new bubblesphere blogger roundup posted

over at the Geezer's Corner

Labels: blogger roundup

posted by bothenook @ 5:41 PM 0 comments

"The Dive's We've Known"...by Tommy Cox

Well Sir....as is my custom, I was perusin most of the old Subariner blog's, and when I got to Myron's, he had posted this here video by Tommy Cox regardin all the various and famous ( or infamous...dependin on yur point of view), "Sub Bars" across the world....

Now Sir, I'll be a bettin that there are more than a few of y'all out there that can recall some of these here fine establishments...I know I can. I think I made at least one mortgage payment fer at least one third of em....



Posted by Cookie

posted by Cookie..... @ 10:29 AM 0 comments

WWII Sub's...er..."Happy Ending"

[Crossposted from Unconsidered Trifles] They've been having a discussion/debate about pornography in the military over at NRO's The Corner. And while my view is that it should probably not be sold in the NEX, NRO's Andrew Stuttaford (who often leans libertarian on many issues) offers this intriguing submarine "sea story" from the WWII era as a counterpoint. Apparently, sub skippers were given advanced copies of the Daily Mirror's racy comic strip "Jane" so that their crews didn't miss out on any developments...

But who was Jane? ..She was the woman who kept British soldiers smiling through their gloomiest hours, and one story comes to mind that best illustrates her effect on those in the armed services. A British submarine had been attacked, and was crippled and powerless on the bottom of the ocean. Sea currents swirled round the vessel and there was always the chance the enemy would swoop in for the kill. The crew inside fully expected the vessel to become their tomb, but knew how they wanted to spend their last moments. A request was put in to the captain. The submariners wanted to live out what time remained gazing at pictures, currently in his safe, of a stunningly beautiful woman from Eastleigh, Hampshire. Their commanding officer obliged and the images of the supremely sexy Christabel Leighton-Porter, aka "Jane," were distributed... Christabel was, quite simply, Britain's first bona fide sex bomb... As the inspiration for Jane, photographs of Christabel were everywhere, slapped on the walls of mess halls and bars all over the country. Her image was painted on aeroplanes and daubed on jeeps...

More on the history of "Jane" here. So what was the fate of that "doomed" crew? Well, the story survived, and so they must have as well--and did, thankfully.

I guess you might say they received an, er..."happy ending"? Yikes!

posted by WillyShake @ 9:25 AM 0 comments

Some borrowed stuff....

Hey Mates, Cookie here....Last week, I was visitin my good buddy Myron over at his blog, Myrons Random Thoughts, and he had posted some pretty good stuff regardin Sub's, the proud day he received his Dolphins, and other related subjects, so, I thought I'd stea....er...borrow some of it and post it over here fer Y'all t'see....


Now Sir....this be a SMOKER!



____________________________________

For I am a Submariner...

By John Chaffey
SSN639, SSN687, SSBN619

I served on the Holland over a century ago.

I still serve to this day on the Trident, Los Angeles & Seawolf class boats

and look forward to shipping on the Virginia, Texas and Hawaii.

Places like Fremantle, Rota, LaMadd, Chinhae, Pattaya, Sasebo and Subic stir my soul.

For I am a Submariner.

I rest in peace beneath many seas across this earth.

I was on the Barbel off Palawan, the Scorpion off the Azores and the Bonefish in the Sea of Japan.

We gave them hell in the harbors at Wewak and Namkwan.

I am a Shellback, a Bluenose, a Plank Owner, a MCPO of the Navy, a CNO and a President.

For I am a Submariner.

I heard Howard Gilmore’s final order, “Take Her Down.”

I heard the word passed, “Underway on Nuclear Power.”

I have done every job asked of me, from Messcook to Torpedoman to Motormac to COB to Skipper.

I know “Snorkel Patty” and Admiral Rickover.

For I am a Submariner.

I have twin Dolphins tattooed on my chest and twin screws tattooed on my ass.

I know the difference between a Lady and a Hooker but treat both with equal respect.

I know Georgia Street and Magsaysay drive.

And although the Horse & Cow keeps moving I will always find her.

I know the meaning of “Hot, Straight and Normal.”

For I am a Submariner.

I have stood tall and received the Medal of Honor and been thrown in the Brig for being Drunk and Disorderly.

I know the reverent tone of “Diesel Boats Forever” and the Gudgeon’s “Find em, Chase em, Sink em.”

I was on the Spearfish evacuating nurses from Corregidor and the Skate when she surfaced at the North Pole.

I have spent time in the Royal Hawaiian.

For I am a Submariner.

I have gone by names like Spritz, Cromwell, O’Kane, Ramage, Breault, “Mush” and Lockwood.

I have served on boats like the Nautilus, Thresher, Parche, Squalus, Wahoo and Halibut.

On December 7th I was onboard the Tautog at Pearl Harbor.

I was also on the Tusk in 49 and sacrificed myself for my shipmates on the Cochino.

For I am a Submariner.

I have stood watches in the cold of Holy Loch and the heat of the South Pacific.

