damaging effect on the morale of the other men in the submarine service and tend to discourage future enlistment.
Actually, there is no evidence that this is so.
What is it then, that lures men to careers in which they spend so much of their time in cramped quarters, under great psychological stress, with danger lurking all about them? Togetherness is an overworked term, but in no other branch of our military service is it given such full meaning as in the "silent service".
In an undersea craft, each man is totally dependent upon the skill of every other man in the crew, not only for top performance but for actual survival. Each knows that his very life depends on the others and because this is so, there is a bond among them that both challenges and comforts them.
All of this gives the submariner a special feeling of pride, because he is indeed a member of an elite corps.
The risks, then, are an inspiration rather than a deterrent.
The challenge of masculinity is another factor which attracts men to serve on submarines. It certainly is a test of a man's prowess and power to know he can qualify for this highly selective service.
However, it should be emphasized that this desire to prove masculinity is not pathological, as it might be in certain dare-devil pursuits, such as driving a motorcycle through a flaming hoop. There is nothing daredevilish about motivations of the man who decides to dedicate his life to the submarine service.
He does, indeed, take pride in demonstrating that he is quite a man, but he does not do so to practice a form of foolhardy brinkmanship, to see how close he can get to failure and still snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
On the contrary, the aim in the submarine service is to battle danger, to minimize the risk, to take every measure to make certain that safety, rather than danger, is maintained at all times.
Are the men in the submarine service braver than those in other pursuits where the possibilty of a sudden tragedy is constant? The glib answer would be to say they are. It is more accurate, from a psychological point of view, to say they are not necessarily braver, but that they are men who have a little more insight into themselves and their capabilities.
They know themselves a little better than the next man. This has to be so with men who have a healthy reason to volunteer for a risk. They are generally a cut healthier emotionally than others of the similar age and background because of their willingness to push themselves a little bit farther and not settle for an easier kind of existence.
We all have tremendous capabilities but are rarely straining at the upper level of what we can do; these men are.
This country can be proud and grateful that so many of its sound, young, eager men care enough about their own stature in life and the welfare of their country to pool their skills and match them collectively against the power of the sea.
One could not mention the Thresher without observing, in the same breath how utterly final and alone the end is when a ship dies at the bottom of the sea....and what a remarkable specimen of man it must be who accepts such a risk.
Most of us might be moved to conclude, too, that a tragedy of this kind would have a damaging effect on the morale of the other men in the submarine service and tend to discourage future enlistment.
Actually, there is no evidence that this is so.
What is it then, that lures men to careers in which they spend so much of their time in cramped quarters, under great psychological stress, with danger lurking all about them? Togetherness is an overworked term, but in no other branch of our military service is it given such full meaning as in the "silent service".
In an undersea craft, each man is totally dependent upon the skill of every other man in the crew, not only for top performance but for actual survival. Each knows that his very life depends on the others and because this is so, there is a bond among them that both challenges and comforts them.
All of this gives the submariner a special feeling of pride, because he is indeed a member of an elite corps.
The risks, then, are an inspiration rather than a deterrent.
The challenge of masculinity is another factor which attracts men to serve on submarines. It certainly is a test of a man's prowess and power to know he can qualify for this highly selective service.
However, it should be emphasized that this desire to prove masculinity is not pathological, as it might be in certain dare-devil pursuits, such as driving a motorcycle through a flaming hoop. There is nothing daredevilish about motivations of the man who decides to dedicate his life to the submarine service.
He does, indeed, take pride in demonstrating that he is quite a man, but he does not do so to practice a form of foolhardy brinkmanship, to see how close he can get to failure and still snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
On the contrary, the aim in the submarine service is to battle danger, to minimize the risk, to take every measure to make certain that safety, rather than danger, is maintained at all times.
Are the men in the submarine service braver than those in other pursuits where the possibilty of a sudden tragedy is constant? The glib answer would be to say they are. It is more accurate, from a psychological point of view, to say they are not necessarily braver, but that they are men who have a little more insight into themselves and their capabilities.
They know themselves a little better than the next man. This has to be so with men who have a healthy reason to volunteer for a risk. They are generally a cut healthier emotionally than others of the similar age and background because of their willingness to push themselves a little bit farther and not settle for an easier kind of existence.
We all have tremendous capabilities but are rarely straining at the upper level of what we can do; these men are.
This country can be proud and grateful that so many of its sound, young, eager men care enough about their own stature in life and the welfare of their country to pool their skills and match them collectively against the power of the sea.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
In the beginning.....
Just started this blog adding to my other blog. I'm in the US Navy on the USS Providence (SSN-719) and pretty busy at work so it'll be slow for me to get this up but I'll keep on posting new stuff when I can. Right now I hope to get some thing up that we can all laugh about and enjoy. Then I'd like to add pictures and other things. Hope you all enjoy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)