1

From the Editor:

Although there‘s only been three issues (well, now

there‘s four) of this newsletter, it‘s always in the back

of my mind to come as close as possible to being error

free. Will that ever happen? Sort of doubt it but please

know that will always be the goal. As always there is a

caveat that I must claim. You can tell that a large

portion of this newsletter comes from other sources. At

times I do find mistakes in their copy, however I feel

that I shouldn‘t make corrections to what they have

written (although if you look close I violate that at

times.)

To that end, here is something I would like to share

with you concerning my attempts at proofreading.

The Typographical Error

The typographical error is a slippery thing and sly;

You can hunt it ‗til you‘re dizzy, but somehow it will get by.

‗Til the forms are off the presses,

it is strange how still it keeps.

It shrinks down in a corner and it never stirs or peeps.

That typographical error, too small for human eyes,

―til the ink is on the paper, when it grows to mountain size,

The remainder of the issue may be clean as clean can be,

But the typographical error is the only thing you see.

Having said all that it has been brought to my attention

by a shipmate that there was an error in the TIDBITS

FROM OUR SHIPMATES first sentence in the January

issue. Thanks to our eagle eyes for catching this error.

The first line should have read: During the late 60's

(NOT the late 70‘s), STIMSON Gold and Blue crews

were commanded by two very different CO's, Bob

Weeks and Don Hall.

————————————————————————

Email from Gerry Weeks:

What a great read. Each issue gets better!! I sent it

on to Dean and David with some comments that I will

now pass on to you..........

A correction is necessary with reference to Bob's

duty after Stimson. He went to HQ, USCINCEUR in

Vaihingen, Germany. He was the submarine guru for

operations in the Med so he had much contact with

Naples, but he didn't serve there. We were at Patch

Barracks, a US Army post, formerly a Nazi cassern. It

was a joint headquarters....a fantastic duty. I have cc'd

Jim also. (The tale of the Heathkit TV is correct. And it

was our only TV for MANY years!!) Incidentally, I have

the COSL door apparatus here!

Bob made CAPT in 1973, 2 years into the tour,

having been passed over twice before while still CO of

Stimson. His first pass over prompted him to go to

VOL. 2015 NUMBER 2 FEBRUARY 2015

U S S H E N R Y L . S T I M S O N A S S O C I A T I O N S S B N 6 5 5 N E W S L E T T E R

A s s o c i a t i o n O f f i c e r s & B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s 2 0 1 3 — 2 0 1 6

PRESIDENT Ray [Rita] Kreul

VICE PRESIDENT Tom [Marie] Krauser

SECRETARY Nick [Linda] Nichols

TREASURER Ken [Diane] Meigs

OUTGOING PRESIDENT Chuck [Joyce] Hladik

HISTORIAN / MEMORABILIA Loree [Carolyn] Riggs

WEBMASTER / NEWSLETTER Nick [Linda] Nichols

CHAPLAIN J.B. Helms

STOREKEEPER / SHIPS STORE Rita [Ray] Kreul

O t h e r P o s i t i o n s 2 0 1 3 — 2 0 1 6

2

ADM Wilkinson at the SubBase, NLON, to request to

be relieved as CO. In his words, "I am the first CO of a

nuclear submarine to be passed over, MY crew

deserves better!!" The request was denied so he

continued to make patrols which totaled 8 by the time

he was relieved in Jan. 1971. The pass overs hurt, but

he never skipped a beat nor did our family. Bob was

CO for 5 years, through building, launching,

commissioning and patrols. He had orders during that

time but was continually extended if his relief was

ordered to another boat for some reason. One of our

family keepsakes is a small brass plaque engraved

with the following message:

YOUR ORDERS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED

This is a drill

CPO'S SSBN 655 GOLD

That sat prominently on his wall of book shelves in our

family room.

Now that the holidays are over, I will be contacting

several wardroom types on your Lost Shipmate List. I

sent one query off today to a crew member in

Vermont. I hope I'm successful!

Happy New Year, Gerry

————————————————————————

From the Association President: Ray Kreul

Ray received the Commissioning Plaque today. This

picture isn't so good but you can see it in person at the

reunion next year. This 49 years of history was

obtained on eBay and will be placed in the care of the

Association with other memorabilia. Our many thanks

to FTCM(SS) Larry Jordan (Cowtown Base –TX) for

bringing this eBay item to our attention when it was

placed on there for sale.

From the Association Historian: Loree Riggs

————————————————————————

ETERNAL PATROL

===============

TM2(SS) Robert Arf, B 71-74

Departed on Eternal Patrol 5.1.2009

MMCM(SS) Robert „Bob‟ Whalen, G 83-87

Departed on Eternal Patrol 1.24.2015

————————————————————————

BINNACLE LIST

(if you would like to be placed on our Association Binnacle

List please send an email to 655webmaster@ssbn655.org)

========================================

FTB1(SS) Mike Boyle, G 78-81: On 01/02/15 I

underwent triple bypass surgery. They say I have had

several heart attacks however, did not know it. Had the

last one at work on 12/29/14. Ran my symptoms by a

friend who is an EMT. He said it sounds like an

obstruction and I should go to the ER. I did. At home

now and on the mend. Thanks for the prayers. Mike

————————————————————————

WELCOME ABOARD SHIPMATE!!

