Posted on 03/30/2020 6:30:15 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
LE PECQ, France - Of a world in coronavirus turmoil, they may know little or nothing.
Submariners stealthily cruising the ocean deeps, purposefully shielded from worldly worries to encourage undivided focus on their top-secret missions of nuclear deterrence, may be among the last pockets of people anywhere who are still blissfully unaware of how the pandemic is turning life upside down.
Mariners aboard ballistic submarines are habitually spared bad news while underwater to avoid undermining their morale, say current and former officers who served aboard France’s nuclear-armed subs. So any crews that left port before the virus spread around the globe are likely being kept in the dark about the extent of the rapidly unfurling crisis by their commanders until their return, they say.
“They won’t know,” said retired Adm. Dominique Salles, who commanded the French ballistic submarine squadron from 2003-2006. “The boys need to be completely available for their mission.”
Speaking exclusively to The Associated Press, Salles said he believes submariners will likely only be told of the pandemic as they head back to port, in the final two days of their mission.
“Those who are at sea don’t need this information,” said Salles, who also commanded the nuclear-armed French submarine “L’Inflexible.”
“The commander, I think, is doubtless informed about what is happening. I don’t think he’ll have all the details,” he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Bump
Would the Captain know?
Old Patrick Henry blue crew nuke here: I remember getting back off a boomer patrol, grabbing a Newsweek and reading all about the 79 Three Mile Island meltdown...We didn’t have a clue!
>>>No, they would not tell them this. They didn’t even tell us of the gas shortage and gas lines in’74. No bad news is allowed.<<<
>>>Would the Captain know?<<<
He would only find out when they pulled up to the Pump and they told him he could only buy 20 Gallons of Gas.
If he pulled up on an Even Hull Number Day and his Sub had an Odd Hull Number, he would really be pissed.
Uh... well they asked me exactly two questions. What do you do for fun? What do you do when you get upset?
I answered that I like to take my pickup truck off roading for the first question and that I listen to a lot of thrash metal for the second question.
Fit for submarine duty.
I’m not sure that I could tour a sub, much less live in one. It takes a special kind of person to live in such a small space underwater.
I spent a week on an attack sub cross training. Submariners, as a group, have zero personality.. I mean these are really boring people. All of then except the skipper, I got along with him.
I signed up for six years. Two years of school and four years on a sub. I turned 19 in bootcamp and got out just before turning 25.
They really only picked guys through their standardized test (ASVAB and NFQT) scores. There wasn't any psychological screening as far as I know. Unless they took notes on my without knowing.
I never witnessed anyone snap while underway, but I heard some stories. Some dude tried to open a hatch while submerged and they had to tranquilize him. Another guy just started cutting wires in a panel. I didn't witness that, but supposedly that happened on my boat. There was one lifer who was a First Class who just one day "couldn't do it anymore." His anxiety was too great. He didn't do anything crazy. Just requested a transfer to the surface fleet and that was that.
I wasn't on the boat long enough for that. I tell you they were pleasant enough but dead pan has hell.
They probably just thought you were boring and didn’t bother with you.
Look, I was not known as a boring person. The CO was a great guy and we got along.
CO’s are pretty much the most boring people on the boat. You might not be as interesting as a person as you have led yourself to believe.
Was sent to this boat to be the tactical officer and advisor to the CO during a live fire ASW operation that lasted 5 days. I had never been on a sub before and except for the lack of sleep I enjoyed the experience immensely. The CO was a good dude. The rest of the crew was pleasantly dull.
Submariners, as a group, have zero personality.. I mean these are really boring people.
I postulate that these guys didn't want anything to do with you and knew you'd be out of their hair in no time, never to be seen again. Why waste the oxygen on you?
“On The Beach”
Bttt.
5.56mm
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