Scorpion Lives Mattered

On May 22, 1968, the USS Scorpion SSN 589 was lost at sea with all hands. http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-scorpion-589.htm This is a constant reminder to all submariners that there truly are no routine days at sea. God rest their souls Mister Mac

There are no routine days at sea on a submarine

It was just another day at sea. Routine in many ways but in others it became an eternal reminder of the dangers associated with operating a submarine. The sea i…s unforgiving and the impact of any small failure becomes magnified beyond control within moments. I have sat in a chair, strapped in holding the […]

Cold War 2 – Russia Rising

Headline: Russian military plans buildup from West to Pacific MOSCOW (AP) — Russia is to beef up its military forces all the way from its western border to the Pacific islands amid ongoing strains with the West, the military said Friday. Perhaps Putin and his Comrades should remember the last time they tried to use […]

Some grow up quicker than others

I have been having a lot of fun lately posting some submarine related points of view concerning modern college millennials who are struggling with the world. This is the latest in the series: Mister Mac

Submarine Construction Update

I was sent an article today that is very important to those who follow naval ship construction. The author is Hugh Lessig, a writer for the Daily Press at http://www.dailypress.com/ I am reprinting his article with permission. New Generation of Submarines Is Biggest Question for Huntington Ingalls Hugh Lessig, Daily Press, Dec 3 “The biggest […]

If you want a Safe Space, here’s a thought

SUBSAFE is a quality assurance program of the United States Navy designed to maintain the safety of the nuclear submarine fleet; specifically, to provide maximum reasonable assurance that subs’ hulls will stay watertight, and that they can recover from unanticipated flooding. SUBSAFE covers all systems exposed to sea pressure or critical to flooding recovery. All […]

How the US Navy almost missed “The Boat”

Prior to World War 1, the General Board of the United States Navy was the primary instrument used for directing the strategic future of the U. S. Navy. This General Board had been instituted in 1900 as a way to provide expert advice to the Secretary of the Navy and was made up of nine […]

Failure is not an option

The nature of submarine warfare has always been filled with an equal mix of adventure, bravery and precision. The adventure starts the minute the boat becomes free from the pier. Gliding along on the surface of any of the rivers and bodies of waters they sail from is only the first part of the journey. […]

Gunfighters on the Java Sea – May 28 1945

I have been chronicling the actions of the US Forces in the Pacific fleet for a number of months and in doing so have found some really great stories with a lot of detail about how the war was progressing in mid 1945. One of those stories started with a small footnote about a wolf […]

Happy 115th Birthday to the United States Navy Submarine Force

Of the things I have done in my life, being privileged to be a Submariner is the one thing that stands out the most. Looking back in the mirror of over forty years, what made being a submariner so special was a combination of men, machines, methods and materials (as well as the environment we […]