(Shipmate has contacted us to be added or have info

updated on our Sailing List. Please check the online Sailing

List to access the shipmates email address.)

========================================

FTB2(SS) John Lemp, Blue 75-80

EM1(SS) Mike Dickerson, Gold 90-93

MM1(SS) David ‗Deed‘ Wiltse, Gold 78-80 ETN2(SS) Keith Barrows, Gold 74-76

TM2(SS) Gary Beale, Gold 67-61 (LCDR Ret.) RMC(SS) Leonard Knowlton, Blue/Gold 71-74

TMC(SS) John ‗J.D.‘ Fleming, Blue 83-87 FTB1(SS) Michael ‗Mike‘ Boyle, Gold 78-81

MM3(SS) William ‗Bill‘ Borysewicz, Blue 67-70 IC1(SS) Randolph ‗Randy‘ Kulp, Blue 71-73

LT(SS) Charles ‗Chuck‘ King, Blue 83-86

3

LOOKING FOR A SHIPMATE

MM3(SS) Alan ‘Chip‘ Paulding (G 69-71)

[ agp655@verizon.net ] is looking for Malcolm Harding

(aka Rusty). He went thru basic training with me and

several Stimson Gold patrols. He was in the QM gang

and a good friend but we lost contact after Stimson.

My attempts to contact him haven't been successful

even though I know he lives in NH.

STS3(SS) Steve Searight (B 70-71)

[ ssearight@verizon.net ] is looking for STS3 Eugene

Manning who served during the same period as me.

As I recall, he was from New York (Brooklyn).

————————————————————————

GREAT LINKS TO SPEND TIME WITH (all links from ―The Stimson Draft‖ will be on the website)

**********

655 Association Website www.ssbn655.org

**********

655 Welcome Aboard Booklet (many of us received one of these when we first came aboard -

file was provided by Jim Gray & Betty Trasko)

http://ssbn655.org/history/HLS-SSBN655-Welcome%20web.pdf

**********

655 GOLD Patrol 18 Patrol Book (pictures provided by Steve Roche)

http://ssbn655.org/history/SSBN%20655%20Patrol%2018/index.html **********

The Dutch Airline KLM's way to return lost items http://www.chonday.com/Videos/dogairgpklm2

**********

TOP TEN SONGS, EACH MONTH, PAST 30 YEARS You have to wait a few seconds for the first song to load but it's worth it. Click on the speaker in the middle of the Record and it plays the entire song. You now have 30 years of the

Top 10 Songs for each month of the year from 1955 to 1985 - when you get into it, it actually begins long before 1955.

http://www.45rpmdb.com/Top10.html

————————————————————————

SSBN Patrol Pin & VFW Membership

By Steve Roche, FN-Gold-71-72

(seamen gang and mess cook)

Did you know that earning an SSBN deterrent Patrol

Insignia makes one eligible to join the Veteran‘s of

Foreign Wars? I found this out by noticing a patrol pin

insignia on a VFW poster where our post meets and

then joined the post, Post 12136 Indian Land SC.

From the VFW Eligibility Info:

SSBN Deterrent Patrol Insignia

Navy Jan. 21, 1961 - Open

————————————————————————

Pharmacy Co-pay Increase Takes Effect

New copayments for prescription drugs covered by

TRICARE went into effect on February 1. The FY 2015

National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requires

TRICARE to increase most pharmacy copays by $3.

The old and new copay rates are given below:

At the retail pharmacy network (you can get up to a

30-day supply of drugs at retail pharmacies):

Copays for generic formulary drugs

increased from $5 to $8,

Copays for brand name formulary drugs

increased from $17 to $20, and

Copays for non-formulary drugs increased

from $44 to $47.

For home delivery (you can get up to a 90-day

supply of drugs through home delivery):

Copays for formulary brand name drugs

increased from $13 to $16, and Copays for

non-formulary drugs increased from $43 to

$46.

Drugs from military pharmacies and generic drugs

from TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery still cost

beneficiaries nothing.

————————————————————————

New Tough Navy Recruiting Image

Jeanette Steele, San Diego Union-Tribune, Jan 26

Navy marketing going more tough-guy, less 'global

force for good'

Now that the Navy has dropped its longtime ―Global

Force for Good‖ slogan, it appears to be moving

toward a more aggressive – you might even say bad-

ass – image.

The Navy‘s newest recruiting commercial debuted

Friday night on ESPN and Youtube.

Called ―Pin Map,‖ the minute-long version features

each piece of the diverse Navy – ships, submarines

and jets, but also SEALs, bomb disposal techies and

unmanned drones. The idea is that the Navy is

deployed around the globe – all these pins on a map.

The tagline at the end is, ―Around the world, around

the clock, in defense of all we hold dear back home.‖

This commercial follows a similarly tough-sounding

spot released a month ago.