I know what the “41 For Freedom” accomplished.

I was on the Sealion at Cavite in 41 and the Archerfish in Tokyo Bay in 45.

I have endured depth charges and POW camps.

I was on the Seafox when we lost 5 sailors to a Japanese ambush on Guam.

For I am a Submariner.

I tip beers over sea-stories with my shipmates at yearly conventions.

We toll the bell and shed a tear for our buddies who are on eternal patrol.

Many pilots have been glad to see me, including a future president.

I have completed numerous highly classified missions during the Cold War.

Because “Freedom Is Not Free,” be assured that I am out there at this very moment.

For I am a Submariner.
___________________________

Dr. Joyce Brothers Wrote The Following About Submariners
April 10, 2008 in Submarines

Shortly after the loss of THRESHER Dr. Brothers wrote the following.

RISK IS AN INSPIRATION IN SUBMARINE SERVICE

The tragic loss of the submarine Thresher and 129 men had a special kind of impact on the nation…..a special kind of sadness, mixed with universal admiration for the men who chose this kind 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 moral of the other men in the submarine service and tend to discourage future enlistments. 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?

Bond Among Them

Togetherness is an overworked term, but in no other branch of our military service is it given such full meaning as in the so-called “silent service.”

In an under sea 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 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 daredevil pursuits, such as driving a motorcycle through a flaming hoop.

Emotionally Healthy

There is nothing daredevelish about the 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 the 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 submarines braver than those in other pursuits where the possibility of sudden tragedy is not constant? The glib answer would be that they are. It is much more accurate, from a psychological point of view, to say they are not necessarily braver, but that they 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 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.

The country can be proud and grateful that so many of its sound, young, eager men care enough about their own status in life–and the welfare of their country–to pool their skills and match them collectively against the power of the sea.



Posted by Cookie....

posted by Cookie..... @ 6:08 PM 0 comments

4/4/08 bubblehead bloggers roundup posted

here's the latest in an ongoing roundup of submariner blogger's posts over the last week or so. Link

Labels: blogger roundup

posted by bothenook @ 10:10 PM 0 comments

Floyd Matthews Passes, Was Oldest Living Submariner

Back in 2006, I wrote about Floyd Matthews, who at the time was said to be the 2nd oldest living submariner. He passed away this week in Alabama, aged 105; his memorial service is today. I'm happy to see that the Patriot Guard will be there, and at his internment tomorrow at the Pensacola National Cemetary.

From the announcement of his passing on the U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc. website:

Drum Base & SVWWII member Floyd Matthews of Florence AL departed on Eternal Patrol Sunday, February 24th 2008.
Floyd qualified on the USS S-44 (SS-155) in 1925. He was the oldest member of USSVI and celebrated his 105th birthday on February 3rd.
Arrangements are being made for Floyd to be buried at Barrancas National Cemetery, NAS Pensacola, in the coming week.
Although Floyd joined the Navy in WWI to fight the Hun, he was too late to get to Germany before Armistice Day. Floyd later volunteered for the Submarine Service, serving in boats without names, identified by Letter & Number only; i.e. O-6, S-12, S-4, R-13, O-4, R-14, S-43, & S-46.
Although eligible for retirement prior to the out break of hostilities in Europe in WWII, Floyd remained in the Navy and subsequently accepted a commission.
During WWII, among other assignments, he served as Commanding Officer of USS Chickasaw ATF-83 and USS Diver ARS-5. Floyd attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander prior to his retirement in 1949.
Floyd is preceded in death by two wives and is survived, among others, by his son John and Daughter Priscilla.
Bill Matthews asked me to "thank all your fellow submariners for all they've done for "Skipper" over the past many years. The family will never forget their kindness."
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in rememberance of 'Skipper' to the US Submarine Veterans Charitable Foundation, PO Box 3870, Silverdale WA 98383 or via the internet...

Sailor, Rest Your Oar...

I'm assuming that LCDR Matthews was the oldest living submariner by the time he passed, and not just the oldest USVVI member. Does anyone know who takes the mantle from Floyd as the oldest living submariner?

posted by Bubblehead @ 6:48 AM 1 comments

new submariner blog roundup posted today

over at geezer's corner

posted by bothenook @ 2:13 PM 0 comments

NOTU Provides 21 Gun Salute for Astronaut Memorial Service

A Memorial Service was held at the Astronaut Memorial Plaza, Sand Point Park, Titusville, Florida. This is a annual event held as a remembrance for all the Astronauts who gave their lives for the exploration of space. Click here for more info, photos and video clips from TheSubReport.com.

posted by esryle @ 1:49 PM 0 comments

Up Scope: Small Town Development Company has a Mast of Ideas for Military Applications

My Home Town, Titusville Florida is small by most town comparisons, but being located next to the (KSC) Space Center we are graced by an array of high technology companies both small and large in the surrounding area. Tonight at TITUSNites, a monthly community event, I ran into George Woodruff Director Of Geo Systems Inc, in which he had one of his products a SAM (Situational Awareness Mast) on display.

