Continuous Learning – It’s a Navy Thing

When I am not writing about submarines, I am normally busy with my day job which is helping the companies I work with to better understand continuous improvement or “lean thinking”. While one is solely vocational in nature and the other is purely avocational both share the same basic roots: Continuous Learning. As a young boy, I was […]

Take ‘Er Down – Submarine Video from the 50’s

Some great shots of older submarine life. Some awesome shots of a Regulus Missile shot from the Tunney. From Wikipedia: Communist aggression in Korea placed new demands on the resources of the Navy and led to Tunny’s being placed in commission, in reserve, on 28 February 1952. She saw no service at this time, […]

Did it matter? Undersea Patrols on Christmas Day

Did it matter? A few weeks ago on one of the Holy Loch themed Facebook pages, a few of us were reminiscing about the old days and all of the patrols that were made during the Cold War. Someone reflected how successful the system was but a member of the site (who self-identified as an […]

A Bob “Dex” Armstrong Christmas

In 2014, we said goodbye to Dex Armstrong. In his honor, I am reposting one of his most memorable Christmas Stories. Its hard to believe four years have already gone by. This picture comes from the web site: http://www.olgoat.com/substuff/abr.htm Mister Mac A “Heartfelt Merry Christmas” From Robert “Dex” Armstrong, and his loyal Sidekick Adrian Stuke.. […]

December 10 – The Loss of the First Sealion

The attack at Pearl Harbor was barely finished when the predicted attacks in the Philippines began. In order for the Japanese empire to complete their planned establishment of a Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere, the Philippines would have to be “liberated” from the American’s influence. A casual study of that part of the world shows […]

Taffy 3 – Courage Beyond Measure

Originally posted on theleansubmariner:
? In the annals of US Naval history, there are a number of instances that demonstrate the courage and determination of a committed group of dedicated officers and men. The one that stands out most in many people’s opinions is the battle which occurred on October 25th 1994. On this day,…

Something completely different for me

I recently did an interview on Bill Nowicki’s Blog (episode 29) Pretty interesting stuff… if you have a few minutes, check it out http://www.nowickimedia.com/ep29-the-lean-submariner-and-coach-bob-macpherson/ Thanks Bill Mister Mac

With all this new stuff, why is everybody so unhappy?

I’ve been reading a lot lately about the state of the Navy and the other seagoing forces. To be sure, there have been a lot of technological advances in the past twenty years since I hung up my sword (literally). Submarines have reached new levels of sophistication that make them more efficient than ever before. […]

How a World War 2 Submarine Works

I saw this video on one of the Navy Facebook pages earlier today and thought it was worth sharing. When you think about how complex a machine submarines really are, you can understand why training and qualifications are so important. Compared to any other occupation or job I have had, none come close […]

The Submariner’s Wife

Navy wife… the toughest job in the Navy Mrs. Mac spent a few hours underway on the USS San Francisco SSN 711. One of my favorite memories is the dependents cruise from Maui back to Oahu back in the 80’s. I had just qualified as Chief of the Watch and was on watch when it […]