Called ―The Shield,‖ that piece shows a couple

holding hands with a small girl. One by one, Navy

personnel in various uniforms form a series of circles

around the family.

The tagline there is ―To get to you, they‘d have to

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get past us.‖

The new messages will potentially play well in

today‘s environment, with terrorist threats abroad and

in the homeland.

The Navy‘s personnel chief, Vice Adm. Bill Moran,

recently told U-T San Diego that recruiting new sailors

is not a problem but keeping them is more of a

concern.

The ―Global Force for Good‖ slogan was aimed at

getting parents excited about their sons and daughters

joining up. Now the Navy has to worry about those

troops staying in after years of long deployments.

The Navy's marketing arm decided on the new

approach based on interviews of sailors at retirements

and other ceremonies.

―What really pulls at the heart and soul of sailors

and makes them think, ‗I want to stay.‘ Over time,

that‘ll be important,‖ Moran said in November.

While there‘s talk of a new slogan to replace

―Global Force for Good,‖ Navy personnel officials

remain undecided. At present the tagline ―America‘s

Navy‖ is filling the gap.

San Diego ships and other West Coast units play a

starring role in the ―Pin Map‖ commercial, which was

filmed off our coast in recent months.

The aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan is featured in

one shot. F/A-18 jets from the Central Valley are

pictured, and Navy SEALs from Coronado were

among those filmed walking the snowy slopes of

Mammoth.

Even the Rancho Bernardo-designed Triton

unmanned drone appears in one shot. Triton is the

Navy‘s version of the Northrop Grumman-made Global

Hawk.

————————————————————————

Would you still qualify…??

Part I answers on page

A little quiz to see if your memory still hacks it…

…remember “Polaris Bowl”?

This newsletter input was received from Dr. Bill

Wieting, CAPT MC USN, Ret., Gold Crew Plank

Owner 1966.

Here you go with 10 more questions. The answers to

those from last week can be found elsewhere in this

newsletter.

There are 40 total questions. 10 will be in each

newsletter. Answers will be in each consecutive

newsletter:

11. Plus or minus 10%, how many EABS manifold

were there? How many connectors? How many

masks? (3)

12. What was the fundamental conflict between the

EABS system

and the compartment salvage air system? (2)

13. What was the catalyst in the CO-H2 burners? (1)

14. What was the normal operating temperature of the

CO-H2 burners? (1)

15. Besides CO2 and H2O, what might the CO-H 2

Burners produce? (1)

16. True or False? – the floating wire streaming

assembly exited from the port side of the sail.(1)

17. Name the periscopes and give the special

capabilities of each. (6)

18. Name any six other masts or antennae. (6)

19. A high-speed, full-rudder turn to port, submerged,

induces a snap roll to which side? (1)

20. Will the same turn (#19.) tend to cause an up or a

down angle? Why? (2)

————————————————————————

Places...NOT to go! This is FASCINATING!!

WORLD MURDER STATISTICS

From the World Health Organization - The latest

Murder Statistics for the world - Murders per 100,000

citizens per year.