Mr. Woodruff states that this incredible compact robotic device has the interest of the U.S. Military from applications in Army Tanks to Navy Seals and Submarines. Touted on the Company website as the The worlds "smallest" mast that can extend to the "tallest", the mast can be outfitted with sensors, communication devices and scopes for both Military and Civilian uses. This rugged piece of gear made from stainless steel and aluminum, can be deployed in both harsh combat zones and undersea environments on manned or unmanned vehicles.

Just a short stroll down the street and you run across people with big ideas and equipment that keeps are warfighters and ships just one more step ahead of the enemy.

Be sure to check out Geosytemsinc.com for more information on their Company and Products.

Eric Ryle
TheSubReport.com
Submarine News

posted by esryle @ 7:00 PM 0 comments

Three New Submarines Named

The Secretary of the Navy today announced the names of the next three Virginia-class submarines:

Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter announced today the names of three Virginia class submarines -- the Missouri, California and Mississippi.
The selection of Missouri honors the continuous support of the military by the people of the “Show Me State,” and its leaders. Designated SSN 780, Missouri is the fifth ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state. The last Missouri (BB 63), a U.S. Navy battleship, saw action in World War II, Korean War, and the 1991 Gulf War. Missouri was also the site where Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz and Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and many other U.S. and Allied officers, accepted the unconditional surrender of the Japanese at the end of World War II on Sept. 2, 1945.
The selection of California, designated SSN 781, honors the thousands of men and women from California who serve in today’s Armed Forces, and the millions of Californian veterans and their families. As home to major Naval and Marine Corps installations, the selection of California also reflects the tremendous support provided to the Navy and Marine Corps by countless communities across the Golden State. This will be the seventh ship to bear the name California.
The selection of Mississippi, designated SSN 782, is dedicated to the state’s long standing tradition of shipbuilding in support of our nation’s defense. It also honors the indomitable spirit of the people of Mississippi who have made great strides in recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. This fighting spirit will be an inspiration to all sailors who embark aboard Mississippi. There have been four previous ships named Mississippi. The first Mississippi, a side wheeler, served as Commodore Matthew Perry’s flagship for his historic voyage to Japan and fought with Admiral Farragut’s forces on the Mississippi River during the Civil War.

I'm sure submarine bloggers of the future will be looking forward to a picture of the new USS Missouri rendering honors to the old one.

posted by Bubblehead @ 11:02 PM 0 comments

"My Right Inguinal Hernia Surgery" -Video Review

UPDATE: Good News: As of 16:46:39 Eric is back at home and doing well, according to his lovely wife.

As many TSR readers know by now, the editor of The Sub Report placed his site on automatic news feed for the rest of this week during a medical leave starting tomorrow (Tuesday the 22nd) for outpatient hernia repair. Check out the TSR's submarine news feed often for breaking stories.

A hernia is the protrusion of an organ through the wall that normally contains it. An inguinal hernia occurs in the groin area, when an organ, usually an intestine, protrudes through the abdominal wall. For those who do not know, the overall incidence rate for inguinal hernia is about 1 in 544 or 0.18% in the USA.

Hernias can be both serious and very painful. Between 1995 and 2005, 16,742 Americans died from hernias.[1] Unless common hernias happen in your family, most Americans are little informed about these painful, tissue protrusions.

Have you ever heard of a deadly brain hernia (not one of the 5 more common visceral hernias),
for instance? The good news is that if common hernias occur in your family, you can be extra cautious about what you lift and how you perfom proper lifting. All of us need to be cautious to avoid serious back injury, and hernia, as well.

So this posting would not become too morbid, I asked a fellow submariner (who wished to remain anonymous) to review a 3-part inguinal hernia video. Here is what Bubblehead X sent back:

MOVIE REVIEW (Rating 4 of 10):
Though very short, "My Right Inguinal Hernia Surgery" was probably as good a medical documentory as I will ever see. All in all, I'd say it's the 3rd best movie I've seen so far this month --- camerawork was steadier than it was in "Cloverfield."

After three, graphic incisions of incredible depth (spoiler), some highly interesting miniaturized devices are inserted directly into the patient's belly. The medical procedure gut shots are captured with the help of a remotely controlled miniature TV camera, which required a rather large incision, itself.

The soundtrack is clear and the actors (all male, including an ex-submarine corpsman Y) appear very professional in their medical skills and happy (you can almost make out gleeful smiles under their surgical masks). Background music is truly the best thing about this video. Special effects are too realistic for young or squeemish audiences, although no gratuitous flesh scenes are shown, thanks to well-placed surgical towels. Action scenes become monotonous for the audience, because the victim (patient) is always the same, faceless body in the same setting.

Part 1 of 3 ended fairly abruptly, although it was fairly clear to me why that had to be (lunchtime). I lost my lunch while starting to write my impressions of Part 1. I did not, therefore, feel compelled to watch Parts 2 and 3. For me, I give it 4 Uncomfortably Vivid Appendectomy Reminders out of ten. Please consider my review incomplete and get someone else to review the other parts, or do it %#@*#& yourself!

