Spent 7 years on submarines AMA

[teamquestnorth]

Did a thread like this a few years ago on another site and it turned out well.

A few threads on here had me feeling some nostalgia about the old days so I thought WTH? may as well do it again.

Background: I was a Sonar Technician on 2 different LA class fast attack submarines.

Did a tour in Bangor, Washington working on Sonar systems on Trident sub's( Nuke missile subs) never went to sea on a trident though.

Ask away and I'll answer all that I can except some that I can't for obvious reasons.

 

[ThatOneDude]

A) were you following LHD 6 around in 2007?
B) is the gally filled with gay philipinos like it was on LHD 6?
C) do submariners also agree with the saying on ship "it's not gay if you're underway"?
D) what was it like being jealous of the smarter and better looking Marines?

 

[BJTT_Pella]

A) were you following LHD 6 around in 2007?
B) is the gally filled with gay philipinos like it was on LHD 6?
C) do submariners also agree with the saying on ship "it's not gay if you're underway"?
D) what was it like being jealous of the smarter and better looking Marines?

I was on LHD-6 in 2003

 

[BJTT_Pella]

Did a thread like this a few years ago on another site and it turned out well.

A few threads on here had me feeling some nostalgia about the old days so I thought WTH? may as well do it again.

Background: I was a Sonar Technician on 2 different LA class fast attack submarines.

Did a tour in Bangor, Washington working on Sonar systems on Trident sub's( Nuke missile subs) never went to sea on a trident though.

Ask away and I'll answer all that I can except some that I can't for obvious reasons.

Explain to everyone what hot racking means.

 

[ThatOneDude]

I was on LHD-6 in 2003

Fuck that ship, that is all I have to say about that

 

[BJTT_Pella]

Fuck that ship, that is all I have to say about that

Yeah buddy. As bad as it was at least it was a newer boat. Fuck those old piece of shits.

 

[teamquestnorth]

A) were you following LHD 6 around in 2007?
B) is the gally filled with gay philipinos like it was on LHD 6?
C) do submariners also agree with the saying on ship "it's not gay if you're underway"?
D) what was it like being jealous of the smarter and better looking Marines?

Was LHD 6 a transport ship? We didn't follow our own ships but we " tracked" them if they were within our sonar range. We tracked every ship.

Our galley had a few Filipinos but mostly it was just whites and blacks.

I never saw or heard about any gay stuff underway but I have heard that saying.

TBH, Marines had a low reputation throughout the navy at the time (not saying that I do) we all considered( and were told) that we were better than everyone else and that's why we were on subs.

I'm not saying that's right or wrong, but that was the mentality

 

[ThatOneDude]

Was LHD 6 a transport ship? We didn't follow our own ships but we " tracked" them if they were within our sonar range. We tracked every ship.

Our galley had a few Filipinos but mostly it was just whites and blacks.

I never saw or heard about any gay stuff underway but I have heard that saying.

TBH, Marines had a low reputation throughout the navy at the time (not saying that I do) we all considered( and were told) that we were better than everyone else and that's why we were on subs.

I'm not saying that's right or wrong, but that was the mentality

Ehhhhhhh it's the same across the board. We used to talk shit to the grunts because we were smarter and did our job and ours.
I have a ton of respect for the Navy, our Corpmen were fucking amazing and saved a good number of my buddies.

 

[BJTT_Pella]

Was LHD 6 a transport ship? We didn't follow our own ships but we " tracked" them if they were within our sonar range. We tracked every ship.

Our galley had a few Filipinos but mostly it was just whites and blacks.

I never saw or heard about any gay stuff underway but I have heard that saying.

TBH, Marines had a low reputation throughout the navy at the time (not saying that I do) we all considered( and were told) that we were better than everyone else and that's why we were on subs.

I'm not saying that's right or wrong, but that was the mentality

LHD's are amphib docking boats. I spent many underways on them as an LCAC crew member.

 

[BJTT_Pella]

Edit

 

[teamquestnorth]

Explain to everyone what hot racking means.

Not sure what it means on surface ships but for subs its like this....

We don't operate on a 24hour day. Its an 18 hour day.

If you're E3 or below you hot rack. Basically 2 racks split between 3 people.

2 racks are being used while the 3rd is on watch. Everyone rotates between the 2 as the day goes on. The sheets never have a chance to get cold because a bodies always in them.

 

[BJTT_Pella]

Not sure what it means on surface ships but for subs its like this....

We don't operate on a 24hour day. Its an 18 hour day.

If you're E3 or below you hot rack. Basically 2 racks split between 3 people.

2 racks are being used while the 3rd is on watch. Everyone rotates between the 2 as the day goes on. The sheets never have a chance to get cold because a bodies always in them.

Yes exactly. Except on the surface we dont share beds with other men.

 

[teamquestnorth]

Yes exactly. Except on the surface we dont share beds with other men.

I've heard about the chicks on surface ships.......and its not pretty

 

[BJTT_Pella]

What was your longest under way?

 

[BJTT_Pella]

I've heard about the chicks on surface ships.......and its not pretty

I cant argue that. But some tail is better than none.

 

[BJTT_Pella]

Ok ST2, does a destroyers prarie air "masking system" really sound like rain to a sub thats listening?

 

[ThatOneDude]

LHD's are amphib docking boats. I spent many underways on them as an LCAC crew member.

Hehehehe, LCAC 's make me smile. I saw a bag filled with a WM' s shit get sucked through the fans and explode out the back of the ship.... Thankfully I was getting off

 

[Deleted member 1]

that we were better than everyone else and that's why we were on subs.

better = shorter?


Give me common sub misconceptions.

Scary events?

Common jokes or memes going on?

LA class fast attack submarines.

Give us that in English for us army fatties.

 

[ThatOneDude]

What was your GT score?

 

[teamquestnorth]

What was your GT score?

Not sure what a GT score is but I got a 92 on my asvap

 

[jason73]

How much butsex goes on in a sub

 

[ThatOneDude]

Not sure what a GT score is but I got a 92 on my asvap

The GT score is the score for the general technical portion of the asvab. With an asvab of 92 I'm guessing your GT score was above 100

 

[teamquestnorth]

Ok ST2, does a destroyers prarie air "masking system" really sound like rain to a sub thats listening?

All surface warships, including every other countries, are extremely easy to track. I'm saying that mildly.

The ships from NATO are a bit tougher but depending on ocean conditions it wouldn't be uncommomn to pick them up at 30,000+ yards.

Once you pick up a destroyer, no masking agent will take away the tonals we receive initially. Once its locked in, its pretty much a done deal unless the ship goes into our baffle region.

I've never actually heard of the prairie system unless its post 2008.

 

[teamquestnorth]

The GT score is the score for the general technical portion of the asvab. With an asvab of 92 I'm guessing your GT score was above 100

I honestly don't remember. I joined in 2000 while I was still a high schooler. Its been awhile

 

[teamquestnorth]

better = shorter?


Give me common sub misconceptions.

Scary events?

Common jokes or memes going on?



Give us that in English for us army fatties.

LA class sub's are the smaller ones that carry conventional war heads like torpedoes, tomahawk cruise missiles and mines

We're used to do the Intel ops that are close to our potential enemies shores and we also follow other countries nuke missile sub's to sink them if they open the missile door hatches.

Its been said they do a lot of spying ops as well.