Honduras 91.6 (WOW!!) - El Salvador 69.2

Cote d'lvoire 56.9—Jamaica 52.2—Venezuela 45.1

Belize 41.4—US Virgin Islands 39.2—Guatemala 38.5

Saint Kitts and Nevis 38.2—Zambia 38.0

Uganda 36.3—Malawi 36.0—Lesotho 35.2

Trinidad and Tobago 35.2—Colombia 33.4

South Africa 31.8—Congo 30.8

Central African Republic 29.3—Bahamas 27.4

Puerto Rico 26.2—Saint Lucia 25.2

Dominican Republic 25.0—Tanzania 24.5

Sudan 24.2—Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 22.9

Ethiopia 22.5—Guinea 22.5—Dominica 22.1

Burundi 21.7—Democratic Republic of the Congo 21.7

Panama 21.6—Brazil 21.0—Equatorial Guinea 20.7

Guinea-Bissau 20.2—Kenya 20.1—Kyrgyzstan 20.1

Cameroon 19.7—Montserrat 19.7—Greenland 19.2

Angola 19.0—Guyana 18.6—Burkina Faso 18.0

Eritrea 17.8—Namibia 17.2—Rwanda 17.1

Mexico 16.9—Chad 15.8—Ghana 15.7

Ecuador 15.2—North Korea 15.2—Benin 15.1

Sierra Leone 14.9—Mauritania 14.7—Botswana 14.5

Zimbabwe 14.3—Gabon 13.8—Nicaragua 13.6

5

French Guiana 13.3—Papua New Guinea 13.0

Swaziland 12.9—Bermuda 12.3—Comoros 12.2

Nigeria 12.2—Cape Verde 11.6—Grenada 11.5

Paraguay 11.5—Barbados 11.3—Togo 10.9

Gambia 10.8—Peru 10.8—Myanmar 10.2

Russia 10.2—Liberia 10.1—Costa Rica 10.0

Nauru 9.8—Bolivia 8.9—Mozambique 8.8

Kazakhstan 8.8—Senegal 8.7

Turks and Caicos Islands 8.7—Mongolia 8.7

British Virgin Islands 8.6—Cayman Islands 8.4

Seychelles 8.3—Madagascar 8.1—Indonesia 8.1

Mali 8.0—Pakistan 7.8—Moldova 7.5—Kiribati 7.3

Guadeloupe 7.0—Haiti 6.9—Timor-Leste 6.9

Anguilla 6.8—Antigua and Barbuda 6.8—Lithuania 6.6

Uruguay 5.9—Philippines 5.4—Ukraine 5. 2

Estonia 5.2—Cuba 5.0—Belarus 4.9—Thailand 4.8

Suriname 4.6—Laos 4.6—Georgia 4.3

Martinique 4.2

And

The United States 4.2 !!!!!

ALL (109) of the countries above America, HAVE

100% gun bans.

It might be of interest to note that SWITZERLAND is

not shown on this list, because it has...NO MURDER

OCCURRENCE! However, SWITZERLAND 'S law

requires that EVERYONE:

1. Own a gun.

2. Maintain Marksman qualifications ... Regularly.

————————————————————————

New Virginia-Class Sub To Be Named For Rickover

By Hugh Lessig, Daily Press, Jan 9

An upcoming Virginia-class attack submarine will be

named for the late Hyman G. Rickover.

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced Friday that

an upcoming Virginia-class attack submarine will be

named for the late Hyman G. Rickover, the admiral

known as the father of the nuclear Navy.

Virginia class submarines are built in a teaming

arrangement between General Dynamics Electric Boat

of Groton, Conn. and Newport News Shipbuilding, a

division of Huntington Ingalls Industries. The two yards

take turns delivering them to the Navy.

The Hyman G. Rickover will be delivered by

Newport News.

It will be the second Virginia-class boat named for

an individual. The first is the John Warner, named for

the former Virginia senator. It was christened in

September at Newport News.

Although Virginia-class submarines are being built

at a rate of two per year, Rickover won't make an

appearance for several years.

After the John Warner, the next Virginia-class

submarine will be the Illinois. That will be followed by

Washington, a boat that marked a keel-laying at

Newport News in November.

According to Naval Sea Systems Command,

Washington will be followed by the Colorado, Indiana,

South Dakota, Delaware, Vermont, Oregon, a

submarine with an as-yet-undetermined name, then

the Rickover.

A previous submarine has carried the Rickover

name, and is familiar to the region's Navy community.

The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine, USS

Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709) was commissioned in

July 1984 and was home-ported in Norfolk. It was was

inactivated in December 2006.

Rickover, who died in 1986, was known for being

brilliant and blunt. His obituary in The New York Times

noted his distaste for military protocol and tradition,

and his tendency to bypass the chain of command to

achieve his goals.

An engineer by training, he was responsible for the

development of USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-

powered submarine. He began formulating his ideas

for a nuclear Navy just after World War II. He was

trained in nuclear power at Oak Ridge, Tenn., and

worked within the Bureau of Ships to explore the

possibility of nuclear ship propulsion, according to his

bio at Naval History and Heritage Command.

A few years later, the Times noted, his propensity

for circumventing red tape was displayed when he was

chosen to head the Naval Reactors Branch under the

Atomic Energy Commission. At the time, he also

headed the Nuclear Power Division in the Navy's

Bureau of Ships.

"Wearing both hats, the captain sometimes wrote

letters to himself asking for certain things; he would

then answer his letters in the affirmative. Thus there

was virtually always agreement between the Navy and

the Atomic Energy Commission," the Times said.

————————————————————————

6

Secretary of Navy announces USS Charleston

By Dustin Waters

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, Charleston Mayor Joe

Riley and Medal of Honor recipient Maj. Gen. James

Livingston PHOTOS BY DUSTIN WATERS

With the USS Yorktown providing the perfect

backdrop, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus

announced the naming of the newest USS Charleston

Friday, Jan. 9.

Joined by

Charleston Mayor

Joe Riley and Medal

of Honor recipient

Maj. Gen. James

Livingston, Mabus

dubbed the new

Littoral Combat Ship

the USS Charleston,

the sixth ship to carry

the city‘s name in the

history of the Navy.

―Our naval forces,

those that come from

the sea, are flexible

and responsive. They

provide our country‘s

leaders with any

option that they need

regardless of what

the crisis or what the

situation,‖ Mabus

said. ―Coming from the sea, we get there sooner. We

can stay as long as we need to. We bring everything

we have to have, and we don‘t need anybody‘s

permission to be there‖

According to Mabus, the United States Navy fleet

should reach a total of 300 ships by the end of this

decade.

―This great city, Charleston, has played a vital role

in the history of our country. From its earliest days,

one of our nation‘s most important seaports,‖ Mabus

added. ―This city has had a historic connection with the

American Navy.‖

Mabus has a personal connection with the area as

well. He and his family regularly vacation on the Isle of

Palms.