If you want to watch the videos one at a time at YouTube:



My Right Inguinal Hernia Surgery - Part 1...

Questions:
Who is Bubblehead X?
What sub was submariner Y on?
Was the surgery set in an outpatient clinic or navy hostpital?

Labels: Bubblehead X submariner Y

posted by Vigilis @ 10:09 AM 2 comments

TSR Med Leave

From: TheSubReport.com

Update 27JAN08: Thanks for all concerned during my absence. I'm still not 100% but some systems are starting to come back online. Special Thanks to Vigilis for posting this and checking on my progress for the last week.

(UPDATE: Good News: As of 16:46:39 Eric is back at home and doing well, according to his lovely wife.)

The video shown in his post is different than the repair I had received. My repair was a Open direct type with a 4 inch incision to the groin area. I would have rather had the other one done.

Be careful as you get older fellas. Always get help when lifting heavy objects and adhere to proper safety techniques and you hopefully can stay away from the surgeon.

Eric
TheSubReport.com

***************************************************************************

TSR Readers and Shipmates,

I will be taking a medical leave of absence starting on Tuesday. I have a hopefully simple outpatient hernia repair. Big Fun huh? Auto generated news feeds will be up on the website for the rest of week. I also encourage you to visit these websites and blogs in my absence to get the latest in Submarine News and Commentary.

http://bubbleheads.blogspot.com/

http://aquilinefocus.blogspot.com/

http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/

http://www.subsim.com/index.php

If all goes well, I will have things back up by the weekend.

Thanks for reading TheSubReport.com

Eric
eric@thesubreport.com

posted by esryle @ 5:48 PM 3 comments

Hard to Find True Sub Ops Stories Like This One

Do yourself a favor and read Midnight Cowboy's account by Admiral Larson of one mission the Sculpin completed during a conflict called Nam. http://midwatchcowboy.blogspot.com/2008/01/sculpins-lost-mission.html
Submarines are always silent and strange.

Labels: Sculpin Midwatch Cowboy Admiral Larson

posted by Vigilis @ 4:16 PM 1 comments

crazy topside watches

did you know any? i know, stupid question. if you served on submarines, you knew, or yourself were, one of the crazys that kept our boats safe in port.
here are a few from my 575 days.
i'd like to hear some sea stories, dudes. all this politics on the web and surrounding us 24/7 is getting old. and we have 9 more freaking months to look forward to. so lets get some of those old dusty memories out of their corners. it's time for sea stories, dammit.

Labels: sea stories

posted by bothenook @ 6:03 PM 2 comments

2007 Submarine Photos Year in Review

Video Compilation of 2007 Photos of the United States Submarine Force. Presented by TheSubReport.com

All Photos courtesy of Naval Media and Navy.mil.


Click Here for the Google Video Link if the above does not work.

If you are interested in an original copy of this presentation, please contact eric@thesubreport.com

Happy New Year!

Eric -TheSubReport.com

posted by esryle @ 10:03 PM 3 comments

Sailor, Rest Your Oar

The Navy Submarine family suffered a great loss recently with the sudden passing of CDR (Sel) Chris Riley, assigned to PEO Submarines in D.C. CDR Riley was on vacation with his wife and three children at Disney World when he died in his sleep last Sunday.

From a TEAM SUBMARINE update:

Chris' funeral will be in St Louis, Missouri on Thursday, January 3rd at
1200. NAVSEA will send a small official party to represent Chris' co-workers at the funeral.
There will be a memorial service in DC hosted by Chris' church on Saturday, January 5th at 1100. The entire NAVSEA family is invited to honor Chris and pay their respects to his family at this event. It will be held at the Metropolitan Baptist Church, 1225 R St, in Northwest Washington DC. Further details will be provided next week.

I expect a fund will be set up shortly to help the family, particularly for the education of Chris' three young children. In the meantime, condolences may be sent to:

CDR Chris Riley Memoriam
PEO SUBMARINES (PMS 450)
614 Sicard St SE
Washington Navy yard, DC 20376-7004

posted by Bubblehead @ 5:18 AM 0 comments

Merry Christmas to all my feller Bubbleheads and mates...

Cookie....

posted by Cookie..... @ 9:44 AM 0 comments

bubblebloggersphere roundup

a compendium of submariner blogs for this week.

note: if you were/are a submariner, and you have a blog that's not listed on the bubblehead blogosphere list on my blog, email me (link is on my blog). i'd be happy to add you to the growing list....

Labels: roundup

posted by bothenook @ 6:50 PM 0 comments

Nuclear funnies, and a Nuke Christmas song for all

ok, this probably won't be funny to anyone not a nuke, and it's not specifically submarine. but it is nuke, and i thought some of you out there would appreciate a nuclear themed video and songs.
the Christmas song works even if it's about power plants. just imagine Naval Reactors every time he says NRC.
Nuclear funnies, and a Nuke Christmas song for all

Labels: humor

posted by bothenook @ 7:25 AM 0 comments

ALL HANDS...Man yur Battlestations...

