USS HENRY L. STIMSON ASSOCIATION SSBN655 NEWSLETTER ... Stimson Draft.pdf · Now that the holidays...
Transcript of USS HENRY L. STIMSON ASSOCIATION SSBN655 NEWSLETTER ... Stimson Draft.pdf · Now that the holidays...
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From the Editor:
Although there‘s only been three issues (well, now
there‘s four) of this newsletter, it‘s always in the back
of my mind to come as close as possible to being error
free. Will that ever happen? Sort of doubt it but please
know that will always be the goal. As always there is a
caveat that I must claim. You can tell that a large
portion of this newsletter comes from other sources. At
times I do find mistakes in their copy, however I feel
that I shouldn‘t make corrections to what they have
written (although if you look close I violate that at
times.)
To that end, here is something I would like to share
with you concerning my attempts at proofreading.
The Typographical Error
The typographical error is a slippery thing and sly;
You can hunt it ‗til you‘re dizzy, but somehow it will get by.
‗Til the forms are off the presses,
it is strange how still it keeps.
It shrinks down in a corner and it never stirs or peeps.
That typographical error, too small for human eyes,
―til the ink is on the paper, when it grows to mountain size,
The remainder of the issue may be clean as clean can be,
But the typographical error is the only thing you see.
Having said all that it has been brought to my attention
by a shipmate that there was an error in the TIDBITS
FROM OUR SHIPMATES first sentence in the January
issue. Thanks to our eagle eyes for catching this error.
The first line should have read: During the late 60's
(NOT the late 70‘s), STIMSON Gold and Blue crews
were commanded by two very different CO's, Bob
Weeks and Don Hall.
————————————————————————
Email from Gerry Weeks:
What a great read. Each issue gets better!! I sent it
on to Dean and David with some comments that I will
now pass on to you..........
A correction is necessary with reference to Bob's
duty after Stimson. He went to HQ, USCINCEUR in
Vaihingen, Germany. He was the submarine guru for
operations in the Med so he had much contact with
Naples, but he didn't serve there. We were at Patch
Barracks, a US Army post, formerly a Nazi cassern. It
was a joint headquarters....a fantastic duty. I have cc'd
Jim also. (The tale of the Heathkit TV is correct. And it
was our only TV for MANY years!!) Incidentally, I have
the COSL door apparatus here!
Bob made CAPT in 1973, 2 years into the tour,
having been passed over twice before while still CO of
Stimson. His first pass over prompted him to go to
VOL. 2015 NUMBER 2 FEBRUARY 2015
U S S H E N R Y L . S T I M S O N A S S O C I A T I O N S S B N 6 5 5 N E W S L E T T E R
A s s o c i a t i o n O f f i c e r s & B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s 2 0 1 3 — 2 0 1 6
PRESIDENT Ray [Rita] Kreul
VICE PRESIDENT Tom [Marie] Krauser
SECRETARY Nick [Linda] Nichols
TREASURER Ken [Diane] Meigs
OUTGOING PRESIDENT Chuck [Joyce] Hladik
HISTORIAN / MEMORABILIA Loree [Carolyn] Riggs
WEBMASTER / NEWSLETTER Nick [Linda] Nichols
CHAPLAIN J.B. Helms
STOREKEEPER / SHIPS STORE Rita [Ray] Kreul
O t h e r P o s i t i o n s 2 0 1 3 — 2 0 1 6
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ADM Wilkinson at the SubBase, NLON, to request to
be relieved as CO. In his words, "I am the first CO of a
nuclear submarine to be passed over, MY crew
deserves better!!" The request was denied so he
continued to make patrols which totaled 8 by the time
he was relieved in Jan. 1971. The pass overs hurt, but
he never skipped a beat nor did our family. Bob was
CO for 5 years, through building, launching,
commissioning and patrols. He had orders during that
time but was continually extended if his relief was
ordered to another boat for some reason. One of our
family keepsakes is a small brass plaque engraved
with the following message:
YOUR ORDERS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED
This is a drill
CPO'S SSBN 655 GOLD
That sat prominently on his wall of book shelves in our
family room.
Now that the holidays are over, I will be contacting
several wardroom types on your Lost Shipmate List. I
sent one query off today to a crew member in
Vermont. I hope I'm successful!
Happy New Year, Gerry
————————————————————————
From the Association President: Ray Kreul
Ray received the Commissioning Plaque today. This
picture isn't so good but you can see it in person at the
reunion next year. This 49 years of history was
obtained on eBay and will be placed in the care of the
Association with other memorabilia. Our many thanks
to FTCM(SS) Larry Jordan (Cowtown Base –TX) for
bringing this eBay item to our attention when it was
placed on there for sale.
From the Association Historian: Loree Riggs
————————————————————————
ETERNAL PATROL
===============
TM2(SS) Robert Arf, B 71-74
Departed on Eternal Patrol 5.1.2009
MMCM(SS) Robert „Bob‟ Whalen, G 83-87
Departed on Eternal Patrol 1.24.2015
————————————————————————
BINNACLE LIST
(if you would like to be placed on our Association Binnacle
List please send an email to [email protected])
========================================
FTB1(SS) Mike Boyle, G 78-81: On 01/02/15 I
underwent triple bypass surgery. They say I have had
several heart attacks however, did not know it. Had the
last one at work on 12/29/14. Ran my symptoms by a
friend who is an EMT. He said it sounds like an
obstruction and I should go to the ER. I did. At home
now and on the mend. Thanks for the prayers. Mike
————————————————————————
WELCOME ABOARD SHIPMATE!!
(Shipmate has contacted us to be added or have info
updated on our Sailing List. Please check the online Sailing
List to access the shipmates email address.)