Mayor Riley‘s

wife, Charlotte

Riley, was

announced as

the official

sponsor of the

USS Charleston.

―Concerning the

USS Charleston‘s

sponsor, if the

members of her

crew have the

sponsor‘s sense of honesty, natural kindness, love and

concern for others, her brightness of spirit,‖ Mayor

Riley said, ―and if this ship always stays as true to its

heading as the sponsor follows her moral compass,

then the USS Charleston will be the finest ship in

America‘s Navy.‖

————————————————————————

First Female Officer Reports to Submarine

USS Minnesota

Steven Beardsley, Stars and Stripes, Jan 14

The first woman to serve aboard a Navy fast-attack

submarine has reported to the USS Minnesota. She is

one of six officers expected to join fast-attack crews in

the months ahead.

Two more women will report to the Minnesota by

the end of January, with three more slated to join the

USS Virginia in the spring, said Lt. Cmdr. Tommy

Crosby, a spokesman for the Navy's Submarine Force

Atlantic.

Integration of Virginia-class submarines comes

three years into the Navy's effort to gradually bring

female officers and enlisted into its undersea service.

Female officers first came aboard Ohio-class

submarines in late 2011. As of last summer, more than

60 women were serving in 14 submarines.

Submarines were one of the few remaining areas of

military service off-limits to women when the Navy

The new USS Charleston (LCS 18) was named in a ceremony

Friday, Jan. 9.

7

lifted its prohibition in 2010. Three years later, the

Pentagon removed the military-wide ban on women in

combat units and required gender integration plans

from each of the services.

The Navy's 10 Virginia-class fast-attack submarines

are armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles and

designed to conduct surveillance, seek out and

destroy other submarines and carry special operations

forces. They are smaller and have tighter quarters

than Ohio-class submarines, the designation for

ballistic-missile and guided-missile boats. Fifteen

officers typically make up the wardroom in both

classes.

The plan to bring the six female officers aboard

Virginia-class submarines was announced in 2013 by

Vice Adm. Michael Connor, commander of Navy

submarine forces. Two of the women were to be

supply officers, with the other four nuclear trained.

Submarine officers must first go through an intensive

18-month training.

The service says it will open positions for enlisted

women on some Ohio-class submarines next year and

for several Virginia-class subs in 2020. All future

submarines will be designed for integrated crews, the

Navy has said.

The Navy's integration plans call for women to

make up 20 percent of the enlisted crews on already-

integrated Ohio-class submarines by 2020.

The Navy has described the integration process as

smooth, although a recent episode aboard the Ohio-

class USS Wyoming raises questions about that. The

Navy investigated 12 petty officers for sharing and

watching a video of a female officer showering aboard

the submarine, according to the Navy Times. One of

the petty officers made the recording and passed it

along, according to the report.

Connor, the submarine force commander, has said

two more fast-attack subs will be integrated next fiscal

year, this time in the Pacific. The Minnesota and

Virginia are ported in Groton, Conn.

————————————————————————

NNS150121-17. Submarine Force Will Begin

Integration of Enlisted Women

By Kevin Copeland, Commander, Submarine Force

Atlantic Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- Following the successful

integration of female officers onboard submarines, the

Submarine Force will be immediately opening service

on submarines for enlisted female Sailors. The Chief

of Naval Operations detailed the enlisted women

integration plan in Naval Administrative (NAVADMIN)

message 19/15 entitled, "Opening Submarine Force

Billets to Enlisted Women." The plan was formally

approved in December 2014 for federal funding by

Congress.

With Congressional approval, Vice Adm. Michael

Connor, commander, Submarine Forces, can begin

implementing the plan which was first submitted and

approved by CNO, June 30, 2014, and Secretary of

the Navy, July 1, 2014. The plan includes opening all

submarine ratings and Navy enlisted classification

codes to enlisted women in Fiscal Year 2015 for a two-

phase integration onboard the Ohio-class ballistic-

missile submarines (SSBN) and Ohio-class guided-

missile submarines (SSGN), and the Virginia-class

attack submarines (SSN).

"We are the most capable submarine force in the

world," said Connor. "While we have superb

technology, the ultimate key to our success is our

people. In order to continue to improve and adapt in a

rapidly changing world, we need to ensure that we

continue to recruit and retain the most talented Sailors.

Today, many of the people who have the technical and

leadership skills to succeed in the Submarine Force

are women. We will need them. Integrating female

officers into the submarine force has increased our

talent pool and subsequently the force's overall

readiness, ensuring that we will remain the world's

most capable force for ensuing decades. Following our

successful and smooth integration of women officers

into the Submarine Force, the Navy's plan to integrate

female enlisted is a natural next step."

On July 28, 1994, Congress was notified of policy

changes to expand the number of assignments

available to women in the Navy. The change was not

considered by the submarine force until then Secretary

of Defense Robert Gates formally presented a letter to

congressional leaders on Feb. 19, 2010 notifying them

of the Department of Navy's desire to reverse current

policy of prohibiting submarine service to women.

