Submarine Officer: My Nuclear Experience

Much of what I'm about to share is personal, and I share it with one purpose: to show you how the Nuclear Navy can help launch your life after college in a beautiful way, much as it did with mine. You'll get a real look at the training pipeline, what submarine life is actually like, the travel, the financial opportunities, and the type of person this experience shapes you into.

I was commissioned from the Naval Academy. In 2018, I early-selected submarines because I knew the highest caliber enlisted personnel were in the Nuclear community, and selecting submarines was the fastest way to get there. (NUPOC officers follow the same submarine pipeline after OCS and receive the same training and fleet assignments.)

Because I early-selected submarines, I was eligible to attend SCUBA Diving school in Panama City Beach, FL. Ever since, I've gotten to dive periodically as a submariner for requalifications and to support our submarine mission. The main diving responsibilities on a submarine are:

• Safety swims before getting underway
• Removing and installing ballast tank covers below the waterline

Dive school is an opportunity for strong swimmers who join the submarine community. There are opportunities to attend after prototype and before reporting to your submarine.

After graduating from the Naval Academy in 2019, I earned the opportunity to pursue a Master's degree and graduated from MIT with a Master's in Mechanical Engineering in 2021. There are many opportunities to pursue higher education within the Navy, and the program I enrolled in is just one of them.

I started the nuclear power training pipeline at Naval Nuclear Power Training Command (Power School) in Charleston, SC in October 2021. It's a fast-paced learning environment with tests every 4 days for much of the 6 months, studying 2-3 subjects at a time. This is a challenging school, and many students do study on weekends.

When you don't need to cram for a test on the weekends, Charleston is a beautiful place to be. The downtown area is stunning, and the beaches are amazing. I invested in kiteboarding gear and spent my free time out on the water.

After graduating from Power School, I attended the Submarine Officer Basic Course (SOBC), a 12-week course in Groton, Connecticut where you learn submarine navigation equipment and principles of submarining.

Because I attended SOBC prior to Prototype, I had a few week gap that enabled me to take some leave and go climbing in Red Rocks, Las Vegas with my then-girlfriend (now wife) Lauren.

I moved back to Charleston, SC and lived in a home I purchased using the VA loan with 0% down payment, alongside a few other prospective submariners. That home has been a great investment now that it's a rental property.

During prototype, you spend the first 6 weeks off-crew following a normal morning-to-afternoon schedule, 5 days per week, before shifting to on-crew. During on-crew, you get experience standing watch in reactor plants and simulators. This phase is rotating shift work (days, swings, and mids) followed by a break/reset long weekend.

One awesome part about Prototype: you determine the pace of your progress. If you come in early or stay a little late, you can qualify early and have extra time to live your life before graduation. Instead of taking the full 6 months to qualify as Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOOW), I qualified in 4 months and 3 weeks, leaving me with 5 weeks of minimal military responsibilities.

With those 5 weeks, I spent much of my time renovating and painting my home so it would be a better rental property. Those early mornings at Prototype and the work on my home really paid off!

About 8 weeks from graduation you submit your preferences for submarine selection. You can submit preferences for:

• Location: San Diego, Norfolk, Hawaii, Guam, Bangor (WA), Kings Bay (GA)
• Platform: Fast attack (SSN), Boomer (SSBN), or guided missile sub (SSGN)
• Operational tempo: Deploying imminently, in shipyard construction, decommissioning

My preference was for a Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) out of Norfolk, and I was assigned the PCU Massachusetts (SSN 798), exactly what I asked for. If you strongly request one specific area (location, platform, or tempo) you'll have better chances of getting it.

When I moved to Norfolk, we purchased a second home with the VA loan that we've since converted into another rental property. Pretty soon after reporting to PCU Massachusetts, another boat (USS Washington, SSN 787) needed a SCUBA Diving Officer, so I was sent on temporary assigned duty (TAD) for their workups and deployment.

On the USS Washington, I served as the Main Propulsion Assistant (MPA) and the SCUBA Diving Officer (SCUBO). During our 7-month deployment, we executed multiple missions, one earning the crew a Presidential Unit Citation for executing a mission vital to national security.

The submarine community places high value on sharing lessons and improving together, so there is extensive documentation from missions for officers to study. This ensures everyone is prepared to execute at the highest level.

During our 7-month deployment, we had two week-long port calls. The first was in Scotland, where I got to try blood sausage and classic fish and chips, and visited Edinburgh and Glasgow. Edinburgh is the inspiration city for Harry Potter and an incredible place to explore.

Our second port call was in Tromso, Norway. There I tried Bokna fish and monkfish. Never thought I'd taste fish that tastes like lobster, but since monkfish feed primarily on lobster and crabs, their meat tastes like shellfish! Lauren and I also hiked Tromsdalstinden to see the spectacular views from up high.

When submarines have port calls, the submarine squadrons communicate with the family readiness group so spouses, significant others, and families can visit. Thanks to this coordination, Lauren was able to fly out and visit me during both port calls.

I'll be honest, it's tough to get back on the submarine after having so many cool experiences in other countries! But the work continues and the watchstation qualifications are where you really grow as an officer.

The first watchstation you qualify for is EOOW (Engineering Officer of the Watch). Since you've recently qualified at Prototype, it's a natural transition to start supporting the watchbill in the engine room. As EOOW underway, you supervise operation of the reactor and engine room, holding briefs for routine and special evolutions.

After EOOW, the next priorities are Contact Manager (CM) and Officer of the Deck (OOD). Both stand watch in the control room with navigation and sonar equipment. The CM provides primary support to the OOD for optimal navigation courses. The OOD serves as the Captain's designated representative for all ship operations: navigating, submerging, and surfacing the submarine.

I completed all my qualification requirements during my deployment on the Washington and earned my Fish (Submarine Warfare Qualification Insignia) just before returning to my parent command: PCU Massachusetts.

After 7 months at sea, coming home is one of the most powerful moments you'll experience. Lauren was waiting on the pier, and shortly after returning, I proposed on the aircraft carrier pier. She said yes.

Back on the Massachusetts, I arrived just in time for roll-out, when the submarine rolls out of a warehouse and into a floating drydock. After roll-out, we executed float-off where the drydock submerges and the submarine floats for the first time.

During the construction process, I supported the crew as an EOOW during non-critical steaming and as Ship's Duty Officer (SDO) during the Initial Criticality major test programs.

Shortly after initial criticality, my 32 months as a submarine junior officer came to a close and I took orders to Milwaukee as a NUPOC and Officer Programs representative. There are many other diverse shore tour opportunities. You could go to Italy, Japan, UK, DC, and many other places if you desire.

My experience as a Submariner has been wonderful. I hope sharing it helps you see whether this type of experience would be right for you. The nuclear community gave me world-class training, lifelong friendships, incredible travel, two investment properties, and the foundation for everything that comes next.