Well Mates...Cookie here, frum The Cookshack--Gab & Grub....let me just bring y'all up to speed so's you'll be a knowin what's goin on and what to do...

For the past many months, myself and "The Chief", and old Jarhead over at Smoldering Embers in a Mohawk Campfire, have been bustin each other balls unmercifully (all in good fun of course), as Sailors and Jarheads tend to do...

Well Sir, our buddy and shipmate, Myron over at Myrons Random Thoughts, just posted a great "shitter" story (A Marine's Submarine Crapper Horror Story) about a group of Marines that were on his boat, the USS Bream, fer a trainin excersise. It seems one of the Jarheads pulled the wrong lever/valve in one of the heads....and y'all know what happened after that...

So...laughin so hard my sides hurt, I immediately informed the Chief to get on over to Myron's and see what happens to Jarheads on a Sub. Well, a short time later, the old ground pounder put this little diddy up on his blog.....



So shipmates...in short...make ready all tubes fore and aft and get on over to Smoldering Embers and read his post "T'is the Season", then...lets show the Chief how we Bubbleheads sticks t'gether...be nice now (He's really not a bad sort fer a Marine), but not too nice, and make sure ya bust his cajones a time or two....

posted by Cookie..... @ 8:32 AM 2 comments

Pin-Up's fer Vets... Good fer this Gal....

Well Sir...this article was sent t'me by Missy Susan from Eagle Lake, Texas who received it from "Black Five" (A Military Blog). Susan is a military mom...and she wanted me to pass this along to the rest of my readers...it's a real good cause so lets "Heave too Mates"...

**UPDATE:** Hey mates...since placing this post, I've had communications with Ms.Elise ( yes...I'm a lucky man indeed ), and it seems she's going to be going to Walter Reed Hospital in January and would like to take at least 100 calanders down fer the men....so...if'n ya cain't buy a calander cause yur wife won't let ya...then, If'n yur a blogger (amigo or amiga)...please re-post this article on yur own blog's so's we can help her to help our brave Military men & women...besides men...look how much fun it will be perusin through all them photygraffs to put yur post together...

BTW men...as you'll soon see...The Cookie had a lot of fun (and enjoyment) puttin this here post together...

Send a Pin Up Calender to a Hospitalized Vet

posted by Cookie..... @ 1:56 PM 0 comments

Those Were the Days, My Friend; We Thought We'd Make Them End

Did Monty Python Know About This?

posted by Vigilis @ 1:23 PM 0 comments

Groundhog Day For "Breaking" Submarine News

Cross-posted from The Stupid Shall Be Punished:

Remember the story from last year about the Chinese Song-class submarine surfacing in the vicinity of USS Kitty Hawk? Well, it turns out a reporter from the Daily Mail in the UK did as well (he was probably looking up "what happened this week in history in 2006" in hopes of finding a story he could write quickly), and by the simple technique of saying the event was "recent" he started a blogswarm of fair-to-middlin' proportions. Even UPI picked up the story without adding any embellishing information. While various commenters in the forums -- as well as Vigilis and Galrahn at their own blogs -- have pointed out that the incident came to light in November 2006, the posts at Hot Air and Slashdot are generating lots of discussion (almost 400 comments so far at the last link).

While we're talking about it again, it's worth reiterating the main lessons learned from the whole incident: 1) Any submarine of even modest capabilities can get close to a carrier in peacetime, 2) Any submarine that surfaces near said carrier almost certainly isn't doing it because he wanted to, 3) It's important to give the U.S. Submarine Force more money to help it guard against the Chinese submarine threat, and 4) Submariners are really cool, and you should buy them a beer whenever you see one.

posted by Bubblehead @ 1:48 AM 0 comments

Sub Launched Helo

No, it's not the new toy I want for Christmas (though it might be kinda kewl), it's a submarine launched helicopter. According to the article found here...

"Though it looks like an unmanned drone, and probably a tiny one at that, the Waterspout is no flying shrimp. The autonomous craft is designed to fly up to 80 miles, pick up two passengers, and return to its starting point on the open ocean."

"The small helicopter, designed by a team from Technion University in Israel and Penn State, would be able to launch from a submarine swimming 50 feet below the surface. The craft would float to the surface, deploy its blades, take off even in rough seas, and fly autonomously to pick up its passengers."

posted by WillyShake @ 12:23 PM 0 comments

A Matter of Time?

(Crossposted to The Online Magazine Formerly Known As Rob's Blog)

The below article appeared in Navy Times in the 11/5/07 issue. I feel safe, in terms of copyright, reprinting it here whole, since I wrote it (if it's anyone's intellectual property, for better or worse, it's mine).
---
A matter of time?

By Rob Schumacher - subsailor@gmail.com
Posted : November 05, 2007

As a former Navy submarine nuke, I’m at once shocked and not shocked by the recent news from the attack submarine Hampton.

