No Slack, Fast Attack

Things That Go Bump in the Night, at Sea and Underwater

2021-10-07T20:11:00.000-04:00

UPDATED: Attack Submarine USS Connecticut Suffers Underwater Collision in South China Sea - USNI News

What is going on out there? Initial reports are coming in from unclassified sources which report that the USS Connecticut SSN-22, second of the Seawolf Class, has struck an unknown object in the South China Sea. 11 members of the crew were injured but none were life threatening.

The South China Sea is currently a heavy naval operations area for the last couple of years with the Red Dragon trying to bully there way to more lebensraum.

While the accounts do state the object was struck while submerged, there is no word on what depth the event occurred at and we are very likely never to hear how deep it was other than somewhere between 400 feet and the surface.

The real question is this:

Did the Connecticut hit a Chicom Sub?

Sub to Sub collisions are not unheard of. You can read a whole list of them here.

Is this a sign of a Cold War style Sub conflict emerging with the Chicoms?

Alternatively, could this have been another uncharted undersea mount ala the USS San Francisco?

Lots of questions. Few answers. But you already knew this is the Silent Service.

At the end of the day, all we can say is that the Connecticut is definitely:

NO SLACK, FAST ATTACK!

UnStolen Valor?

2013-11-16T05:21:00.000-05:00

What is the opposite of Stolen Valor? Is it earned humility?

I saw this license plate in my area the other day and it hit me like a two by four upside the head. I respect this man's service and his honesty. I wish we had more like him.

As with many things in the military, the needs of the service often times is just the luck of the draw. Sometimes you're in the infantry and sometimes you're in the rear with the gear. Sometimes you can become one of Uncle Hyman's Superhuman Advanced Undersea Warriors or you can be stationed on the tender, welded to the pier.

I was surprised to find out that the REMFs even have their own home page. They would prefer the term Rear Echelon Military Forces. (At least that's what they tell their wives.)

Unfortunately, too many old timers feel the need to embellish their otherwise honorable service by denying what they really did (supply, maintenance, laundry, Armed Forces Radio & TV, etc.) and spinning tales of daring do with the elite special operations units of our services.

My personal favorite REMF is Pat Sajak. I have never really heard him talk about his service in Vietnam but they say the Internet has everything and, apparently that is true.

So today we salute you, REMFs for all of that boring, vital stuff you did in the rear with the gear. We also thank you for not overstating your record.

Me & Tom Clancy

2013-10-02T23:50:00.000-04:00

Tom Clancy has left us and his death brought back many memories. When The Hunt for Red October hit
the theaters, yours truly was an inmate of Uncle Hyman's School For Wayward Boys of Orlando. We were so green our class had yet to get our civies. My bunkmate from Boot Camp had managed to get a pair of passes to the premiere at the Colonial Squid Mall just a few yards out of the main gate.

Every swinging Richard that had ever eaten an oblong sandwich and considered themselves a Sub expert was there to see the Daring Men of the Deep on the Big Screen. I'm not sure, but there may have even been a pair of actual Dolphins in the theater. It was here that Clancy's naval masterpiece taught us some very important lessons about the Sub Force:

All US Submariners MUST wear a white turtleneck under their poopie suits.
The Soviet Sub Force had us beat in the chrome department.
Unrated Seaman freely float in and out of Sonar according to their whims.
Russian Senior Captains don't take a dump without a plan.

Clancy in his pseudo uniform

And, Some things don't react well with bullets.

After shipping over into the fleet, the COB, 1st Lt. and Deck Div LPO completed the process of un-educating me about Hollywood's vision of Submarines.

Some years later, I was home from the fleet enjoying dinner with friends, several hundred miles from salt water. The door to the restaurant opens and in walks a gentleman who apparently just walked off of the D&S piers. He was clad in all khaki with an A-1 Flight Jacket and Aviator sunglasses. My first thought was, "Look at this wannabe. Who does he think HE is, Tom Clancy?" Well, sportsfans. That is exactly who it was.

I waited for him to get seated at the bar and light up his smoke before I made my approach. (This was back in the good old days when you could actually smoke in a bar/restaurant w/o having the SWAT team descend on the Applebees.) I walked over and introduced myself as a veteran of the Ustafish and his reaction was priceless. "Aw Jeez, here we go again," he said. He then introduced to his dining companion. Commodore Douglas Littlejohns, RN Ret. formerly Commander of Her Majesty's Submarine Sceptre. He was a close friend of Clancy's and had been brought across the pond to run Clancy's gaming software company, Red Storm Entertainment.

Clancy & Littlejohns didn't have to spend their time making small talk with a former junior petty officer that night but the fact that they did reflected greatly on their character. We talked about the Cold War, the Falklands and politics. Apparently, some of Senator Jesse Helms' political strategists had tried to talk Clancy into running for the Senate from Maryland. Can you imagine appearing before Senator Clancy's Armed Services Committee?

Clancy never served in the military due to his poor eyesight. Had he served, he would have never been able to write the novels that he did. He possessed a knack for learning about the US's technical capabilities and the using that base of knowledge to forecast the next logical advance. Rumor has it that military intelligence hauled him in early in his literary career and grilled him about who his sources were.

Tom, Fair Winds & Following Seas on your voyage to Valhalla. No greater friend have the US Navy, her Submarines & Sailors ever had than Tom Clancy.

