I retired from a career in the Fast Attack Submarine Navy and just got home from a reunion of shipmates that I served with on an attack submarine with over 40 years ago. USS Dace SSN-607, a Thresher Class submarine and my first ship. Honorable men and their spouses at that reunion. The public has no idea what attack submarines are called on to do and there’s a reason for that. After becoming a Chief when I had young sailors report into my division I’d tell them that “You aren’t here to earn college credit through the G.I. Bill. You’re here to crew an undersea warship built to kill men and blow [bleep] up. If you don’t learn to do your job better than your enemy, they will kill you or blow your [bleep] up. Keep that in mind” Attack submarines go where they want, when they want, as they want in all the worlds oceans, including under the ice at the top of the world. They are the original stealth weapon. Attack submarines collect intelligence on America’s adversaries and enemies among many other things. To do that you have to be where America’s adversaries are, when they are there, sometimes close aboard. It can’t be done sitting on the couch wringing your hands or from a comfortable distance. Attack submarines go “in harms way” in service of their Country. Proudly. To say that Connecticut’s collision was a “blunder” displays absolute ignorance about the mission that attack submarines are called on to do. There are attack submarines on patrol in all of the world’s oceans right now and every minute of every day. 24/7/365. They do it while you’re sleeping, sitting in the woods with your favorite rifle, and are celebrating Christmas with your loved ones. You’re welcome. As the old submariner’s saying goes, “I’ve got more time sitting on the shytter at test depth than…” Oldhat has even spent thinking about Attack Submarine operations. GMAFB about the analysis of what happened to USS Connecticut. She was on a mission “Of strategic importance to the National Security Interests of the United States of America,” and she wasn’t crewed by idiots. That’s all you need to know, or probably will ever know. And that’s as it should be. Got any scratches on your favorite hunting gun? If you take it out of the cabinet and use it hard I’m betting that you do. Attack Submarines are one of the American military’s favorite hunting guns. They get taken out of the cabinet, sent to sea in harms way and get used hard. We should be proud of that, not talk [bleep] about something we know nothing about. And for the record, I’ve heard “One single ping” used in a strategic situation exactly zero times. It’s a great line for a movie, that is all.
Thanks for your service!
I am pretty sure no one on here knows what happened onboard the Connecticut. Someday in the future we may, but after a Navy inquiry and it’s declassified. These new boats can travel fast and do not turn or stop on a dime.
The simplest answer might be the right one. Charts have never been close to 100% in the open sea. They are better now than ever, but still subject to missed underwater obstacles especially in the pacific rim area. Underwater volcano’s and upheavals are quite common.The sea floor there is active and subject to change.
The SCS is a busy place, lots of entity’s jockeying for position. I was in the Navy aboard submarines as a Quartermaster in the years ‘64-68. Spent almost 12 months in and around the South China Sea on a diesel boat. Then later, three patrols on a boomer in the North Atlantic.
It is fun to think about it like a Tom Clancy novel and maybe it will be a chapter in one someday. For the brave men that go to sea in submarines, no matter what happened, it was their worst nightmare. I hope all are well and the boat can be repaired and return to sea to protect us all.
Thanks for your service, too!