========================================
FTB2(SS) John Lemp, Blue 75-80
EM1(SS) Mike Dickerson, Gold 90-93
MM1(SS) David ‗Deed‘ Wiltse, Gold 78-80 ETN2(SS) Keith Barrows, Gold 74-76
TM2(SS) Gary Beale, Gold 67-61 (LCDR Ret.) RMC(SS) Leonard Knowlton, Blue/Gold 71-74
TMC(SS) John ‗J.D.‘ Fleming, Blue 83-87 FTB1(SS) Michael ‗Mike‘ Boyle, Gold 78-81
MM3(SS) William ‗Bill‘ Borysewicz, Blue 67-70 IC1(SS) Randolph ‗Randy‘ Kulp, Blue 71-73
LT(SS) Charles ‗Chuck‘ King, Blue 83-86
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LOOKING FOR A SHIPMATE
MM3(SS) Alan ‘Chip‘ Paulding (G 69-71)
[ [email protected] ] is looking for Malcolm Harding
(aka Rusty). He went thru basic training with me and
several Stimson Gold patrols. He was in the QM gang
and a good friend but we lost contact after Stimson.
My attempts to contact him haven't been successful
even though I know he lives in NH.
STS3(SS) Steve Searight (B 70-71)
[ [email protected] ] is looking for STS3 Eugene
Manning who served during the same period as me.
As I recall, he was from New York (Brooklyn).
————————————————————————
GREAT LINKS TO SPEND TIME WITH (all links from ―The Stimson Draft‖ will be on the website)
**********
655 Association Website www.ssbn655.org
**********
655 Welcome Aboard Booklet (many of us received one of these when we first came aboard -
file was provided by Jim Gray & Betty Trasko)
http://ssbn655.org/history/HLS-SSBN655-Welcome%20web.pdf
**********
655 GOLD Patrol 18 Patrol Book (pictures provided by Steve Roche)
http://ssbn655.org/history/SSBN%20655%20Patrol%2018/index.html **********
The Dutch Airline KLM's way to return lost items http://www.chonday.com/Videos/dogairgpklm2
**********
TOP TEN SONGS, EACH MONTH, PAST 30 YEARS You have to wait a few seconds for the first song to load but it's worth it. Click on the speaker in the middle of the Record and it plays the entire song. You now have 30 years of the
Top 10 Songs for each month of the year from 1955 to 1985 - when you get into it, it actually begins long before 1955.
http://www.45rpmdb.com/Top10.html
————————————————————————
SSBN Patrol Pin & VFW Membership
By Steve Roche, FN-Gold-71-72
(seamen gang and mess cook)
Did you know that earning an SSBN deterrent Patrol
Insignia makes one eligible to join the Veteran‘s of
Foreign Wars? I found this out by noticing a patrol pin
insignia on a VFW poster where our post meets and
then joined the post, Post 12136 Indian Land SC.
From the VFW Eligibility Info:
SSBN Deterrent Patrol Insignia
Navy Jan. 21, 1961 - Open
————————————————————————
Pharmacy Co-pay Increase Takes Effect
New copayments for prescription drugs covered by
TRICARE went into effect on February 1. The FY 2015
National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requires
TRICARE to increase most pharmacy copays by $3.
The old and new copay rates are given below:
At the retail pharmacy network (you can get up to a
30-day supply of drugs at retail pharmacies):
Copays for generic formulary drugs
increased from $5 to $8,
Copays for brand name formulary drugs
increased from $17 to $20, and
Copays for non-formulary drugs increased
from $44 to $47.
For home delivery (you can get up to a 90-day
supply of drugs through home delivery):
Copays for formulary brand name drugs
increased from $13 to $16, and Copays for
non-formulary drugs increased from $43 to
$46.
Drugs from military pharmacies and generic drugs
from TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery still cost
beneficiaries nothing.
————————————————————————
New Tough Navy Recruiting Image
Jeanette Steele, San Diego Union-Tribune, Jan 26
Navy marketing going more tough-guy, less 'global
force for good'
Now that the Navy has dropped its longtime ―Global
Force for Good‖ slogan, it appears to be moving
toward a more aggressive – you might even say bad-
ass – image.
The Navy‘s newest recruiting commercial debuted
Friday night on ESPN and Youtube.
Called ―Pin Map,‖ the minute-long version features
each piece of the diverse Navy – ships, submarines
and jets, but also SEALs, bomb disposal techies and
unmanned drones. The idea is that the Navy is
deployed around the globe – all these pins on a map.
The tagline at the end is, ―Around the world, around
the clock, in defense of all we hold dear back home.‖
This commercial follows a similarly tough-sounding
spot released a month ago.
Called ―The Shield,‖ that piece shows a couple
holding hands with a small girl. One by one, Navy
personnel in various uniforms form a series of circles
around the family.
The tagline there is ―To get to you, they‘d have to
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get past us.‖
The new messages will potentially play well in
today‘s environment, with terrorist threats abroad and
in the homeland.
The Navy‘s personnel chief, Vice Adm. Bill Moran,
recently told U-T San Diego that recruiting new sailors
is not a problem but keeping them is more of a
concern.
The ―Global Force for Good‖ slogan was aimed at
getting parents excited about their sons and daughters
joining up. Now the Navy has to worry about those
troops staying in after years of long deployments.
The Navy's marketing arm decided on the new
approach based on interviews of sailors at retirements
and other ceremonies.
―What really pulls at the heart and soul of sailors
and makes them think, ‗I want to stay.‘ Over time,
that‘ll be important,‖ Moran said in November.
While there‘s talk of a new slogan to replace
―Global Force for Good,‖ Navy personnel officials
remain undecided. At present the tagline ―America‘s
Navy‖ is filling the gap.
San Diego ships and other West Coast units play a
starring role in the ―Pin Map‖ commercial, which was
filmed off our coast in recent months.
The aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan is featured in
one shot. F/A-18 jets from the Central Valley are
pictured, and Navy SEALs from Coronado were
among those filmed walking the snowy slopes of
Mammoth.
Even the Rancho Bernardo-designed Triton
unmanned drone appears in one shot. Triton is the
Navy‘s version of the Northrop Grumman-made Global
Hawk.
————————————————————————
Would you still qualify…??
Part I answers on page
A little quiz to see if your memory still hacks it…
…remember “Polaris Bowl”?
This newsletter input was received from Dr. Bill
Wieting, CAPT MC USN, Ret., Gold Crew Plank
Owner 1966.
Here you go with 10 more questions. The answers to
those from last week can be found elsewhere in this
newsletter.
There are 40 total questions. 10 will be in each
newsletter. Answers will be in each consecutive
newsletter:
11. Plus or minus 10%, how many EABS manifold
were there? How many connectors? How many
masks? (3)
12. What was the fundamental conflict between the
EABS system
and the compartment salvage air system? (2)
13. What was the catalyst in the CO-H2 burners? (1)
14. What was the normal operating temperature of the
CO-H2 burners? (1)
15. Besides CO2 and H2O, what might the CO-H 2
Burners produce? (1)
16. True or False? – the floating wire streaming
assembly exited from the port side of the sail.(1)
17. Name the periscopes and give the special
capabilities of each. (6)
18. Name any six other masts or antennae. (6)
19. A high-speed, full-rudder turn to port, submerged,
induces a snap roll to which side? (1)
20. Will the same turn (#19.) tend to cause an up or a
down angle? Why? (2)
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Places...NOT to go! This is FASCINATING!!
WORLD MURDER STATISTICS
From the World Health Organization - The latest
Murder Statistics for the world - Murders per 100,000
citizens per year.
Honduras 91.6 (WOW!!) - El Salvador 69.2
Cote d'lvoire 56.9—Jamaica 52.2—Venezuela 45.1
Belize 41.4—US Virgin Islands 39.2—Guatemala 38.5
Saint Kitts and Nevis 38.2—Zambia 38.0
Uganda 36.3—Malawi 36.0—Lesotho 35.2
Trinidad and Tobago 35.2—Colombia 33.4
South Africa 31.8—Congo 30.8
Central African Republic 29.3—Bahamas 27.4
Puerto Rico 26.2—Saint Lucia 25.2
Dominican Republic 25.0—Tanzania 24.5
Sudan 24.2—Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 22.9
Ethiopia 22.5—Guinea 22.5—Dominica 22.1
Burundi 21.7—Democratic Republic of the Congo 21.7
Panama 21.6—Brazil 21.0—Equatorial Guinea 20.7
Guinea-Bissau 20.2—Kenya 20.1—Kyrgyzstan 20.1
Cameroon 19.7—Montserrat 19.7—Greenland 19.2
Angola 19.0—Guyana 18.6—Burkina Faso 18.0
Eritrea 17.8—Namibia 17.2—Rwanda 17.1
Mexico 16.9—Chad 15.8—Ghana 15.7
Ecuador 15.2—North Korea 15.2—Benin 15.1
Sierra Leone 14.9—Mauritania 14.7—Botswana 14.5
Zimbabwe 14.3—Gabon 13.8—Nicaragua 13.6
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French Guiana 13.3—Papua New Guinea 13.0
Swaziland 12.9—Bermuda 12.3—Comoros 12.2
Nigeria 12.2—Cape Verde 11.6—Grenada 11.5
Paraguay 11.5—Barbados 11.3—Togo 10.9
Gambia 10.8—Peru 10.8—Myanmar 10.2
Russia 10.2—Liberia 10.1—Costa Rica 10.0
Nauru 9.8—Bolivia 8.9—Mozambique 8.8
Kazakhstan 8.8—Senegal 8.7
Turks and Caicos Islands 8.7—Mongolia 8.7
British Virgin Islands 8.6—Cayman Islands 8.4
Seychelles 8.3—Madagascar 8.1—Indonesia 8.1
Mali 8.0—Pakistan 7.8—Moldova 7.5—Kiribati 7.3
Guadeloupe 7.0—Haiti 6.9—Timor-Leste 6.9
Anguilla 6.8—Antigua and Barbuda 6.8—Lithuania 6.6
Uruguay 5.9—Philippines 5.4—Ukraine 5. 2
Estonia 5.2—Cuba 5.0—Belarus 4.9—Thailand 4.8
Suriname 4.6—Laos 4.6—Georgia 4.3
Martinique 4.2
And
The United States 4.2 !!!!!
ALL (109) of the countries above America, HAVE
100% gun bans.
It might be of interest to note that SWITZERLAND is
not shown on this list, because it has...NO MURDER
OCCURRENCE! However, SWITZERLAND 'S law
requires that EVERYONE:
1. Own a gun.
2. Maintain Marksman qualifications ... Regularly.
————————————————————————
New Virginia-Class Sub To Be Named For Rickover
By Hugh Lessig, Daily Press, Jan 9
An upcoming Virginia-class attack submarine will be
named for the late Hyman G. Rickover.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced Friday that
an upcoming Virginia-class attack submarine will be
named for the late Hyman G. Rickover, the admiral
known as the father of the nuclear Navy.
Virginia class submarines are built in a teaming
arrangement between General Dynamics Electric Boat
of Groton, Conn. and Newport News Shipbuilding, a
division of Huntington Ingalls Industries. The two yards
take turns delivering them to the Navy.
The Hyman G. Rickover will be delivered by
Newport News.
It will be the second Virginia-class boat named for
an individual. The first is the John Warner, named for
the former Virginia senator. It was christened in
September at Newport News.