Israeli Submarines

2013-06-27T00:17:00.001-04:00

For a country about the size New Jersey, Israel packs quite a punch. Surrounded by hostile neighbors that have invaded the country more than once, Israel has defied the odds. It took the Israeli Navy a couple of years after independence to reach the decision that the Jewish state needed the finest naval weapon known to man: the Submarine.

The Father of Israeli Submarines was actually born in Mexico. Yosale Dror came to Palestine as a child and became an underground fighter in the Jewish pioneer naval militia, the Palyam. He specialized in diving and help sink several British ships that were being used to deport Jews. Dror became convinced the the submarine platform was vital to Israel's military interests and began to urge for the creation of the IDF Submarine Force. After several years of persuasive lobbying, his efforts paid off. (Incidentally, he also help found the Shayetet 13, the Naval Commandos.)

Israeli Naval Commando Badge

Israel sent 28 volunteers to Toulon, France to be trained as Submariners. Israel was then able to acquire British S & T Class Boats. One the T Boats, the Dakar, never made it to Israel. It was lost somewhere off the coast of Cyprus. The next step was the creation of the Gal Class Boat based on the the German 206A Class Submarine. The current hulls being used by the IDF are the German built Dolphin Class.

The Israeli Submarine Force has had extensive use during Israel's wars with its Arab neighbors with numerous covert insertions of troops. During the Six Day War in 1967, the INS Tannin launched an attack on targets in Egypt's Alexandria harbor using torpedoes and embarked naval commandos. As a result of that action, crewmen of the Tannin we authorized to use a red background with their submarine qualification badge while the rest of the fleet use a blue background.

Today's Israeli Submarines may also pack a bit more heat than their neighbors. There are rumors to the effect that Israel possesses nuclear strike capabilities. (The Israelis will neither confirm nor deny their nuclear capabilities but, let's just say, a betting man would take the odds.) It is also rumored that these nuclear capable subs are on patrol off of the Iranian coast thus, giving Israel both first strike and second strike capabilities.

Today's Sub fleet includes:
INS Dolphin
INS Leviathan ("Whale")
INS Tekumah ( "Revival")
INS Tannin ("Crocodile")
INS Rahav ("Dragon")
with another possible boat to be delivered in the the near future.

Israeli Submarine Qualification Badges are unique in that each badge is numbered so that each Submariner is known by his number. With 10 years service, the badge is upgraded to the Senior Submariner Badge which has a Star of David and wreath added to the top.

Without a doubt, the Submarines of Israel are No Slack, Fast Attack.

Should you want to get your own Israeli Submarine Badge just click the banner below:

You Saw a Poopie Suit Where?

2012-07-01T17:16:00.000-04:00

As a Submariner Emeritus, my sonar tends to be highly attuned to all things Sub related or at least Navy related. I'll usually say hello to the local recruiters (who, for some reason, tend not to be Submariners) or speak to any Ruptured Duck wearers or strike up a conversation with anyone wearing a boat hat.

Since I live in an area with a Naval deficiency, I just don't run into many Sub related uniform items roaming the streets. So, imagine my surprise when someone walked into my son's scout meeting wearing, of all things, A POOPIE SUIT? Now, I'll admit, it is not beyond reason to expect someone to wear blue coveralls for reasons other than hunting the Red Banner Northern Fleet. Maybe you're painting your house or working on your car. Who knows?

What set off the klaxon in my head was the guy happened to be wearing a khaki belt. Now where in the world was this guy coming from or going to wearing a clearly underway uniform while we are standing 300 miles from a Naval Base. (BTW, skimmer/targets have started wearing the Poopie too though in a much more limited way.)

Now, I have seen the Coast Guard working uniform up close but those look more like something the local fire department would wear. (No offense intended Coasties, er I mean Guardians.)

So I determined angle on the bow and and range rate and moved in for a closer look. Turns out, he works for the US Public Health Service. If you have never heard of them, you're not alone. They are considered one of the 7? uniformed services of the US Government. (OK, let's count A, N, AF, M, CG are the usual suspects, then the USPHS and then Nat. Oceanic & Atmospheric Admin.) Think about the USPHS's boss, the Surgeon General. Ever since C. Everette Coop brought the uniform back, federal health professionals have been bringing what is essentially a Naval uniform to locations near you.

Usually, you see them in Summer Whites or Khakis. So, how does the Submariners' venerable poopie suit fit in with the USPHS? Turns out, this fellow works at a federal prison. Certainly, a prison is no place for Summer Whites but why not wear khakis? There's a good reason for that. It seems that khaki is also the uniform of the inmates. So you have a choice to make in working uniforms at the big house: BDUs or the Poopie Suit!

And that, gentle reader, is how Submariners Emeriti get a strange look on their face at the scout meeting. Long Live the Poopie Suit!

Mystery Dolphins Sighted

2012-06-23T14:36:00.001-04:00

While perusing the display cases of a Airborne Jumpwings from around the world at a military show, I casually asked if the dealer had any Dolphins? Usually, you may find a pair of Silver Dolphins tucked in between the parachute wings. On this occasion, he did have a pair of newer dolphins that were priced higher than the NEX so I figured I'd move on to the next table when he asked me a question that left me scratching my head.

"Have you ever seen any Marine Corps Dolphins?"

I laughed and said sure, right next to the bush pilot wings & DBF mermaids. No, he insisted, USMC Submarine Badges. He said he had run across a set of Dolphins and when he looked closer at them he noticed the had the Eagle, Globe & Anchor (EGA) displayed in the middle. He promised to send me some photos for the blog. Where did these mystery dolphins come from?