In addition to NAVADMIN 19/15, the CNO has also

release two messages outlining conversions to

submarine rating specialties - NAVADMIN 20/15

announces the "FY16 Enlisted Women in Submarines

Chief Petty Officer Conversion," and NAVADMIN

21/15 announces the "FY16 Enlisted Women in

Submarines E-6 and Below Rating Conversion

Process."

Rear Adm. Charles A. "Chas" Richard, commander,

Submarine Group 10 and leader Women in Submarine

8

Task Force, said the two-phase integration will begin

in Fiscal Year 2016.

"The Submarine Force's integration of female

officers on our submarines has been very successful,"

said Richard. "We will mirror that successful pattern

during the integration of enlisted females which will be

done in two phases. During the initial phase we will

select and train Sailors for service onboard female

officer-integrated SSBNs and SSGNs in the U.S.

Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. In 2016 we will integrate

the first two crews, the Blue and Gold crews of the

guided-missile submarine USS Michigan (SSGN 727),

and continue with 12 additional crews roughly over a

five-year period through 2021. Phase Two will consist

of integrating the crews of new construction Virginia-

class SSNs. The plan minimizes operational impacts,

and provides optimal flexibility, equity, and timeliness

at reasonable cost.

"In addition to new accessions into the submarine

community, our plan presents an opportunity for

female Sailors in selected ratings and from pay grades

E-1 (seaman recruit) to E-8 (senior chief petty officer)

to convert into submarine force ratings. All prospective

female enlisted Sailors will be provided the same

opportunity to succeed in the submarine force as their

male counterparts. "Supporting the integration of

submarine crews will require modifications of the

SSBNs, SSGNs, and new construction Virginia-class

SSNs. These modifications will ensure conditions meet

Navy guidelines for habitability and privacy while

maintaining equity for male and female Sailors

embarked on submarines."

Women volunteering to serve in non-nuclear

enlisted ratings will join the submarine force through

both conversions and new accessions pipelines. For

new accessions that will require completion of Navy

Training Command (boot camp) in Great Lakes, Ill.;

Basic Enlisted Submarine School (BESS) in Groton,

Conn.; rating "A" school at various sites; and then

assignment to the fleet. The only exceptions will be

those females who elect to become culinary specialists

(CS), logistics specialists (LS), and yeoman (YN).

They will complete their rating "A" school in Meridian,

Miss., before entering BESS in Groton.

Women currently serving in the fleet who wish to

convert to a submarine rating must complete the two-

month BESS.

The prospective enlisted women volunteering to

serve in nuclear enlisted ratings will join the submarine

force through the new accessions pipeline. This will

require completion of Navy Training Command (boot

camp); Nuclear Field "A" School and Nuclear Power

School at Navy Nuclear Power Training Command in

Charleston; prototype training at Naval Nuclear Power

Training Unit in either Charleston or Ballston Spa; and

then assignment to the fleet.

SSGNs provide the Navy with an unprecedented

combination of strike and special operation mission

capability within a stealthy, clandestine platform, while

SSBNs are specifically designed for extended strategic

deterrent patrols. There are currently 14 SSBNs and

four SSGNs in the Navy's inventory, each with two

crews assigned.

There are currently 11 Virginia-class attack

submarines in commission (as Nov. 24, 2014). These

submarines have multi-faceted missions. They use

their stealth, persistence, agility and firepower to

deploy and support special force operations, disrupt

and destroy an adversary's military and economic

operations at sea, provide early strike from close

proximity, and ensure undersea superiority.

For more news from Commander, Submarine

Force, Atlantic, visit www.navy.mil/local/sublant/.

————————————————————————

USS Illinois' Campaign Comes to Barrington

Laura Pavin, Chicago Tribune, Feb 6

While not a Navy or Military community,

Barrington's Dee Dee Johnson hopes to get her town

amped up about the commissioning of the USS Illinois,

which will be the first Navy ship with the name since

1898.

The USS Illinois is a Virginia-class nuclear

submarine that's currently being built in Connecticut

and is set to be christened by first lady Michelle

Obama, the ship's sponsor, in June, before being

commissioned next winter.

Johnson is on the USS Illinois' Commissioning

Committee with fellow Barrington residents Christina

Currie and Bobby Ferguson, the committee's co-chair.

Because the Navy can't really spend money

beyond the roughly $2.7 billion in taxes it's taking to

make the submarine, it's the committee's job to raise

about $800,000 - at least, that's the goal - to promote

awareness for the ship, initiate a civilian support group

called the 786 Club and throw the commissioning

party.

The USS Illinois' commissioning will take place in

Groton, Conn., in December.

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Commissioning parties are a big deal because they

celebrate a ship's official transition into active duty for

the nation; thousands of spectators came to

Galveston, Texas, to watch Laura Bush preside over

the commissioning of the USS Texas in 2004.

"We get to kind of help throw a big party for the

crew and their families, and we are privileged,

humbled and honored to get to be a part of that," said

Johnson.

Johnson said that one area of the USS Texas was

painted orange with a longhorn emblem on it, the

commission was hoping to add some orange-and-blue

touch to the USS Illinois.