Although Virginia-class submarines are being built
at a rate of two per year, Rickover won't make an
appearance for several years.
After the John Warner, the next Virginia-class
submarine will be the Illinois. That will be followed by
Washington, a boat that marked a keel-laying at
Newport News in November.
According to Naval Sea Systems Command,
Washington will be followed by the Colorado, Indiana,
South Dakota, Delaware, Vermont, Oregon, a
submarine with an as-yet-undetermined name, then
the Rickover.
A previous submarine has carried the Rickover
name, and is familiar to the region's Navy community.
The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine, USS
Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709) was commissioned in
July 1984 and was home-ported in Norfolk. It was was
inactivated in December 2006.
Rickover, who died in 1986, was known for being
brilliant and blunt. His obituary in The New York Times
noted his distaste for military protocol and tradition,
and his tendency to bypass the chain of command to
achieve his goals.
An engineer by training, he was responsible for the
development of USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-
powered submarine. He began formulating his ideas
for a nuclear Navy just after World War II. He was
trained in nuclear power at Oak Ridge, Tenn., and
worked within the Bureau of Ships to explore the
possibility of nuclear ship propulsion, according to his
bio at Naval History and Heritage Command.
A few years later, the Times noted, his propensity
for circumventing red tape was displayed when he was
chosen to head the Naval Reactors Branch under the
Atomic Energy Commission. At the time, he also
headed the Nuclear Power Division in the Navy's
Bureau of Ships.
"Wearing both hats, the captain sometimes wrote
letters to himself asking for certain things; he would
then answer his letters in the affirmative. Thus there
was virtually always agreement between the Navy and
the Atomic Energy Commission," the Times said.
————————————————————————
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Secretary of Navy announces USS Charleston
By Dustin Waters
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, Charleston Mayor Joe
Riley and Medal of Honor recipient Maj. Gen. James
Livingston PHOTOS BY DUSTIN WATERS
With the USS Yorktown providing the perfect
backdrop, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus
announced the naming of the newest USS Charleston
Friday, Jan. 9.
Joined by
Charleston Mayor
Joe Riley and Medal
of Honor recipient
Maj. Gen. James
Livingston, Mabus
dubbed the new
Littoral Combat Ship
the USS Charleston,
the sixth ship to carry
the city‘s name in the
history of the Navy.
―Our naval forces,
those that come from
the sea, are flexible
and responsive. They
provide our country‘s
leaders with any
option that they need
regardless of what
the crisis or what the
situation,‖ Mabus
said. ―Coming from the sea, we get there sooner. We
can stay as long as we need to. We bring everything
we have to have, and we don‘t need anybody‘s
permission to be there‖
According to Mabus, the United States Navy fleet
should reach a total of 300 ships by the end of this
decade.
―This great city, Charleston, has played a vital role
in the history of our country. From its earliest days,
one of our nation‘s most important seaports,‖ Mabus
added. ―This city has had a historic connection with the
American Navy.‖
Mabus has a personal connection with the area as
well. He and his family regularly vacation on the Isle of
Palms.
Mayor Riley‘s
wife, Charlotte
Riley, was
announced as
the official
sponsor of the
USS Charleston.
―Concerning the
USS Charleston‘s
sponsor, if the
members of her
crew have the
sponsor‘s sense of honesty, natural kindness, love and
concern for others, her brightness of spirit,‖ Mayor
Riley said, ―and if this ship always stays as true to its
heading as the sponsor follows her moral compass,
then the USS Charleston will be the finest ship in
America‘s Navy.‖
————————————————————————
First Female Officer Reports to Submarine
USS Minnesota
Steven Beardsley, Stars and Stripes, Jan 14
The first woman to serve aboard a Navy fast-attack
submarine has reported to the USS Minnesota. She is
one of six officers expected to join fast-attack crews in
the months ahead.
Two more women will report to the Minnesota by
the end of January, with three more slated to join the
USS Virginia in the spring, said Lt. Cmdr. Tommy
Crosby, a spokesman for the Navy's Submarine Force
Atlantic.
Integration of Virginia-class submarines comes
three years into the Navy's effort to gradually bring
female officers and enlisted into its undersea service.
Female officers first came aboard Ohio-class
submarines in late 2011. As of last summer, more than
60 women were serving in 14 submarines.
Submarines were one of the few remaining areas of
military service off-limits to women when the Navy
The new USS Charleston (LCS 18) was named in a ceremony
Friday, Jan. 9.
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lifted its prohibition in 2010. Three years later, the
Pentagon removed the military-wide ban on women in
combat units and required gender integration plans
from each of the services.
The Navy's 10 Virginia-class fast-attack submarines
are armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles and
designed to conduct surveillance, seek out and
destroy other submarines and carry special operations
forces. They are smaller and have tighter quarters
than Ohio-class submarines, the designation for
ballistic-missile and guided-missile boats. Fifteen
officers typically make up the wardroom in both
classes.
The plan to bring the six female officers aboard
Virginia-class submarines was announced in 2013 by
Vice Adm. Michael Connor, commander of Navy
submarine forces. Two of the women were to be
supply officers, with the other four nuclear trained.
Submarine officers must first go through an intensive
18-month training.
The service says it will open positions for enlisted
women on some Ohio-class submarines next year and
for several Virginia-class subs in 2020. All future
submarines will be designed for integrated crews, the
Navy has said.
The Navy's integration plans call for women to
make up 20 percent of the enlisted crews on already-
integrated Ohio-class submarines by 2020.
The Navy has described the integration process as
smooth, although a recent episode aboard the Ohio-
class USS Wyoming raises questions about that. The
Navy investigated 12 petty officers for sharing and
watching a video of a female officer showering aboard
the submarine, according to the Navy Times. One of
the petty officers made the recording and passed it
along, according to the report.