WARNING: THEORIES
During the BIG ONE (WWII), a number of downed Naval Aviators were fished out of the pacific by Fleet Boats while on Lifeguard duty or in transit of War Patrols. (You may recall one fellow went on to become President.)

Reverse of badge shows manufacturer's marks. EGA really shows up as an "add on" from this view. Can any Dolphin Experts shed some insight on these?

Some of these Aviators were of the embarked Marine variety. Once aboard the subs, Aviators were not allowed to become Wardroom Cushion Testers or rack hounds, they were put to work as Assistant Officers of the Deck, Look Outs or any other needed task.

Could these Dolphins have been "created" outside of the chain of command by some of the Submerged Marines and given as gifts and passed around the fleet. I have never heard of this happening before and would love to hear the story first hand from some of the Sub Fleet's Marines.

THEORY #2
I have also heard tales of Marine Raiders being embarked on Submarines for special missions so I suppose it is possible for there to be some silver Marine Dolphins in existence too.

Any number of special order patches were made in the P.I. and I even have one of the belt buckles so I guess some Marines went rogue and made there own damn Dolphins. Can't be any worse than giving the regulation ones away to Midshipman for a two week cruise.

Duty Van Breakdowns Cont'd.

2010-02-04T13:40:00.003-05:00

Intrepid fellow Submarine Blogger Bubblehead from the truthfully named blog The Stupid Shall Be Punished has asked for your best duty van stories.

The duty van was always a chance for a huge screw up.

I actually got to be the duty driver in Charlietown during middie ops one year without a whole lot of problems (except for the Korean gas station owner who insisted that he could take a GSA gas card BEFORE I pumped a full tank and them matter-of-factly told me that his station didn't take them. Ironically, the only reason we were in the vicinity of the Weapons Station was to get a part for the CHOP so that the most official trip of van was paid for by yours truly while the GSA card carried the crew around the town on liberty for a week.)

Then we pulled into Rosie Roads and had the duty van ride from hell across the island to San Juan. And guess where the COB decided to make the one pick up stop in SJ? You got it. The Black Angus. (I kept wondering why we were going to a steak house!)

But, by far the best tale of the duty van was in Britain on Her Majesty's Secret Service (OK, so it wasn't so secret but were were in the UK.) FT1 Sureshot had been deigned as worthy of the international driving license and was very meticulous about the rest of us riding around in his rental van. We get to the last day of liberty and everyone is in a hurry to get a few last things done before we pull out and then IT happened.

FT1's preparation for international driving had left out one small bit about making a left hand turn and we had a wreck. Damage wasn't too bad but I immediately figured all of the passengers would have to stay with the van as witnesses thereby eating up the last few hours of freedom. But, as soon as the door opened, one of our JO's jumps out, looks at the driver and says, "Good luck, I'm outa here." So's I figure, if the LT don't have to stay for the bobbies, why should I? And just like that, liberty was saved. I guess the MWR fund took care of the damage.

Celebrate Chaplains' Day

2010-02-03T13:15:00.006-05:00

Faith, combat and the sea come together sometimes in life and reveal the true nature of men.

On Feb. 3, 1943, the USAT Dorchester, a converted luxury cruise ship, was transporting Army troops to Greenland in World War II, escorted by three Coast Guard Cutters and accompanied by two slow moving freighters. On board were some 900 troops, and four chaplains, of diverse religions and backgrounds, but of a common faith and commitment to serve God, country and all the troops, regardless of their religious beliefs, or non-belief. The Four Chaplains are: Rev. George Fox (Methodist); Father John Washington (Roman Catholic); Jewish Rabbi Alexander Goode; and Rev. Clark Poling (Dutch Reformed).

At approximately 12:55 a.m., in the dead of a freezing night, the Dorchester was hit by a torpedo fired by Nazi U-boat 233 in an area so infested with German submarines it was known as "Torpedo Junction." The blast ripped a hole in the ship from below the waterline to the top deck. The engine room was instantly flooded. Crewmen who were not scalded to death by steam escaping from broken pipes and the ship's boiler, were drowned. Hundreds of troops in the flooded lower compartments were drowned, or washed out to the frigid waters, where most would die.

In less than a minute, the Dorchester lost way, and listed on a 30-degree angle. Troops on deck searched for life jackets in panic, clung to rails and other handholds, saw overloaded lifeboats overturn in the turgid water, leaped overboard as a last desperate hope for life. Many with lifejackets drowned when the life-preservers became water-logged. Of the 900 troops and crew on board, two-thirds would ultimately die – most of those who survived, had lifelong infirmities and pain from their time in the icy waters.

Dorchester survivors told of the wild pandemonium on board when it was hit and began sinking. Many men had not slept in their clothes and life vests as ordered because of the heat in the crowded quarters below. There was panic, fear, terror – death was no abstraction but real, immediate, seemingly inescapable.
The Four Chaplains acted together to try bring some order to the chaos, to calm the panic of the troops, to alleviate their fear and terror, to pray with and for them, to help save their lives and souls. The chaplains passed out lifejackets, helping those too panicked to put them on correctly, until the awful moment arrived when there were no more life jackets to be given out. It was then that a most remarkable act of heroism, courage, faith and love took place:

Each of the Four Chaplains took off his life jacket, and, knowing that act made death certain, put his life jacket on a soldier who didn't have one, refusing to listen to any protest that they should not make such a sacrifice. They continued to help the troops until the last moment.