It’s shocking to find out that anyone may have been “radioing” primary chemistry, and for the length of time they allegedly were doing so. Shocking that anyone may have radioed any logs, as anyone in the nuclear community (and even the Navy as a whole) recognizes the inherent wrongness and potential danger in this most dishonest of practices.

Yet I’m also not shocked.

First, let me be clear: I am not in any way condoning or excusing what these sailors reportedly did. Not one bit. There is simply no excuse for misrepresenting or falsifying records.

But of the 24 hours in a day, more and more are eaten away by the increasing demands on our time. Over the years, I’ve seen training requirements creep upward, inspections grow in number and frequency, and other requirements rise and rise.

A standard workday in port for a submarine nuke consists of two to four hours of training — that’s just nuclear training. Add an hour or two more for general military training, meetings and musters for this and that, and you’ve taken up a big chunk of the day already — and accomplished no real work.

Then you add in cleaning — every chief of the boat or engineering department master chief feels this should be at least an hour a day, or more.

At a minimum, that’s four hours of the day, possibly up to six or more, with no real work done.

See where I’m going?

At sea, submariners commonly are in a “six-on, 12-off” rotation. The 12 hours “off” are for work (the six hours following your watch) and sleep (the six hours preceding your watch). But that “off” time gets eaten up by cleaning, training, drills and paperwork. Any submarine nuke will tell you that the six hours “off-going” translates to, at best, two hours for “the job.” The leadership packs those off-watch times with more “required attendance” stuff than you can shake a broom at.

When you are finally done, your job has now been shoehorned into your sleep time, making you all the more likely to rush the next off-watch to catch up on shut-eye.

As one former submarine commander stated, the Hampton’s electronic technicians could simply have been lazy. But when you take the example above, you can see where the “job” has been relegated to back-burner status. In port, the rush this puts on the actual job we are supposed to do is the rush to get done and get home. At sea, it’s the rush to get some sleep. With a three-section watch rotation and drills, training, and qualifications taking up a significant portion of the available rest time, the motivation for sailors shirking duties often is to get some rest, some downtime.

Do we scrap training? Cancel drills? Eliminate quals? No, but leaders often get blinded to the effect their scheduling decisions have on those doing the work. At a planning meeting, do the boat’s department heads and department chiefs say, “Where are we putting the rest time?” or, “When are the divisions actually supposed to get their maintenance done?” All too often, they’re packing in more training, more drills and more cleaning, all at the expense of what we are really there to do: our jobs.

Rushing and cutting corners was a common theme in the reviews of incidents such as the San Francisco’s undersea collision, the Greeneville’s collision with the fisheries training vessel Ehime Maru and Greeneville’s later grounding in Saipan. We spend more hours training for our jobs than we do on the deck plates performing — and supervising — our jobs.

Is this lack of actual job time the root problem in these incidents? No; in the Hampton’s case, it appears to be integrity.

But what even tempts a sailor to “gundeck”? A sense of urgency, all too often brought on by the lack of time allotted to do the job correctly. Some sailors will gundeck regardless, out of laziness or a lack of personal responsibility — that’s a separate and even more serious issue. But many get there gradually, by chipping away at what’s acceptable by cutting corners to save what little time they have.

Is the fix to reprioritize training, drills and other requirements to put the job back in front? Not completely, but it’s worth considering.

Submarine life has never been abundant with free time. Old-timers likely will say, “We had it tough and we did it right,” and that is true. But is that a good enough reason to ignore the problem? Is adherence to something that is needlessly cumbersome just because “that’s how it’s always been” really sensible, when that problem has become a beast that eats up hours like an SUV guzzles gas?

The writer, a former submarine electronics technician first class with 16 years of service, works in the nuclear power industry in New Mexico. His e-mail address is subsailor@gmail.com.

Technorati Tags: Submarines, Hampton, Time

posted by Rob @ 6:02 PM 1 comments

USS Hampton CO Relieved

Cross-posted from The Stupid Shall Be Punished:

For the 4th time this year, an attack submarine CO has been relieved of command early -- but this one wasn't unexpected. From the AP wire report:

The commanding officer of the nuclear-powered submarine USS Hampton was relieved of his duty Thursday because of a loss of confidence in his leadership, the Navy said.
Cmdr. Michael B. Portland was relieved of duty after a U.S. Navy investigation found the ship failed to do daily safety checks on its nuclear reactor for a month and falsified records to cover up the omission...
...Portland's dismissal as commander is effective immediately. Myrick said Portland will be temporarily assigned to squadron duty and the Hampton will not conduct operations until the Navy can confirm the operational standards have been met. Myrick said at no time was the submarine conducting unsafe operations.
"He has not been charged with any offense nor has he received non-judicial punishment," Myrick said...
...Portland is the fourth commanding officer of a submarine to be relieved of duty this year. The other three, who were relieved for various unrelated actions, were: Cmdr. Edwin Ruff of the USS Minneapolis-St. Paul, Cmdr. Matthew Weingart of the USS Newport News and Cmdr. William Schwalm of the USS Helena.