Connor, the submarine force commander, has said
two more fast-attack subs will be integrated next fiscal
year, this time in the Pacific. The Minnesota and
Virginia are ported in Groton, Conn.
————————————————————————
NNS150121-17. Submarine Force Will Begin
Integration of Enlisted Women
By Kevin Copeland, Commander, Submarine Force
Atlantic Public Affairs
NORFOLK (NNS) -- Following the successful
integration of female officers onboard submarines, the
Submarine Force will be immediately opening service
on submarines for enlisted female Sailors. The Chief
of Naval Operations detailed the enlisted women
integration plan in Naval Administrative (NAVADMIN)
message 19/15 entitled, "Opening Submarine Force
Billets to Enlisted Women." The plan was formally
approved in December 2014 for federal funding by
Congress.
With Congressional approval, Vice Adm. Michael
Connor, commander, Submarine Forces, can begin
implementing the plan which was first submitted and
approved by CNO, June 30, 2014, and Secretary of
the Navy, July 1, 2014. The plan includes opening all
submarine ratings and Navy enlisted classification
codes to enlisted women in Fiscal Year 2015 for a two-
phase integration onboard the Ohio-class ballistic-
missile submarines (SSBN) and Ohio-class guided-
missile submarines (SSGN), and the Virginia-class
attack submarines (SSN).
"We are the most capable submarine force in the
world," said Connor. "While we have superb
technology, the ultimate key to our success is our
people. In order to continue to improve and adapt in a
rapidly changing world, we need to ensure that we
continue to recruit and retain the most talented Sailors.
Today, many of the people who have the technical and
leadership skills to succeed in the Submarine Force
are women. We will need them. Integrating female
officers into the submarine force has increased our
talent pool and subsequently the force's overall
readiness, ensuring that we will remain the world's
most capable force for ensuing decades. Following our
successful and smooth integration of women officers
into the Submarine Force, the Navy's plan to integrate
female enlisted is a natural next step."
On July 28, 1994, Congress was notified of policy
changes to expand the number of assignments
available to women in the Navy. The change was not
considered by the submarine force until then Secretary
of Defense Robert Gates formally presented a letter to
congressional leaders on Feb. 19, 2010 notifying them
of the Department of Navy's desire to reverse current
policy of prohibiting submarine service to women.
In addition to NAVADMIN 19/15, the CNO has also
release two messages outlining conversions to
submarine rating specialties - NAVADMIN 20/15
announces the "FY16 Enlisted Women in Submarines
Chief Petty Officer Conversion," and NAVADMIN
21/15 announces the "FY16 Enlisted Women in
Submarines E-6 and Below Rating Conversion
Process."
Rear Adm. Charles A. "Chas" Richard, commander,
Submarine Group 10 and leader Women in Submarine
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Task Force, said the two-phase integration will begin
in Fiscal Year 2016.
"The Submarine Force's integration of female
officers on our submarines has been very successful,"
said Richard. "We will mirror that successful pattern
during the integration of enlisted females which will be
done in two phases. During the initial phase we will
select and train Sailors for service onboard female
officer-integrated SSBNs and SSGNs in the U.S.
Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. In 2016 we will integrate
the first two crews, the Blue and Gold crews of the
guided-missile submarine USS Michigan (SSGN 727),
and continue with 12 additional crews roughly over a
five-year period through 2021. Phase Two will consist
of integrating the crews of new construction Virginia-
class SSNs. The plan minimizes operational impacts,
and provides optimal flexibility, equity, and timeliness
at reasonable cost.
"In addition to new accessions into the submarine
community, our plan presents an opportunity for
female Sailors in selected ratings and from pay grades
E-1 (seaman recruit) to E-8 (senior chief petty officer)
to convert into submarine force ratings. All prospective
female enlisted Sailors will be provided the same
opportunity to succeed in the submarine force as their
male counterparts. "Supporting the integration of
submarine crews will require modifications of the
SSBNs, SSGNs, and new construction Virginia-class
SSNs. These modifications will ensure conditions meet
Navy guidelines for habitability and privacy while
maintaining equity for male and female Sailors
embarked on submarines."
Women volunteering to serve in non-nuclear
enlisted ratings will join the submarine force through
both conversions and new accessions pipelines. For
new accessions that will require completion of Navy
Training Command (boot camp) in Great Lakes, Ill.;
Basic Enlisted Submarine School (BESS) in Groton,
Conn.; rating "A" school at various sites; and then
assignment to the fleet. The only exceptions will be
those females who elect to become culinary specialists
(CS), logistics specialists (LS), and yeoman (YN).
They will complete their rating "A" school in Meridian,
Miss., before entering BESS in Groton.
Women currently serving in the fleet who wish to
convert to a submarine rating must complete the two-
month BESS.
The prospective enlisted women volunteering to
serve in nuclear enlisted ratings will join the submarine
force through the new accessions pipeline. This will
require completion of Navy Training Command (boot
camp); Nuclear Field "A" School and Nuclear Power
School at Navy Nuclear Power Training Command in
Charleston; prototype training at Naval Nuclear Power
Training Unit in either Charleston or Ballston Spa; and
then assignment to the fleet.
SSGNs provide the Navy with an unprecedented
combination of strike and special operation mission
capability within a stealthy, clandestine platform, while
SSBNs are specifically designed for extended strategic
deterrent patrols. There are currently 14 SSBNs and
four SSGNs in the Navy's inventory, each with two
crews assigned.
There are currently 11 Virginia-class attack
submarines in commission (as Nov. 24, 2014). These
submarines have multi-faceted missions. They use
their stealth, persistence, agility and firepower to
deploy and support special force operations, disrupt
and destroy an adversary's military and economic
operations at sea, provide early strike from close
proximity, and ensure undersea superiority.