Then, as the ship sank into the raging sea, the Four Chaplains linked hands and arms, and could be seen and heard by the survivors praying together, even singing hymns, joined together in faith, love and unity as they sacrificed their lives so "that others might live."

The few survivors testified to the selfless act of the Four Chaplains:
"The ship started sinking ... and as I left the ship, I looked back and saw the chaplains ... with their hands clasped, praying for the boys. They never made any attempt to save themselves, but they did try to save the others. I think their names should be on the list of 'The Greatest Heroes' of this war," testified Grady L. Clark.

"I saw all four chaplains take off their life belts and give them to soldiers who had none ... The last I saw of them they were still praying, talking and preaching to the soldiers," attested survivor Thomas W.Myers Jr.

The Chaplain's Medal for Heroism is a decoration of the United States military which was authorized by an act of the United States Congress on July 14, 1960. Also known as the Chaplain's Medal of Honor and the Four Chaplains' Medal, the decoration commemorates the actions of the Four Chaplains who gave their lives in the line of duty on February 3, 1943.

Because the medal has only been authorized posthumously, and only for one action, it is generally considered a commemorative decoration not intended for wear on a military uniform. The medal also does not appear on any military award precedence charts, although it is considered to be ranking just below the Medal of Honor. The Chaplain's Medal for Heroism could technically be awarded again, if Congress ever bestowed the decoration for future acts of heroism involving military chaplains. Can you think of any Chaplain's action that would have qualified for this medal?

Remember Pearl Harbor

2009-12-02T11:20:00.003-05:00

ALWAYS REMEMBER

Let it never be said, that we don't remember.
What Submariners have done, since that day in December.
The sun shown bright, on that Pearl Harbor morning.
When the enemy attacked, with little or no warning.

The Tautog was there, with no time to think.
And splashed one Japanese plane, right down in the drink.
She sent twenty-six ships, to the depths of the sea.
And came to be known, as the "Terrible T."

The Sealion at Cavite , was the first to be caught.
She was moored to a pier, but bravely she fought.
Two bombs exploded, through the hull they did rip.
And many brave submariners, died in their ship.

There were many proud boats, like the Perch and the Finback.
The Kraken, the Haddock, the Scamp and the Skipjack.
We remember the Halibut, Blenny and Darter.
And never forget, Sam Dealey in Harder.
Cutter and Seahorse's, torpedoes ran true.
She targeted the enemy, and sank many Marus.

And although the enemy, was quite filled with hate.
"Red" Ramage and Parche, showed many their fate.
"Mush" Morton and Wahoo, never backed down from a fight.
Fluckey and Barb, entered Namkwan Harbor one night.
Many airman were saved, by O'Kane and the Tang.

Some owe their lives, to Seafox, Tigrone and Trepang.
We remember the honorable, boat called Barbel.
Before she was lost, she gave the enemy hell.
The Sturgeon, the Trigger, the Pollack had heart.
The Torsk, made the last two frigates depart.

Nowadays the cold war, seems to be a big factor.
And submarines are powered, by nuclear reactors.
The proud names are still there, the Tautog did shine.
But her hull number by then, was Six Thirty Nine.

Many boats gave their all, with heroic namesakes.
Like Thresher, Scorpion, Nautilus and Skate.
The Seadragon, Swordfish, Richard B. Russell and Dace.
Have all stood out to sea, and heard the enemies trace.

We remember "Forty-One For Freedom," whose patrols couldn't fail.
The George Washington, Andrew Jackson and Nathan Hale.
Now the Alaska and Nebraska , and other Tridents are here.
They patrol the deep oceans, so aggressive nations have fear.
There are new boats on the line, called Cheyenne and Wyoming .
They will all do us proud, like the old Gudgeon and Grayling.

So take time each day, and think of the past.
Then toast the new Seawolf, for she's quiet and fast.
Let it never be said, that we don't remember.
What submariners have done, since that day in December.
The sun still shines bright, every Pearl Harbor Morning.

But never forget, the enemy attacks without warning.

By John Chaffey of SSN639, SSN687, SSBN619

Obama Shuts Down Norfolk Navy Base

2009-10-27T20:47:00.005-04:00

I got a call today from an irate retired Master Chief that still works onboard Naval Station Norfolk. It seems that early liberty was called today for all hands at about 1430 so that the base would be clear for Air Force One to deliver the President to a campaign stop at Old Dominion University for Democrat candidate for Governor, Creigh Deeds.

The Master Chief had a few choice comments for shutting down the entire base for BHO to come politicking: "How much money was wasted today on politics when Chiefs are about to be Rif'd out of the Navy?"

Now, I love a good early liberty just like the next guy but why did they have to get rid of the entire base so Obama could fly in to the old NAS field? Were his handlers afraid he'd run into a couple of salty blueshirts? Did they have to shut down I564 too when all he needed was to go 5 miles down Hampton Blvd?

Just don't tell the hard charging sailors of Subron 6 that their favorite watering hole across from ODU, Friar Tuck's is off limits until after his highness departs; then you will have a riot on your hands.

I'd have to classify this situation as All Slack, No Attack.

WWII Memorial Needs Update

2009-10-14T23:56:00.002-04:00

I recently had the chance to go to DC for a conference and I ran across the World War II Memorial. While this memorial is a somber structure that conveys the sacrifices made by the American people, it lacks a certain focus.