[Links above are to my posts on the firings of those COs.] Navy Times has more on the "no band" relief (as opposed to one with a Navy band and nice uniforms, like this one), which includes the information that the new CO, CDR William Houston, had been already slated to relieve CDR Portland next month. (The AP article says that CDR Houston had previously been assigned as a "special assistant to the Director of the Naval Reactors", which probably means "Line Locker".)

So, with the CO, along the original ELTs who messed up, now off the boat, it'll be interesting to see if any intermediate levels of the boat's chain of command suffer any blowback.

Update 0858 26 Oct: From my referrer's log, a couple of other interesting sites are discussing this as well. Fark apparently has way more submariners posting there than I had realized, and head over to Corrente to see what happens when nukes invade a fairly popular blog run by liberals who try to address a technical submarine issue. (Sample quote about the attack submarine Hampton by a "progressive" at Corrente about why the incident happened: "Word got through the grapevine that a strike on Iran was in the works, and so they tried to scuttle the Boomer surreptitiously rather than be forced to murder hundreds of thousands of innocent people.")

By the way, if you head over to Corrente, please don't try to educate them about the chemical that "keeps the reactor shut down" and how it clearly doesn't apply in this case. The poster's husband was apparently a coner, and tried to remember something about nuke chemistry, but only succeeded in making himself look foolish.

posted by Bubblehead @ 8:27 AM 0 comments

Hampton crew allegedly radioed records

Six Navy personnel on board the nuclear-powered submarine USS Hampton have been punished for forging inspection records for the cooling system of the ship's nuclear reactor, Navy officials said Monday.
---
The crew neither maintained inspection records nor conducted the required inspection of the chemical levels associated with the cooling system, the Navy officials said. The crew then went back and falsified existing records to make it appear the work had been done, the officials added.

Let's do some nuclear translation...the ELTs apparently forged primary chemistry and it looks like it got caught during a pre-ORSE look by their new squadron.

Not a good day for the nukes. These guys will be under an intense microscope. And I'd read between the lines to say that the one officer and five enlisteds that were sent to NJP were likely the CRA and the bulk of the ELTs, and they are also likely to lose their nuclear NECs/designators.

This won't bode well for the skipper, either.

I once served aboard Hampton, though it was many, many years ago (1994, I think). I was a rider, on for only a couple of months for quals. Still, my past association with the Hampton is what made this article catch my eye.

Again, not a good day to be a nuke on the 767...

posted by Rob @ 11:40 AM 3 comments

USS Hampton Loses Their Keys

It looks like the new submarine in San Diego, USS Hampton (SSN 767) is under investigation for "unspecified reasons" and has had their keys taken away. From Navy Times:

“During a routine review ... conduct of procedures, although found to be safe, fell short of high Navy standards,” Submarine Squadron 11 officials said in a release, provided by spokeswoman Lt. Alli Myrick.
Capt. Chip Jaenichen, squadron commander, ordered an investigation under the Judge Advocate General’s Manual, or JAGMan, after some “issues” surfaced while the submarine and squadron were preparing for a normal end-of-deployment examination, Myrick said.
The investigation was being done “to determine the extent of these issues,” officials said in the statement. “The Navy sets high standards of professionalism and takes those standards very seriously.”
Already, one officer and several enlisted sailors have received disciplinary action, Myrick said. No details were available late Friday.

The Navy spokesperson continued that the submarine was "not getting underway" until the investigation is completed.

More later as any news emerges...

posted by Bubblehead @ 8:29 PM 3 comments

A Request....

posted by Cookie..... @ 10:10 AM 0 comments

A really GREAT slideshow fer all you Sub enthusiasts...

posted by Cookie..... @ 12:31 PM 1 comments

Undersea Warfare Magazine Article On Virginia-Class Submarines

Cross-posted from The Stupid Shall Be Punished:

I'm not sure when it got posted, but the Winter 2007 edition of Undersea Warfare magazine is online now. The "newest" version has a really good article on operating USS Virginia (SSN 774) at sea that submariners of all ages will like. I especially liked one passage that described how inventive submariners are in figuring out some uses of installed equipment that designers never envisioned:

Each photonics mast has three cameras in it; a high-resolution black and white camera, a color camera, and an infrared camera. Virginia’s designers did not originally envision that the infrared camera would be used 24 hours per day, as it was designed as a night-vision camera. However, Cmdr. Cramer and his crew quickly discovered how versatile the photonics system is. While transiting down the Thames River to Block Island Sound during the day, “we would use infrared on the surface, and my team became accustomed to using it because it allowed us to see lobster pot buoys much quicker than the naked eye because the markers reflect heat differently than the adjacent water does, so the ship could easily maneuver around lobster pots or debris in the water.”

It's kinda the same way the designers of the scuttle from lower level berthing to the wardroom on a 688 never figured the crew would use it to listen in on "secret" officer meetings.

