First Submarine Assignment

nuensis said:
You can get PCS orders if you stay longer than 180 days, and that's actually preferable since it comes with BAH.

Those with only TAD orders making per diem have to find more creative solutions for short-term living arrangements. Some of them might have to go negative for a little bit, but they'll get through it and be paid later. It's pretty common to lose a bit of money up front while in-transit. You can request advance pay and allowances if needed.

In a couple years, all personnel will be required to use a government credit card to tally TAD/PCS expenses, so everyone will be covered across the board (whether they like it or not).
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If your pipeline is backed up, then where would they send you?
 
After Sub Cruise my child is seriously considering this community. Is there a test for claustrophobic tendencies?
 
RobertGDog said:
After Sub Cruise my child is seriously considering this community. Is there a test for claustrophobic tendencies?
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Not that I recall. Granted, I was a surface nuke as an officer but enlisted I was headed for subs before I got my commissioning and don’t recall claustrophobia screening.

TBH, an SSBN I rode was comparable to my DDG in terms of space. Your child’s cruise is the screening. 😄
 
A relative who's a submariner says that you're so busy on a sub that you don't have time even to think about claustrophobia. And he wasn't joking.
 
RobertGDog said:
After Sub Cruise my child is seriously considering this community. Is there a test for claustrophobic tendencies?
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USNA_STEM_Prof said:
BH, an SSBN I rode was comparable to my DDG in terms of space.
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I agree. There are SWO types that never see the light of day - Engineering and CIC. Sure its nice to go look at ocean, but really most of the business is done inside the confines of the big grey hull. Being in a submarine, under the surface , is kinda creepy if you think too much about it, but I don't recall ever thinking about when I did a few days underway during Protramid. While spaces may be a little smaller than a Surface Ship, they are way more spacious than a an old WWII boat, and the atmospheric controls on the sub were far better than a surface ship.
 
Don't think I could do it. How can one prepare? Or is it something one can prepare for?
 
RobertGDog said:
After Sub Cruise my child is seriously considering this community. Is there a test for claustrophobic tendencies?
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Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but If he/she did a sub cruise/Protramid, they should have at least some sense of what it's like being in a sub, correct? I realize this would be a short amount of time, but should give some idea.
usna1985 said:
A relative who's a submariner says that you're so busy on a sub that you don't have time even to think about claustrophobia. And he wasn't joking.
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When my sub officer child finished a 6+ month deployment this was basically the response I received when I asked. Especially for a JO trying to get all their quals.
RobertGDog said:
Don't think I could do it. How can one prepare? Or is it something one can prepare for?
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I don't think I could do it either, but then again I've never tried. I don't really think there would be a way to prepare for it. Protramid and speaking with others in the sub community is probably the best one could do. There is a lot of time and a ton of work required to get through nuke power school, prototype, etc. before they will spend time on a deployment and some of the training is done on a docked sub so they will get used to the environment before going out on a deployment. On the first deployment they will be so busy doing their job and trying to get all quals they will be in their routine and not much time to think about anything else.
 
My Firstie did a 2/C sub cruise for about 6 days. They went out past the Continental Shelf and submerged for a couple of days. On the way back in, he rode up in the sail and saw dolphins swimming up ahead of the bow. He found he had no problem with the tight racks etc. It was enough of an experience that he could say to himself, "Yea, I can do this." I think getting mids out on subs is really important because it is such a foreign environment (or so he tells me). But what sealed the deal for him in terms of early selecting subs was sub pay and signing bonus. His two older brothers are young private-sector engineers and they each are making six figures in their 20's, so my mid is super-focused on how he "sizes up" w/r to them (there is a term for this, you know). But had sub service obligation been, say 7 years, instead of 5, he may not have gone that route. I include this because he told me last week that sub officer mentors on the Yard are saying that the SO may go up to 6 years and it may be retroactive.
 
When you're 18 or 20, the difference between 5 and 7 years seems like forever (after all, 2 years is 1/10 of your life to date). On the back end, you realize that it's a drop in the pond.
 
ders_dad said:
I include this because he told me last week that sub officer mentors on the Yard are saying that the SO may go up to 6 years and it may be retroactive.
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Oh, that would hurt. Get sub drafted and be given an extra year to boot.
 