The only thing missing is the fleet boat conning tower emerging from the middle of the reflecting pool. Maybe there needs to be a Submarine Memorial in Washington. Any suggestions?

Where is the Bull Dolphin?

2009-10-12T22:55:00.003-04:00

In the last few weeks, I have run across the retirements of some senior sailors that were recognized as the most experienced members of their fields.

The "Bull Frog", the Senior SEAL retired from the Navy last month while the "Ancient Albatross", the Senior Officer Aviator, retired from the Coast Guard.

Both of these items got me to thinking about whether or not the Submarine community recognizes its senior members. The Subvets make a big deal out of the Holland Club for those submariners with more than 50 years of qualification but is there really a recognition for the senior most Submariner on active duty?

The Coasties really get into this kind of thing. In addition to the Albatross, they also have the Ancient Mariner (Gold & Silver) for the longest serving Cuttermen and the Ancient Keeper for the senior most member of the boat service. The even wear the antique style headgear.

So is there a Bull Dolphin?

CPO Standards

2009-10-08T15:29:00.002-04:00

The following email is making the rounds and I thought it would make good reading for anyone from the old navy.

Never forget this, a Chief can become an Officer, but an Officer can never become a Chief.. We have our standards!

Recollections of a WHITEHAT.

"One thing we weren't aware of at the time, but became evident as life wore on, was that we learned true leadership from the finest examples any lad was ever given, Chief Petty Officers. They were crusty old bastards who had done it all and had been forged into men who had been time tested over more years than a lot of us had time on the planet. The ones I remember wore hydraulic oil stained hats with scratched and dinged-up insignia, faded shirts, some with a Bull Durham tag dangling out of their right-hand pocket or a pipe and tobacco reloads in a worn leather pouch in their hip pockets, and a Zippo that had been everywhere. Some of them came with tattoos on their forearms that would force them to keep their cuffs buttoned at a Methodist picnic.

Most of them were as tough as a boarding house steak. A quality required to survive the life they lived. They were, and always will be, a breed apart from all other residents of Mother Earth. They took eighteen year old idiots and hammered the stupid bastards into sailors.

You knew instinctively it had to be hell on earth to have been born a Chief's kid. God should have given all sons born to Chiefs a return option.

A Chief didn't have to command respect. He got it because there was nothing else you could give them. They were God's designated hitters on earth.

We had Chiefs with fully loaded Submarine Combat Patrol Pins, and combat air crew wings in my day...hard-core bastards who remembered lost mates, and still cursed the cause of their loss...and they were expert at choosing descriptive adjectives and nouns, none of which their mothers would have endorsed.

At the rare times you saw a Chief topside in dress canvas, you saw rows of hard-earned, worn and faded ribbons over his pocket. "Hey Chief, what's that one and that one?" "Oh hell kid, I can't remember. There was a war on. They gave them to us to keep track of the campaigns." "We didn't get a lot of news out where we were. To be honest, we just took their word for it. Hell son, you couldn't pronounce most of the names of the places we went. They're all depth charge survival geedunk." "Listen kid, ribbons don't make you a Sailor." We knew who the heroes were, and in the final analysis that's all that matters.

Many nights, we sat in the after mess deck wrapping ourselves around cups of coffee and listening to their stories. They were light-hearted stories about warm beer shared with their running mates in corrugated metal sheds at resupply depots where the only furniture was a few packing crates and a couple of Coleman lamps. Standing in line at a Honolulu cathouse or spending three hours soaking in a tub in Freemantle, smoking cigars, and getting loaded. It was our history. And we dreamed of being just like them because they were our heroes. When they accepted you as their shipmate, it was the highest honor you would ever receive in your life. At least it was clearly that for me. They were not men given to the prerogatives of their position.

You would find them with their sleeves rolled up, shoulder-to- shoulder with you in a stores loading party. "Hey Chief, no need for you to be out here tossin' crates in the rain, we can get all this crap aboard."

"Son, the term 'All hands' means all hands."

"Yeah Chief, but you're no damn kid anymore, you old coot."

"Horsefly, when I'm eighty-five parked in the stove up old bastards' home, I'll still be able to kick your worthless butt from here to fifty feet past the screw guards along with six of your closest friends." And he probably wasn't bullshitting.

They trained us.. Not only us, but hundreds more just like us. If it wasn't for Chief Petty Officers, there wouldn't be any U.S. Navy. There wasn't any fairy godmother who lived in a hollow tree in the enchanted forest who could wave her magic wand and create a Chief Petty Officer.

They were born as hot-sacking seamen, and matured like good whiskey in steel hulls over many years. Nothing a nineteen year-old jay-bird could cook up was original to these old saltwater owls. They had seen E-3 jerks come and go for so many years; they could read you like a book. "Son, I know what you are thinking.. Just one word of advice. DON'T. It won't be worth it."

"Aye, Chief."

Chiefs aren't the kind of guys you thank. Monkeys at the zoo don't spend a lot of time thanking the guy who makes them do tricks for peanuts.

Appreciation of what they did, and who they were, comes with long distance retrospect. No young lad takes time to recognize the worth of his leadership. That comes later when you have experienced poor leadership or let's say, when you have the maturity to recognize what leaders should be, you find that Chiefs are the standard by which you measure all others.

