Happy Veterans Day! (AMA)

"Snuze: Needs another Swede" (markg)
11/11/2020 at 09:56 • Filed to: None

Lets make this Veterans Day post an AMA!

I served in the US Navy from 2004-10, spending several of those years on the USS San Juan (SSN-751). I’ve also worked in the shipbuilding industry and as a test engineer. So ask me anything and I will try to answer!

DISCUSSION (35)

Just Jeepin' > Snuze: Needs another Swede
11/11/2020 at 10:05

How tall would a snorkel have to be to allow someone to drive from California to Hawaii?

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Snuze: Needs another Swede
11/11/2020 at 10:09

Also happy remembrance day in Canada. It’s a holiday in all the good provinces.

Other than a great uncle who served in Kosovo and a great grandpa who fought in WWI in Russia , none my family has been in the military.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Snuze: Needs another Swede
11/11/2020 at 10:11

Good on you for giving time to your fellow Americans!

Did you choke up when you heard Sean Connery died?

What did they get wrong in The Hunt for Red October?

Nom De Plume > Snuze: Needs another Swede
11/11/2020 at 10:14

Is the food really better down there or are you just hypoxic enough to believe the menu descriptions acutely depict the fresh foodstuffs depicted?

Tripper > Just Jeepin'
11/11/2020 at 10:18

Mean depth from California to Hawaii is 2.65 miles... You don’t have to contend with the Mariana Trench on this trek, but I’m not quite sure how deep it will get. Gonna go with a 5 mile snorkel and hope for the best!

vondon302 > Nom De Plume
11/11/2020 at 10:36

I want to know about the food too!

vondon302 > Snuze: Needs another Swede
11/11/2020 at 10:37

Booze is banned on subs.

True or false.

Poor_Sh > Tripper
11/11/2020 at 10:44

And a car than can handle around 9,000 psi external pressure.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Snuze: Needs another Swede
11/11/2020 at 10:45

I ended up working with quite a few Navy service members. Good guys, knew how to turn a wrench and follow instructions.

someassemblyrequired > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
11/11/2020 at 10:50

Massive holiday in NS, everything shuts yet the bars are allowed to be open, a holdover from when the WWI/WWII/Korea vets would go in the afternoon for a few beverages at the Legion .

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Just Jeepin'
11/11/2020 at 11:16

Really tall. Id have to pull the nav charts to find out max depth. But you would have a lot of other issues - compression of the vehicle, exhaust back pressure, impassible terrain, etc.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Nom De Plume
11/11/2020 at 11:19

Its quite good relative to the surface fleet. Ive been out on carriers as well and I much prefer sub food. At least for the first few weeks. After about 2 weeks you run out of fresh milk and switch to UHT, which is Ultra-High Temperature pasturized milk. It tastes better than dehydrated milk, but not as good as fresh. But you can store it at room temperature. After another month or so, you run out of UHT, and fresh eggs, and have to go to Plastic Cow (dehydrated milk) and powdered eggs, and quality drops off noticably.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
11/11/2020 at 11:21

Thank you.

I was sad when Connery passed, he was a legend.

And this will sound crazy, but I’ve never watched Hunt for Red October. I figure that I lived it for a while, so its not exactly at the top of my must see list. One thing I can tell you, though, is “caterpillar drives” are real, a company in Japan operate d a public ferry propelled by one. It was grossly inefficient, and very loud. So I can tell you that is very wrong.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
11/11/2020 at 11:21

Thank you!

Snuze: Needs another Swede > someassemblyrequired
11/11/2020 at 11:23

I love NS. I spent 6 months living and working in Halifax for Irving Shipbuilding a couple years ago and had a great time.

someassemblyrequired > Snuze: Needs another Swede
11/11/2020 at 11:25

For a small city, it has a social scene to rival much larger ones

For Sweden > Snuze: Needs another Swede
11/11/2020 at 11:26

If SSBNs are Boomers, are SSNs Zoomers?

E90M3 > Snuze: Needs another Swede
11/11/2020 at 11:27

Test Engineer? Apparently that’s what my dad did out of college.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > vondon302
11/11/2020 at 11:27

This is now true, for US vessels. I know through WWII they had booze onboard, not sure if that was san ctioned or not, but it happened. And Im not sure when they Navy really cracked down on it.

That being said, t here is a small locker in the wardroom with some wine and liquor in it. Its kept under lock and key (I think only the CO has the key). Its reserved for special occasions, mainly visiting dignitaries, etc.

The Brits have taps in the galley, each crew member is allowed a pint after watch.

When I worked for a C anadian shipbuilder, on a surface vessel, they had quite a bit of space allocated for booze storage.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > someassemblyrequired
11/11/2020 at 11:28

It really was fantastic. So many good bars and resturaunts, and the people were all great.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > For Sweden
11/11/2020 at 11:29

Yes. And don’t forget about SSGNs. I dont think they have a clever nickname, but they are SSBNs with the nuclear weapons removed and replaced with rotar y Tomahawk launchers. Holds something like 140 missiles.

For Sweden > Snuze: Needs another Swede
11/11/2020 at 11:30

The G is for Gamer

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
11/11/2020 at 11:31

Thank you. We take pride in our work.

One of the most interesting aspects of sub life is you *have* to be good at what you do. One screw up and you could sink the whole ship and kill everyone onboard. And theres no calling for help if things go wrong.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > E90M3
11/11/2020 at 11:32

I think we talked about this once before, he might have been a STE - Shift Test Engineer, at one of the shipyards, right?

E90M3 > Snuze: Needs another Swede
11/11/2020 at 11:33

Ok, it was you who I talked with about it, and yeah he was at Norfolk.

benn454 > Snuze: Needs another Swede
11/11/2020 at 11:35

From what I’ve heard, Down Periscope is actually the most accurate sub movie.

Speaking of, how many times did you fantasize about disembarking your XO/COB from the boat through the nearest torpedo tube?

Nom De Plume > benn454
11/11/2020 at 11:43

You are of course referring to the “All Aboard” tattoo?

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Snuze: Needs another Swede
11/11/2020 at 11:44

T he crew I worked with made my job very easy on the execution side.

benn454 > Nom De Plume
11/11/2020 at 11:54

I need a man with a tattoo on his dick. Have I got that man?

Tripper > Snuze: Needs another Swede
11/11/2020 at 12:31

Ever been to the skatepark in Groton? Also favorite and least favorite part about being on a sub? Signed a claustrophobe

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Snuze: Needs another Swede
11/11/2020 at 12:32

Dude... it’s so good! Must watch, and review for OPPO.

Nom De Plume > benn454
11/11/2020 at 12:50

I’m not a movie person. That piece of information somehow stuck with me.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > benn454
11/11/2020 at 14:06

This is true, in terms of lifestyle.

Also I never really had any problems with the XO or COB. Now the EDMC on the other hand...

Snuze: Needs another Swede > E90M3
11/11/2020 at 23:19

Yeah. I work with some former STEs, they are all pretty sharp. I do underway testing, something a little different.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Tripper
11/11/2020 at 23:26

Was stationed in Groton for a few years, but never went to the skate park.

I think the best thing about serving on a sub was the people. Its a tight knit crew, and everyone is good at their job.

The worst part was the hours. My average work week was 80 hours, and that was in port. Going to sea was as much or more . It’s just a grueling schedule.