For more news from Commander, Submarine
Force, Atlantic, visit www.navy.mil/local/sublant/.
————————————————————————
USS Illinois' Campaign Comes to Barrington
Laura Pavin, Chicago Tribune, Feb 6
While not a Navy or Military community,
Barrington's Dee Dee Johnson hopes to get her town
amped up about the commissioning of the USS Illinois,
which will be the first Navy ship with the name since
1898.
The USS Illinois is a Virginia-class nuclear
submarine that's currently being built in Connecticut
and is set to be christened by first lady Michelle
Obama, the ship's sponsor, in June, before being
commissioned next winter.
Johnson is on the USS Illinois' Commissioning
Committee with fellow Barrington residents Christina
Currie and Bobby Ferguson, the committee's co-chair.
Because the Navy can't really spend money
beyond the roughly $2.7 billion in taxes it's taking to
make the submarine, it's the committee's job to raise
about $800,000 - at least, that's the goal - to promote
awareness for the ship, initiate a civilian support group
called the 786 Club and throw the commissioning
party.
The USS Illinois' commissioning will take place in
Groton, Conn., in December.
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Commissioning parties are a big deal because they
celebrate a ship's official transition into active duty for
the nation; thousands of spectators came to
Galveston, Texas, to watch Laura Bush preside over
the commissioning of the USS Texas in 2004.
"We get to kind of help throw a big party for the
crew and their families, and we are privileged,
humbled and honored to get to be a part of that," said
Johnson.
Johnson said that one area of the USS Texas was
painted orange with a longhorn emblem on it, the
commission was hoping to add some orange-and-blue
touch to the USS Illinois.
"They're very much into the Illini, so we're going to
play on that," Johnson said.
To help create a sense of excitement - and
subsequently, support - for the submarine,
Commander Jess Porter, the USS Illinois' captain, and
some of the submarine's crew have been visiting
various places throughout the greater Chicago area to
talk about it.
Porter and the crew attended a fundraiser at
Wickstrom Auto in Barrington on Feb. 5.
Earlier in that day, Johnson had them speak to about
150 social studies students in the Barrington High
School auditorium. Several area veterans attended,
too.
After introducing himself and some of his crew
members, Porter explained to the audience that the
Virginia class to which the USS Illinois belonged was
one of five different types of submarine classes. The
other four were the Ohio SSBN, Ohio SSGN, Seawolf
SSN and Los Angeles SSN.
The Virginia class is part of a new generation of
attack submarines that offers more state-of-the-art
capabilities than any class before it.
Porter explained to students that, while submerged,
the crew would get its oxygen through the electrolysis
of water - in fact, the air that they'd be breathing during
their deployment (which typically last six to seven
months) would be so clean that they would have to get
used to the smell of the air when they got off the ship.
Another thing that would be tough when they got off
the ship: Seeing at distances.
For exercise, crew members had elliptical, bike and
rowing machines. For fun, they had Xbox and movies.
Before answering the audience's questions about
their day-to-day routine, Porter turned to a slide photo
of open water.
This commentary resonated with veteran Rich
Macko of Naperville, who sat in for the presentation.
Macko was in the Navy from 1961-66. During that
time, he served aboard the USS Trout, one of the subs
tasked with creating a blockade during the Cuban
Missle Crisis, the closest the planet has ever been to a
World War III.
"It's why we're called the silent service; you don't
hear them and you don't hear much about them,"
Mack said. "You hear more about what the Air Force is
doing, but not much about what submarines do."
One of the more interesting pieces of information
Mack came away with after listening to Porter speak
was how different life on modern submarines was from
when he was in the Navy.
"Our submarines ran on diesel engines, so we had
to surface and then submerge and run on batteries -
the nuclear submarines have unlimited power," Mack
said.
————————————————————————
Nuclear Power Plants on New Submarines May
Last 40-Plus Years
Stew Magnuson, National Defense Magazine, Feb 2015
The Navy hopes to have the first replacement for
the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine on duty by
2031. When that vessel is launched, the onboard
nuclear power plant is expected to last its entire 40-
year service life.
That is seven years longer than the current reactors
aboard U.S. submarines.
―Our goal for the new submarines is to have a life-
of-the-ship reactor,‖ said Frank G. Klotz, National
Nuclear Security Administration administrator and the
Department of Energy‘s undersecretary of nuclear
security. NNSA is responsible for developing
government-owned nuclear power plants.
There are two primary reasons the NNSA is
undertaking the new core design, he told reporters in
November.
―It is extraordinarily important on cost because one
of the largest elements of the total operational cost of
a submarine over its life has been replacing the core
when that has come due. It is very expensive,‖ he
said.
―The other aspect is that when you go into the deep
overhaul that is necessary to replace the core, you‘re
taking a submarine out of service for a long time. So if
you have a life of the sub or a life of the ship core, then
you avoid both cost, and you avoid both extensive
downtime as you refuel the reactor,‖ Klotz said.
10
The savings could be substantial.
Olivia Volkoff, a spokeswoman for the program,
said: ―Eliminating the refueling through insertion of a
life-of-the-ship core allows the Navy to meet the
strategic deterrent mission with two fewer SSBNs and
saves about $40 billion in ship acquisition and lifecycle
costs over the life of the program.‖
The Virginia-class attack submarines were the first
to have a core reactor designed to last the life of the
vessel, which for it, is about 33 years.
The Ohio-class replacement submarines, which will
carry the nation‘s sea-launched nuclear missiles, will
be considerably larger than the Virginia-class ships.
The NNSA and the Navy are facing a tight deadline
for developing the new power plant. Fiscal year 2031
is when the fifth Ohio-class SSBN retires, which will
leave the Navy with a force of nine ships. If the lead
replacement is not ready to take over by that date, it
would leave the Navy one below its mandated
requirement to have at least 10, Rear Adm. David C.