They had no Academy rings to get scratched up. They butchered the King's English. They had become educated at the other end of an anchor chain from Copenhagen to Singapore . They had given their entire lives to the U.S. Navy. In the progression of the nobility of employment, Chief Petty Officer heads the list. So, when we ultimately get our final duty station assignments and we get to wherever the big Chief of Naval Operations in the sky assigns us, if we are lucky, Marines will be guarding the streets. I don't know about that Marine propaganda bullshit, but there will be an old Chief in an oil-stained hat and a cigar stub clenched in his teeth standing at the brow to assign us our bunks and tell us where to stow our gear... and we will all be young again, and the damn coffee will float a rock.

Life fixes it so that by the time a stupid kid grows old enough and smart enough to recognize who he should have thanked along the way, he no longer can. If I could, I would thank my old Chiefs. If you only knew what you succeeded in pounding in this thick skull, you would be amazed. So, thanks you old casehardened unsalvageable sons-of-bitches. Save me a rack in the berthing compartment.. "

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.

Silent Service UA in New Navy Ad

2009-10-05T16:31:00.003-04:00

Check out this slick new recruiting ad from the USN.

Now, can you tell me what's missing?

It might be fun to ride the rubber boats around with the Expeditionary Forces and fly in the whirligigs but where is the Sub Force in this latest interpretation of the Navy?

Maybe we get our own commercial, right?

New CO For DSU

2009-10-04T23:38:00.000-04:00

I ran across a little item from ComSubPac:

Cmdr. David Lemly relieved Cmdr. Jay Spencer as commanding officer of Deep Submergence Unit (DSU) July 17 during a ceremony held at the DSU facility.

Lemly, a graduate of North Carolina State University (Go Pack!), has been serving the submarine force for 20 years with early sea tours on USS Salt Lake City (SSN 716), USS Helena (SSN 725) and USS Tucson (SSN 770). Most recently, he served as the deputy for Submarine Material Readiness for Submarine Squadron 15.

Deep Submergence Unit provides submarine rescue for the U.S. Navy and foreign navies. Rescue systems include the Submarine Rescue Diving Recompression System and Submarine Rescue Chamber Flyaway System. Assigned assets include, the Advanced Diving Suit 2000, and primary rescue module called Falcon. Both systems are operable in depths of up to 2,000 ft of seawater. Staffed by active duty, reserve, contractor, and civilian personnel, DSU provides a lifeline for distressed submarines worldwide.

Incidentally, the Gold DS Dolphins pictured above can be worn by enlisted personnel if they have qualified officers watches making it one of the few gold badges to be worn by blueshirts. The others that come to mind incude the SSBN 20 Patrol badge, Parachutist wings, SEAL's Trident and Aircrew wings.

Congrats CDR Lemley and may you have a boring tour at DSU!

Submarine Torpedoman Departs on Eternal Patrol

2009-09-21T21:18:00.009-04:00

Several years ago I was shocked to learn that one of the deacons at my church was in fact a retired torpedoman hiding out in North Carolina. I got wise to him since he had one of those airdale jackets with all of his command patches sewed on it.

TM1(SS) Chester Berryman, USN Ret. passed away this summer after complications from cardiac surgery. He will missed by family, friends, shipmates and younger sailors like me. He was from the old boats and it showed.

Despite going to church with him for years and having him pass me his copies of American Submariner when he was done with them, he didn't tell a lot of sea stories. I at least know he served on USS Piper (SS409) and USS Bergall (SSN667).

I always assumed he retired as a chief. It wasn't until I talked with his son that I learned about his pre-navy military career. Chester served in Korea and was wounded in combat with the army. He was medically discharged as a Staff Sgt. and returned to the States where he was sent home to Arlington, Va. He never made it home. He spotted a Navy recruiter at Union station and talked his way into the fleet.

So since he already had served in the army for a couple of years, he didn't need to do a whole 20 year hitch in the navy to qualify for retirement so he when he put his papers in, he was still a TM1. By my calculations, he made E5 in the mudfeet and E6 in the Subforce so that makes him an E11! Either way, I still call him Chief.

Notice the big grin in the photo. I have a feeling that grin kept him in red hash marks. (When did we start using gold hashmaks for good conduct?)

Chester was sent on his final patrol by members of the the Tarheel Subvets Base. A member of the church sang the Navy Hymn. He was interned by a honor guard from the North Carolina National Guard that acted as pallbearers and firing party and three Navy Petty officers from Naval Reserve Center Raleigh who folded the colors and sounded taps on the bugle.

We need to do better job of learning all we can from this wise old warriors while they are still with us.

When we say goodbye, the families and friends should know that we, as a community of Submariners, have the wherewithall to show respect for our shipmates as they pass. If you are not involved with the Subvets in your area, get off of your couch and turn to. Put together an honor guard for Submariner funerals and make it happen. Tarheel Base will be putting together a quartet to sing the hymn with the right lyrics at funerals in the future.

So Long, Chief. Your spot in the Torpedo room is vacant and your coffee cup is empty. I miss you.

How the SEALs Took Down the Pirates

2009-09-17T10:40:00.004-04:00

Now the story can be told of just how SEAL team snipers took out 3 Somali pirates. When I first heard about this my head was spinning. Consider the variables:

Firing from a moving platform
At a moving target
Headshots required
Three separate targets
All target must be eliminated simultaneously in order to save the hostage.