"They're very much into the Illini, so we're going to

play on that," Johnson said.

To help create a sense of excitement - and

subsequently, support - for the submarine,

Commander Jess Porter, the USS Illinois' captain, and

some of the submarine's crew have been visiting

various places throughout the greater Chicago area to

talk about it.

Porter and the crew attended a fundraiser at

Wickstrom Auto in Barrington on Feb. 5.

Earlier in that day, Johnson had them speak to about

150 social studies students in the Barrington High

School auditorium. Several area veterans attended,

too.

After introducing himself and some of his crew

members, Porter explained to the audience that the

Virginia class to which the USS Illinois belonged was

one of five different types of submarine classes. The

other four were the Ohio SSBN, Ohio SSGN, Seawolf

SSN and Los Angeles SSN.

The Virginia class is part of a new generation of

attack submarines that offers more state-of-the-art

capabilities than any class before it.

Porter explained to students that, while submerged,

the crew would get its oxygen through the electrolysis

of water - in fact, the air that they'd be breathing during

their deployment (which typically last six to seven

months) would be so clean that they would have to get

used to the smell of the air when they got off the ship.

Another thing that would be tough when they got off

the ship: Seeing at distances.

For exercise, crew members had elliptical, bike and

rowing machines. For fun, they had Xbox and movies.

Before answering the audience's questions about

their day-to-day routine, Porter turned to a slide photo

of open water.

This commentary resonated with veteran Rich

Macko of Naperville, who sat in for the presentation.

Macko was in the Navy from 1961-66. During that

time, he served aboard the USS Trout, one of the subs

tasked with creating a blockade during the Cuban

Missle Crisis, the closest the planet has ever been to a

World War III.

"It's why we're called the silent service; you don't

hear them and you don't hear much about them,"

Mack said. "You hear more about what the Air Force is

doing, but not much about what submarines do."

One of the more interesting pieces of information

Mack came away with after listening to Porter speak

was how different life on modern submarines was from

when he was in the Navy.

"Our submarines ran on diesel engines, so we had

to surface and then submerge and run on batteries -

the nuclear submarines have unlimited power," Mack

said.

————————————————————————

Nuclear Power Plants on New Submarines May

Last 40-Plus Years

Stew Magnuson, National Defense Magazine, Feb 2015

The Navy hopes to have the first replacement for

the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine on duty by

2031. When that vessel is launched, the onboard

nuclear power plant is expected to last its entire 40-

year service life.

That is seven years longer than the current reactors

aboard U.S. submarines.

―Our goal for the new submarines is to have a life-

of-the-ship reactor,‖ said Frank G. Klotz, National

Nuclear Security Administration administrator and the

Department of Energy‘s undersecretary of nuclear

security. NNSA is responsible for developing

government-owned nuclear power plants.

There are two primary reasons the NNSA is

undertaking the new core design, he told reporters in

November.

―It is extraordinarily important on cost because one

of the largest elements of the total operational cost of

a submarine over its life has been replacing the core

when that has come due. It is very expensive,‖ he

said.

―The other aspect is that when you go into the deep

overhaul that is necessary to replace the core, you‘re

taking a submarine out of service for a long time. So if

you have a life of the sub or a life of the ship core, then

you avoid both cost, and you avoid both extensive

downtime as you refuel the reactor,‖ Klotz said.

10

The savings could be substantial.

Olivia Volkoff, a spokeswoman for the program,

said: ―Eliminating the refueling through insertion of a

life-of-the-ship core allows the Navy to meet the

strategic deterrent mission with two fewer SSBNs and

saves about $40 billion in ship acquisition and lifecycle

costs over the life of the program.‖

The Virginia-class attack submarines were the first

to have a core reactor designed to last the life of the

vessel, which for it, is about 33 years.

The Ohio-class replacement submarines, which will

carry the nation‘s sea-launched nuclear missiles, will

be considerably larger than the Virginia-class ships.

The NNSA and the Navy are facing a tight deadline

for developing the new power plant. Fiscal year 2031

is when the fifth Ohio-class SSBN retires, which will

leave the Navy with a force of nine ships. If the lead

replacement is not ready to take over by that date, it

would leave the Navy one below its mandated

requirement to have at least 10, Rear Adm. David C.

Johnson, program executive officer for submarines,

said in a speech last year.

As the first ship in its class, it will need a three-year

test-and-evaluation period to assess its performance,

including shake down deployments to spot and then

correct any shortcomings. There must be independent

certifications of the readiness of the crew and weapon

systems. That takes the timeline back to about 2027,

he said.

It will take seven years to build the lead ship. That

is an aggressive schedule given the Ohio-replacement

will be the largest submarine ever built in the United

States. That time frame is shorter than the previous

three lead ship submarine builds: the Ohio, Seawolf

and Virginia. The lead Virginia-class ship was 40

percent of the size of the Ohio replacement, and it took

86 months to build, Johnson noted.

In the next five and a half years, the program must

execute the design phase, carrying out research and

development and construction preparation activities.