What "new" uses of installed equipment did submariners on your boats come up with?

posted by Bubblehead @ 6:19 AM 3 comments

This is absolutely OUTSTANDING!

Well Sir....this GREAT letter was sent to me by a woman, Susan Gertson, who's son, Clint, made the ultimate sacrifice for our great Nation. He was killed in Iraq. It doesn't get any simpler or easier to understand as what this author states.....

Sheep, Wolf or Sheepdog.....

This letter was written by Charles Grennel and his comrades who are veterans of the Global War on Terror. Grennel is an Army Reservist whospent two years in Iraq and was a principal in putting together the first Iraq elections, January of 2005.

It was written to Jill Edwards, a student at the University of Washington who did not want to honor Medal of Honor winner Colonel Greg Boyington with a plaque. Greg Boyington was a graduate of UW, and a USMC pilot during WW-II. Miss Edwards objection was because he had killed people.

Ms. Edwards and other students (and faculty) do not think those who serve in the U.S. armed services are good role models. _________

To: Edwards, Jill (student, UW) Subject: Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs

Miss Edwards, I read of your student activity regarding the proposed memorial to Col. Greg Boyington, USMC and a Medal of Honor winner. I suspect you will receive a bellyful of angry e-mails from other military men like me.

You may be too young to appreciate fully the sacrifices of generations of servicemen and servicewomen on whose shoulders you and your fellow students stand. I forgive you for the untutored ways of youth and your naivete. It may be that you are, simply, a sheep. There's no dishonor in being a sheep as long as you know and accept what you are.

William J. Bennett, in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy November 24, 1997 said:

"Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident. We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. They are sheep.

Then there are the wolves and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy. Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

Then there are sheepdogs. I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf. If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the uncharted path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed.

"We know that the sheep live in denial; that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids schools. But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed.

The world can not work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours. Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports, in camouflage fatigues, holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, Baa.

Until the wolf shows up; then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door.

Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle.

That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed, right along with the young ones.

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes. The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference. You want to be able to make a difference. There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.

There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.

Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.

Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When they learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd and the other passengers confronted the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers, athletes, business people and parents from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.

"There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men."... Edmund Burke.

"Only the dead have seen the end of war."... Plato

Here is the point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice.

But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision. If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love.

But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us live somewhere in between.

Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. It's ok to be a sheep, but do not kick the sheep dog.

Indeed, the sheep dog may just run a little harder, strive to protect a little better and be fully prepared to pay an ultimate price in battle and spirit with the sheep moving from baa to thanks.

We do not call for gifts or freedoms beyond our lot. We just need a small pat on the head, a smile and a thank you to fill the emotional tank which is drained protecting the sheep. And when our number is called by The Almighty, and day retreats into night, a small prayer before the heavens just may be in order to say thanks for letting you continue to be a sheep. And be grateful for the thousands, millions of American sheepdogs who permit you the freedom to express even bad ideas.

Posted by Cookie frum the old Cookshack....

posted by Cookie..... @ 10:48 AM 4 comments

Turtle II in NYC

You've probably read about that bizarre story of the guy in Brooklyn (the NY Times calls him an "artist") who designed a submersible and forgot to tell local authorities that he was going to take it for a joy ride near the Queen Mary 2. For Video about the craft's maker, go HERE.

posted by WillyShake @ 5:04 AM 0 comments

PHOTO: Albuquerque (SSN 706) entering Port of Spain

U.S. Navy photo by Machinist's Mate 1st Class Jeffrey Larrabee (RELEASED)















Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (July 22, 2007) - Fast-attack submarine USS Albuquerque (SSN 706) entering Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago for a port visit. Albuquerque is homeported in Groton, Ct. and is currently deployed to the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility (AOR), which includes Latin America and the Caribbean. U.S. Navy photo by Machinist's Mate 1st Class Jeffrey Larrabee (RELEASED)

posted by esryle @ 7:34 PM 0 comments

USS Florida TLAM Launch Video

Check out this YouTube video that looks like it was put together by the SubRon 16 Weapons shop; it has periscope and underwater camera footage of the TLAM launch USS Florida (SSGN 728) did in May. It's especially good for those who weren't really sure how the seven missile Multiple All-Up-Round canister works for the SSGN conversions:



The video's almost eight minutes long; a reader sent me a two minute version that I'm thinking of posting on YouTube for the more time-crunched viewer. If I do, I'll post the link.

posted by Bubblehead @ 6:37 AM 2 comments

Passing Of A True Hero -- Gene Fluckey

posted by Bubblehead @ 12:05 PM 0 comments

I've been quiet a while...

...and it's not because I'm rigged for silent running. I'm moving and starting a new job soon. I'll still be 'round on the blogosphere (more when I get settled in out in New Mexico), but for now I've been busy as a flashlight-wielding Chief during field day (well, probably busier :)

But don't take my absence as, well, disappearance. As the current governor of California once said "I'