My conclusion: IMPOSSIBLE MISSION

Now, to be fair, I didn't know about the tow cable or the range but even still, this was the finest piece of marksmanship in the modern era since the Canadians took out a Taliban mortar team from a mile and half away with a McMillan 50 Cal.

BZ SEAL team X. Just goes to show what years and years of training and regular combat can accomplish.

Remember Polish Sub Orzel

2009-08-31T23:46:00.005-04:00

70 years ago today, WWII began with a German Naval bombardment of Westerplatte, Poland. The Red Army attacked from the East and Polish military forces either fought to the death or figured out how to live to fight another day.

Submariners aboard the Polish Sub Orzel (Eagle) sought the imagined safety of Estonia but were surprised to learn that the would be interned at the request of the Germans. While the Orzel was being declawed by having her torpedo's removed, the crew had other ideas.

(For some reason, the Swedes made a movie of the Orzels deeds back in '58.)

Waiting for the right moment, the crew overpowered two Estonian guards, cut shore power and made for the open sea.

Despite the fact that the Estonians had removed all navaigational charts from the Orzel, the crew managed to make it all the way to Rosythe in Scotland.

The Orzel later would extract a small measure of revenge by torpedoing a Wehrmacht troop transport off the coast of Norway.

The Orzel was later lost at sea in 1940. Take a moment of your time today and remember the men of the Polish Eagle still on patrol and over due.

Nubs in the News

2009-07-20T14:37:00.002-04:00

I can't believe that Stars and Stripes would send a reporter about a submarine....(wait for it...I am surprised they know the Navy exists, let alone the Sub Force.) ....and write a story about of all things, NUBS!

Seriously, I am glad that SandS took the time to shed a little light on our world. Check out the story. The USS Seawolf gets first class attention in a whole series of articles.

Crybaby Dolphins to be Mandatory

2009-07-19T01:41:00.003-04:00

The Master Chief of the Navy Rick West (SS/SW) is jerking chains. In a recent Navy Times cover story, West explains that commands that have a high rate of warfare qualified personnel are more prepared for the real deal.

"Show me a crew of Sailors where every one of them earned their pins through a tough, comprehensive warfare program and I'll show you a group of warriors who can fight together and accomplish any mission.

"That," said West, "is what the goal should be."

I guess he's referring to everybody NOT in the subforce. For you skimmers and REMF's reading this, Submariners all have to qualify or die.

My only question is this: Will non tip of the spear rates have "earn" their fake warfare devices or will they be required to earn a real warfare device?

Easy's Shifty Powers Passes

2009-07-18T23:32:00.005-04:00

Another one of the greatest generation has passed into history after having made so much of his own history during WWII. Darrell "Shifty" Powers died on Friday June 17, 2009. Powers was a founding member of Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division and saw action on D-Day at Normandy, Market Garden in Holland and into Germany with the push to the Elbe.

Shifty was often cited as the best shot in Easy Company. A true country boy, Shifty learned to shoot by helping put food on the table during the depression by hunting. His marksmanship was well remembered by the veterans of Easy Company.

His talents weren't limited to shooting. He once spotted a German observation post by noticing that a certain "tree" had not been there the day before.

He kept a busy schedule up till the end. Two years ago, he visited soldiers in South Korea and in Japan. Last September, had he not fallen ill, he would have made a stop in Iraq.
“I had his suitcase packed,” his daughter said. Missing the trip overseas disappointed him, she said, especially the worry of disappointing the soldiers there.

No doubt about it, Shifty Powers was definitely "No Slack, Fast Attack."

Why Women in the Navy Are Problomatic

2009-07-13T15:47:00.004-04:00

I know many folks think we are soooo past the issue of women in the military but the problems that arise with their presence, keep on rising. Take a look at this article from Stars & Stripes. Four women from the USS Bataan had to be left in port during a deployment because they were found to be preggers.

Here's the rub: the women didn't know they were pregnant when the ship left homeport. So either we have four women that need a remedial class on health education or they really did know they were with child but decided to use it as a get-off-of-the-deployment card.

Here are a couple of question to cut to the heart of the matter:

Does the Navy prohibit any sailor from having children while in the force? No.
When these women signed their contracts, were they pregnant? No.
If the Navy doesn't allow pregnant women to be assigned to a sea billet, then why the hell are surprised when they get knocked up.
Who replaces these women on the ship and who loses a shore billet because of it?

Perhaps a sea billet contract is required that includes the use of a long term, but reversible, birth control device such as Norplant (My Catholic friends may want to take a deep breath and remember that all of this is voluntary). Let's not forget that serving in the military is not a right, it is a privilege and not everybody is cut out for it.

I didn't make women different from men, the Good Lord did and he did so for a reason. Its time the Navy and the rest of the service figured it out too. I'm just glad we don't have these problems in the Sub Force.

Military Smoking Ban On the Way?

2009-07-13T10:24:00.003-04:00

In case you missed your copy of the most vacuous and irrelevant newspaper in the country on Friday, USA Today had a front page headline on efforts by our Commander and Chief to outlaw smoking in the military.

Now, I have never been a smoker (despite having two grandparents that worked at the American Tobacco plant in Durham, NC that got two cartons a week free) but I have pretended to be one occasionally while at Uncle Hyman's preschool for wayward boys and in the fleet in order to get the much loved smoke-break. I despise smoking and smokers. They have no regard for the rest of us in the world and constantly intrude into my personal space with their smoke, ashes and odors.