Johnson, program executive officer for submarines,
said in a speech last year.
As the first ship in its class, it will need a three-year
test-and-evaluation period to assess its performance,
including shake down deployments to spot and then
correct any shortcomings. There must be independent
certifications of the readiness of the crew and weapon
systems. That takes the timeline back to about 2027,
he said.
It will take seven years to build the lead ship. That
is an aggressive schedule given the Ohio-replacement
will be the largest submarine ever built in the United
States. That time frame is shorter than the previous
three lead ship submarine builds: the Ohio, Seawolf
and Virginia. The lead Virginia-class ship was 40
percent of the size of the Ohio replacement, and it took
86 months to build, Johnson noted.
In the next five and a half years, the program must
execute the design phase, carrying out research and
development and construction preparation activities.
About 83 percent of the designs must be complete at
the start of construction.
Under the New START Treaty, SSBNs will be
responsible for approximately 70 percent of the
nation‘s deployed nuclear warheads.
The program is now almost five years into
development. The ship construction design phase is
set to begin in 2017. The early stage work done in that
period is crucial to deliver the first submarine on time
and on budget, Johnson said.
The power plant program is progressing on time,
Volkoff said. ―Reactor design work is ongoing and in
conjunction with reactor equipment procurement in
fiscal year 2019 [and] supports a fiscal year 2021 ship
construction start,‖ she said in a statement.
This program leverages the ongoing work to refuel
a land-based prototype at New York-based Knolls
Atomic Power Laboratory‘s Kesselring site, where the
NNSA carries out research and development for the
program.
―We continue to work with our partners in the
executive and legislative branches to ensure the
program is supported,‖ she said.
Bryan Clark, a senior fellow for the Center for
Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, who served in
the Navy as an enlisted and officer submariner and as
chief engineer and operations officer at the Navy‘s
nuclear power training unit at Goose Creek, South
Carolina, said one of the Navy‘s goals with the Virginia
-class attack submarines was to completely leave the
business of refueling reactors.
―It is really expensive. It generates a lot of
radioactive material that has to be disposed of and
handled. So it was really a big burden on the Navy in
terms of cost to have to refuel the reactors,‖ said
Clark. Over the past few decades, the NNSA has
made incremental progress making the reactors last
longer. While it is responsible for developing and
maintaining the reactors, the Navy must integrate them
into the larger power plant.
The Sturgeon-class attack submarines had to refuel
every eight years, or three to five times over its
lifespan. The Los Angeles-class, the Navy‘s next fast
attack sub, refueld only once or twice over its 33-year
lifecycle. The Virginia-class managed to do away with
the process altogether, he noted.
Along with the high cost of refueling, which is
anywhere from $600 million to $800 million, ―It also
saves the time that would have been lost when the
ship is doing a refueling overhaul, which generally
takes a couple of years,‖ he added.
There are only a few shipyards, Clark said, that can
carry out refueling: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, New
Hampshire, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Puget Sound
Naval Shipyard and Pearl Harbor.
They are busy doing all the other refurbishment
work required in the Navy, including long maintenance
overhauls that have nothing to do with refueling, as
well as carrier refueling and overhaul, Clark said. The
yards are ―jammed up and overwhelmed,‖ he said.
11
The shipyards are busy and behind on most of their
work because some of the carrier overhauls have
taken longer than the Navy anticipated, he said.
―Right now carriers are the priority so they always
get pushed out as fast as possible, where the
submarines often end up being the last in line,‖ he
said. Refueling subs can take longer than two years
because they become stuck back behind carriers, he
said.
Nuclear power plants aboard submarines are the
most expensive and difficult to maintain because of the
tight space. To make them last longer, it requires more
highly enriched uranium than what would be needed at
a land-based plant, he added. Managing them is
exacting work. Officers do not want a submarine to run
out of fuel before the end of its service life.
Energy is created by the fission process, in which the
fuel decays, creates heat, then steam, which turns the
turbines. The process creates poisons as a byproduct,
which pollutes the cell and makes it less efficient.
―Over the years you have to pull the rods out higher
and higher to expose more of the fuel because the fuel
on the bottom of the core gets used up, or all these
fission products are keeping it from reacting
efficiently,‖ Clark said.
―You will eventually be at the point where there are
so many fission product poisons and the fuel used up
enough where you‘re not getting efficient fissioning,
and the heat generation is not efficient and core has to
be replaced,‖ he added.
Making the reactors last longer requires dispersing
the poisons in the fuel cell in such a way that it
minimizes their impact on the fuel, he said.
The Ohio-class replacement submarine will have
some challenges if it wants to deploy with a power
plant that lasts 40 to 42 years. That is almost 25
percent more efficiency than what the Virginia-class
submarines possess, he noted.
―It is a bigger submarine, so it will require a bigger
plant,‖ Clark added. ―And that is a significant time
increase in terms of how long the reactors have to run
without being refueled,‖ he said.
Success will depend on how precisely engineers
can place the fuel and other components inside the
reactor in order to maximize the availability of the fuel
before it gets clogged up with poisons and other
byproducts, he said.
The NNSA has some advantages. There are
technologies outside the world of nuclear fission that
have advanced considerably since the 1990s, when
the agency designed the Virginia-class nuclear power
plant, Clark said.
―With nanotechnology you are able to precisely
control the exact structure of the fuel cells. And with
computer modeling and new processing power you
can really look at this stuff at a high level of resolution
and detail,‖ Clark said.
―Those two things will allow engineers to hand-tool
the fuel construction in a way that is going to make it
last a lot longer than previous generation‘s power
plants,‖ he said.