I realize this is an older thread but here are a couple of answers. My DS is an ENS in the process of becoming a bubblehead.

Power school is ~6 months, as is Prototype, and SOBC is ~15 weeks. Generally that’s the order of progression, but we know one USNA grad who was sent to SOBC inbetween the other two this year.

Boat selection is of course needs of the Navy, but we understand preferences such as boomer v. fast-attack and location can be requested. We’ve also heard thru grapevine/scuttlebutt that great pains are taken to ‘even out’ the boats in terms of talent (in keeping with above experience).
 
Capt MJ said:
So true. DH went on summer sub cruise in the 20th C. Assessment: Cool but nope, don’t want to be cooped up in a long tube underwater for months.
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Too funny! One of the highlights of CORTRAMID for my weirdo kid was getting to sleep on the sub. Oh honey, the Navy is happy to give you as many nights on board as you could wish for! Hahaha
 
5centsmom said:
Too funny! One of the highlights of CORTRAMID for my weirdo kid was getting to sleep on the sub. Oh honey, the Navy is happy to give you as many nights on board as you could wish for! Hahaha
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exactly, when DS got back from sub cruise i was like well...you either loved it or you need to make a big life plan change. luckily he loved it.
 
mcfamilyof4 said:
exactly, when DS got back from sub cruise i was like well...you either loved it or you need to make a big life plan change. luckily he loved it.
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Out of curiosity, wondering if my son’s reaction to 1C cruise is typical (Covid prevented a 2C cruise)? He came back and was much more serious, deadly serious in demeanor suddenly, and also for first time chewed over the 5 and dive option out loud. Did you observe anything different in your kid? Mind you, he said he loved it, worked on quals, wished it was longer, etc.

BTW, compared to lockdowns in college, Power School has been awesome socially. He fell in with other young Ensigns and LTjgs and has been out & about nearly every weekend. A much better social life than college (I’m sure only the Covid generation will ever say that). Some of the older SWOs (married w/kids) have also held parties and mixed in, really providing a great taste of Navy life. Be friendly=make friends fast, and that’s been huge for my kid.
 
5centsmom said:
Out of curiosity, wondering if my son’s reaction to 1C cruise is typical (Covid prevented a 2C cruise)? He came back and was much more serious, deadly serious in demeanor suddenly, and also for first time chewed over the 5 and dive option out loud. Did you observe anything different in your kid? Mind you, he said he loved it, worked on quals, wished it was longer, etc.

BTW, compared to lockdowns in college, Power School has been awesome socially. He fell in with other young Ensigns and LTjgs and has been out & about nearly every weekend. A much better social life than college (I’m sure only the Covid generation will ever say that). Some of the older SWOs (married w/kids) have also held parties and mixed in, really providing a great taste of Navy life. Be friendly=make friends fast, and that’s been huge for my kid.
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it might be hard to compare...my DS's sub cruise was his 2C cruise (i think it was called enlisted cruise) and covid cancelled CORTRAMID so he was just glad to have been given the opportunity to be underway for any amount of time (2 weeks but he wished it was longer). his 1C cruise was aviation in San Diego which was the summer of Top Gun Maverick so that was not a super stressful month. will our sons overlap at all in charleston?
 
mcfamilyof4 said:
it might be hard to compare...my DS's sub cruise was his 2C cruise (i think it was called enlisted cruise) and covid cancelled CORTRAMID so he was just glad to have been given the opportunity to be underway for any amount of time (2 weeks but he wished it was longer). his 1C cruise was aviation in San Diego which was the summer of Top Gun Maverick so that was not a super stressful month. will our sons overlap at all in charleston?
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I don’t think so. Mine should be in SOBC next summer and then “on a long fishing trip”. We’re waiting to find out if he’ll have leave between prototype and SOBC, and again after SOBC (beyond tge 3 days to move).

He called while I was writing this…. Today was comps and he passed!! Hooyah! (And yes, he’ll be Uber-ing tonight).
 
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