Having said that, there is no way I have the right to tell anyone what they may or may not do with the bounds of legal behavior under the Constitution of the United States and the UCMJ. Unfortunately, it looks as if Obama doesn't share my belief.

So we will have a military where homosexuality can't be banned but smoking can be. This situation reminds me of a Lincoln story about soldiers and their vices.

"Grant is a drunkard," asserted powerful and influential politicians to the President at the White House time after time; "he is not himself half the time; he can't be relied upon, and it is a shame to have such a man in command of an army."

"So Grant gets drunk, does he?" queried Lincoln, addressing himself to one of the particularly active detractors of the soldier, who, at that period, was inflicting heavy damage upon the Confederates.

"Yes, he does, and I can prove it," was the reply.

"Well," returned Lincoln, with the faintest suspicion of a twinkle in his eye, "you needn't waste your time getting proof; you just find out, to oblige me, what brand of whiskey Grant drinks, because I want to send a barrel of it to each one of my generals."

Let's try to remember what the purpose of the military is; To Kill Certain People and Break Things. Who cares if they want to smoke a damned cigarette?

The Obamanation's experts all whine about how much smoking costs the DoD and the VA. You think healthcare costs are high now? Wait until all of those potential chain smokers that die off at 55 stick around until they are 80!

Smoke'em If You Got'em!

Uniform Sanity Breaks Out in Fleet

2009-06-29T15:07:00.002-04:00

After significant pissing and moaning about the new Navy Working Uniform's regulations for wearing it off base, a submariner has fixed the problem. MCPON West has come through for the blueshirts!

Military.com has the Navy News story. I know the subforce tends to have a lot more common sense than the rest of the fleet (Nukes excepted, of course) but this is really like Christmas in June.

Just be ready for the civilians to start screaming "THE INMATES ARE LOOSE!" when they see the aquaflage on Hampton Blvd. or 32nd Avenue.

Nonetheless, Good call MCPON West (SS)!

Mighty Forrestal to be Sunk

2009-06-26T23:32:00.006-04:00

The scene of some the most deadly naval action of the VietNam war had nothing to do with the VietCong or North Vietnamese Navy. On July 29, 1967 the carrier USS Forrestal had an accidental luanch of a Zuni missile on the flight deck that ignited 2 planes fully loaded with ordianance and fuel. The resulting fire did more damage than some Japanese attacks during WWII. The Navy has decided to scrap or sink the Forrestal.

Forrestal, named for former Navy Secretary James Forrestal, was the site of the fire off the coast of VietNam that killed 134 men and destroyed 21 aircraft. One of thse planes belonged to a young shit hot aviator who followed in some of his father and grandfather's footsteps at Annapolis and the fleet; though he spurned the Submarine Service, opting for the daring do of Navel Aviatin (Why would you call it anything else?) This young airdale escaped the flames to go on to be a US Senator and candidate for President.

The "Forrest Fire" Incident also revealed heroes. The rocket's impact dislodged and ruptured the Skyhawk's 400-gallon external fuel tank and ignited the jet fuel which poured out. A 1000-pound bomb also fell to the deck, into the spreading pool of flaming jet fuel. Within 90 seconds the bomb "cooked off" and detonated. That explosion resulted in a chain reaction as the closely-packed aircraft were first engulfed in and then contributed to a massive fire with repeated high-order bomb detonations. The ship's "plat" cameras, mounted on the island and embedded in the deck itself, provided ample video coverage of the initial accident and the subsequent catastrophe.

Chief Aviation Boatswains Mate Gerald Farrier can be seen in the plat tapes running toward McCain's Skyhawk immediately after the rocket strike. The fuel tank had already ruptured and burning fuel was spreading around the aircraft. Chief Farrier had, as his weapon against this blaze, a hand-held fire extinguisher. He had not yet reached the Skyhawk when the first detonation occurred . . . he simply disappeared in the blast. A number of air- and deck crew were trapped in the inferno; many died there, while others were able to escape to the deck-edge catwalks.

Crewman Gary L. Shaver was there that day.

"Chief Farrier at the time of the first explosion without hesiation grabbed a PKP fire extinguisher and ran at a full gate to what was to become our HELL on earth. He began attempting to cool a bomb laying on the deck surrounded by burning fuel. The entire deck was turning into chaos. Not one time did Chief Farrier loose sense of his immediate duty. Moments later there was an explosion. With my own eyes I saw Chief Farrier destroyed by the blast. There was never a look of fear or doubt in his eyes as he fought the growing fire. Only the look of determination to do his job! I know because I was no more than 20-25 feet from my Chief. I had exhausted a PKP bottle to no avail only moments before. He looked at me waved his arm as if to say "get the hell out of here." Virtually before I could move there was an explosion and Chief Farrier was gone. Chief Farrier was my flight deck Chief, friend, teacher, and most of all a leader of men. I ask that his name and efforts be forever recorded in the history of the U.S.S. Forrestal, CVA59 Respectfully and with Honor."

Despite his sacrifice, I have only been able determine that Chief Farrier was awarded only the standard VietNam camapign decorations. Should his valor be recognized by a higher decoration? If you were a Sublant sailor, you probably went to fire school at the Gerald Farrier Fire Training Facility in Norfolk but we can do better than just naming a building after him.

When you hear the final fate of the Forrestal, take a moment and remember Chief Gerald Farrier and all of the other men that lost their lives onboard her. Chief Farrier was without doubt, No Slack, Fast Attack. Let's get him the recognition he is due; he earned it.