———————————————————————— ANSWERS FROM QUAL QUIZ JANUARY ISSUE
1. What were ―Missiles 17 and 18‖? (1)
The O2 Generators 2. Where were they located? (1) In AMR-1, aft of missiles 15 and 16 in the Missile Compartment 3. What made them dangerous (at least three distinct properties)? (3) High pressure (3000psi); corrosive electrolyte (30% KOH); heavy current flow (1050 amperes); pure hydrogen and oxygen at high pressures 4. Name six (6) uses of the 700 psig air system. (6) Blow sanitary tanks 1,3,4; Blow down escape trunks; Compartment Air Salvage System supply; Reactor Air Operating System; Blow hovering system tanks; Type 11 scope air stripper; Sea chest blow; Shallow depth gauge; Diesel exhaust mast blow; Diesel Air Start; - Supply 150 and 100 psig air systems; Emergency Cooling heat exchanger hard tank blowdown 5. What system supplied it? (1) 4500 psig AHP system 6. Where were the supply reducers, and at what pressure were the relief valves set to lift? Bow and AMR-2 Compartments; 785 psig 7. How many escape trunks were there? (1) Three 8. Where were they located? (1) Bow Compartment; Bridge Access Trunk in Operations Compartment; Engine Room 9. Which escape hatch was off the centerline of the ship? To which side? (2) Engine Room; Starboard side. (The Bridge Access Trunk escape DOOR faced the port side.) 10. EABS manifolds usually had 4 or 5 connectors; a few had 15. Where were those larger manifolds located? (2) Bow Compartment; Operations Compartment
12
SEARCH FOR LOST SHIPMATES
If you have contact with one of these shipmates please send their contact info
to me at my email address. Let‘s set a goal to find everyone on this list!
Adkins, William Duell, Paul Kirkpatrick, Steven Robinson, Warren
Ballard, Danny Dyal, Don W. 'Gomer' Klaiber, William Roetto, Paul
Barker, Paul Edmiston, Ken Kohankie Robert Rowan, William
Barker, Thomas Ehlers, Joseph Krieger, Kenneth Rubright, David
Barrett, James Ellard, Bryon Laughlin, Brian Ruiz, Luiz
Beck, Roger Ellsberry, Prather Lawrence, Marshall Sanderson, Jim
Blouse, Dan Featheran, Robert Jr. Liles, Michael Scoville, Scott
Blue, Matthew Findlater, Doug Lizana, Rick Seelinger, James
Bluestone, Edward Flannery, Aaron Lothrop, Shafer, Harold 'Jack'
Bollman, Stephen Fleming, Benjamin Lubbs, Larry Shantz, Denton
Borenko, Stphen Fleming, Denvery Marko, Michael Francis Shepherd, Charles
Bowser, James Jr. Fonda, Carl Mason, John Sherlock, Martin
Bricker, Michael Futral, Dave Matherly, David Shields, Vaden
Brill, Doug Gallagher, Gilbert 'Skip' Mauk, Elam Shock, Joel
Brown, Fred Geisenburg, Nick Mauldin, Thomas Sikora, Gregory
Buie, Michael Gibson, Chris McCarney, Clifford Siler, Dennis
Bullard, Patrick Glover, Ron McConnell, Mark Silvestri, Henry
Bullington, Scott Grabins, Garry McCord, Oliver Slusser, Howard
Burger, Thomas Graves, Richard McMillan, Donald Smith, Charles
Burmeister, Wayne Green, Earsel Miller, Donald Sterner, George VADM
Busteed, Bob Gutierrez, James Miller, Tony Steverson, Jeff
Canup, Richard Habermas, Thomas Milton, Jay Stewart James
Cardin, Joseph Hall, Larry Mosman, Harold Stine, Gene
Carey, Bill Harding, Rusty III Musselman, Robert Stockton, N. Bradley
Carlson, Hugh Harris, WIlbur Neubecker, Andrew Stortroen, Keith
Carr, Don Hatchell, John Neuman, Mark Taylor, Jim
Champagne, Brian Hayes, Robert Noftsger, Mike Templer, Steven
Claussen, Stephen Herbert, Randy 'Bear' Nolen, John Thaden, Gene
Cool, Arnold Henderson, Michael Ochsner, Patrick Thomas, Larry
Cooper, Denny Herzog, Willie Parham, Bryan Tomasi, Max
Cooper, Doug Hinds, George Pastiva, Stephen Jr. Tomren, Gerald
Cooper, John F. Hogan, John 'Jack' Peterson, David Trotter, Daniel
Cope, Allan Hogan, Tom Petrak, David Twiselton, Brown Michael
Cota, James 'Pat' Holler, Eugene Phipps, Mitchell VanDeLeest, Dean
Couser, David Hollingsworth, Paul Plue, Mike Walenga, Craig
Crawford, Christopher Holtman, Bruce Porterfield, Glenn Watson, Herb
Cruden, David Hupe, Bill Pruitt, Michael Weisser, Monty
Cullum, Ray Ignatowitz, Craig 'Iggy' Putnam, Bobby Jo Wenzel, Paul
Czarnecki, Anthony Johnson, Anthony Putt, William Wesley, Mike
Davidson, Dickie Johnston, Paul K. Ralston, David White, Don
Debisschop, Timothy Joyce, Dennis Rasmussen, Aaron Williams, Brian
Degon, Vince Kearney, Russ Rasmussen, Bill Wimmer, Peter Thomas
Delano, Ken Kee, Kerby Rathsam, Richard Wolk, Dennis
Dewitt, David Keller, Terry J. Ratliff, William Worthington, Vincent
Diaz, Rudy Keiningham, Thomas Raven, Donald Wright, David
Dorff, Richard Kennedy, Brian Reppert, Kevin Young, Ron
Dreiss, Ray Kinney, Wayne Rhodes, Ronald Youngman, David