Forums » Smalltalk » My Status and Me

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So, I'm just going to make one thread here, and update it as need be to reflect whether I'm available not. By the rules what govern, I can't say when I'm leaving if its >24 hours away. Can't say when I'll be back. Can't say where I'm going. Nor when I'll be there. Can't say what I'll be doing either. Well, I can talk about what I do... job wise... life on board wise... any liberty ports I hit. Things like that. But not what the boat does. So... We'll make this thread for if anyone wants to ask about my job as well. I'm an Electrician on board a US Nuclear Powered Fast Attack Submarine.

So catch ya when I can.

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Foreign Ports I've Been to:

1. Portsmouth, England (Includes trip to London)
2. Souda Bay, Greece
3. Rota, Spain
4. Faslane, Scotland (Really just long enough to get to Glasgow)
5. Toulon, France
6. Lisbon, Portugal
7. Halifax, Canada

That is by far the coolest job I have ever heard of, and I've heard of some pretty sweet jobs.

Oooooh *waves from Australia* Can ya see me?????

It sounds cool... But I assure you... its less so then you'd think. Oh, It has some high points, which I feel out way the low... but yeah... it is so not for everyone.

I did some cool things I can't talk about. But CNN did list my boat by name when Libya went down... then Big Navy made them pull it.

And unfortuantely no... I can't see you Australia. I'm east coast based.

I did spend some time in New Zealand pre-navy though. And you know... being in with the Kiwis, I developed a similar dislike for Australians that I feel for Canadians. That sort of dislike where its playful, we don't really dislike you... but we know we're better. Point in case: The All Blacks.

Totally understand the feeling, by the way. I was USMC Aviation Ordnance, and the shiny idea of putting bombs on planes and maintaining the weapons systems dulls in the reality of having to scrub the very small pieces of sixty bomb racks. Being deployed and out of touch with your friends is a drag too. How long is your cruise? Scratch that, I looked and I understand. Have a good trip, and I hope that you don't have anything exciting happen, 'cause, you know, that's usually bad underwater.

Actually it was eventful.

Everything what could go wrong in engineering did. Well, non-life threatening any way. But its all sorted now. Ish. I'll just go with magic is keeping the lights on when we diverge from shore power.

That time again. Back sometime mid-next-month-ish.

So... If one aspect of your job was to deliver four cables. Just FOUR cables for the purpose of carrying electricity from point A to point B... Would you at least make sure they all worked before delivery?

Or would you think that completely unnecessary?

Cause you know... its far more conveient to screw E-Div, and make us stay till 1800 fixing the problem... instead of doing things correctly and everyone goes home at 1400.

Screw you public works.

Anyway... Back. I'll catch up on my messages later... you know... if you guys sent me anything. You know who you are.

i posted a week or two ago, will be checking for updates.

This ones a bit of a longer underway. I'm updating a day earlier thanks to Duty preventing me computer access the day before I pull out. I'm a little bitter about that. Got the worst duty for pull in and worst for pull out. Some one, some where, is a dick.

Oh. And I get to do an Operational Reactor Safeguard Exam. I think that's what ORSE stands for. Its a dog and pony show... that just sucks for us all on board.

I have a friend. He counts me like the son he never had.

He told me of his days in the Coast Guard. Specifically, he'd remember them doing supply drops to submarines. And these guys would come up in completely unorthadox uniforms with beards.

There wasn't a supply drop, but I did go topside when we surfaced at one point. We were near the bahamas, and I could see nothing but open ocean. It was me and 14 other guys. I was wearing tennis shoes and some coveralls in poor shape. I hadn't shaved in a week. I smoked a couple cigarettes, and took in the sight of open water in 360 degrees.

It made me happy.

I'm back. Again.

So, went to Canada for a week. It was the Navy's way of saying "Thanks for being awesome." General consensus of the crew: It was like home, only better beer. Most of us (at least those with family) think a better thank you would have been simply to not send us out for two extra weeks, and let us just stay home with our loved ones.

I did take the time to gamble at a casino, and get a tattoo. Its a bird. A very specific bird, to represent a very specific country. My friends probably have a good idea what it is. Even those who don't read my facebook. Went to one country, got a tattoo for a different one. That is how my mind works.

There was also a stop over in Port Canaveral, Florida. We were there for two days. I did not leave the boat one of them, and was there till super late the other. There was a two hour wait, some luck, and some trading of services to just catch a ride off base. We got to Longhorn Steakhouse 20 minutes before they closed. We shut them down. Then we headed to Wal-Mart. The back to the boat to sleep. Entire trip took FOUR hours.

Thoughts on Port Canaveral (P-Can): It is a mythical place to which you can only truly arrive by cruise ship or submarine. It is a place of alcohol and debauchery. Strippers do not go to P-Can. They are born and raised there. The worst are then weeded out and sent to other countries. Take this as warning, or advice.