About 83 percent of the designs must be complete at

the start of construction.

Under the New START Treaty, SSBNs will be

responsible for approximately 70 percent of the

nation‘s deployed nuclear warheads.

The program is now almost five years into

development. The ship construction design phase is

set to begin in 2017. The early stage work done in that

period is crucial to deliver the first submarine on time

and on budget, Johnson said.

The power plant program is progressing on time,

Volkoff said. ―Reactor design work is ongoing and in

conjunction with reactor equipment procurement in

fiscal year 2019 [and] supports a fiscal year 2021 ship

construction start,‖ she said in a statement.

This program leverages the ongoing work to refuel

a land-based prototype at New York-based Knolls

Atomic Power Laboratory‘s Kesselring site, where the

NNSA carries out research and development for the

program.

―We continue to work with our partners in the

executive and legislative branches to ensure the

program is supported,‖ she said.

Bryan Clark, a senior fellow for the Center for

Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, who served in

the Navy as an enlisted and officer submariner and as

chief engineer and operations officer at the Navy‘s

nuclear power training unit at Goose Creek, South

Carolina, said one of the Navy‘s goals with the Virginia

-class attack submarines was to completely leave the

business of refueling reactors.

―It is really expensive. It generates a lot of

radioactive material that has to be disposed of and

handled. So it was really a big burden on the Navy in

terms of cost to have to refuel the reactors,‖ said

Clark. Over the past few decades, the NNSA has

made incremental progress making the reactors last

longer. While it is responsible for developing and

maintaining the reactors, the Navy must integrate them

into the larger power plant.

The Sturgeon-class attack submarines had to refuel

every eight years, or three to five times over its

lifespan. The Los Angeles-class, the Navy‘s next fast

attack sub, refueld only once or twice over its 33-year

lifecycle. The Virginia-class managed to do away with

the process altogether, he noted.

Along with the high cost of refueling, which is

anywhere from $600 million to $800 million, ―It also

saves the time that would have been lost when the

ship is doing a refueling overhaul, which generally

takes a couple of years,‖ he added.

There are only a few shipyards, Clark said, that can

carry out refueling: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, New

Hampshire, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Puget Sound

Naval Shipyard and Pearl Harbor.

They are busy doing all the other refurbishment

work required in the Navy, including long maintenance

overhauls that have nothing to do with refueling, as

well as carrier refueling and overhaul, Clark said. The

yards are ―jammed up and overwhelmed,‖ he said.

11

The shipyards are busy and behind on most of their

work because some of the carrier overhauls have

taken longer than the Navy anticipated, he said.

―Right now carriers are the priority so they always

get pushed out as fast as possible, where the

submarines often end up being the last in line,‖ he

said. Refueling subs can take longer than two years

because they become stuck back behind carriers, he

said.

Nuclear power plants aboard submarines are the

most expensive and difficult to maintain because of the

tight space. To make them last longer, it requires more

highly enriched uranium than what would be needed at

a land-based plant, he added. Managing them is

exacting work. Officers do not want a submarine to run

out of fuel before the end of its service life.

Energy is created by the fission process, in which the

fuel decays, creates heat, then steam, which turns the

turbines. The process creates poisons as a byproduct,

which pollutes the cell and makes it less efficient.

―Over the years you have to pull the rods out higher

and higher to expose more of the fuel because the fuel

on the bottom of the core gets used up, or all these

fission products are keeping it from reacting

efficiently,‖ Clark said.

―You will eventually be at the point where there are

so many fission product poisons and the fuel used up

enough where you‘re not getting efficient fissioning,

and the heat generation is not efficient and core has to

be replaced,‖ he added.

Making the reactors last longer requires dispersing

the poisons in the fuel cell in such a way that it

minimizes their impact on the fuel, he said.

The Ohio-class replacement submarine will have

some challenges if it wants to deploy with a power

plant that lasts 40 to 42 years. That is almost 25

percent more efficiency than what the Virginia-class

submarines possess, he noted.

―It is a bigger submarine, so it will require a bigger

plant,‖ Clark added. ―And that is a significant time

increase in terms of how long the reactors have to run

without being refueled,‖ he said.

Success will depend on how precisely engineers

can place the fuel and other components inside the

reactor in order to maximize the availability of the fuel

before it gets clogged up with poisons and other

byproducts, he said.

The NNSA has some advantages. There are

technologies outside the world of nuclear fission that

have advanced considerably since the 1990s, when

the agency designed the Virginia-class nuclear power

plant, Clark said.

―With nanotechnology you are able to precisely

control the exact structure of the fuel cells. And with

computer modeling and new processing power you

can really look at this stuff at a high level of resolution

and detail,‖ Clark said.

―Those two things will allow engineers to hand-tool

the fuel construction in a way that is going to make it

last a lot longer than previous generation‘s power

plants,‖ he said.

———————————————————————— ANSWERS FROM QUAL QUIZ JANUARY ISSUE

1. What were ―Missiles 17 and 18‖? (1)

The O2 Generators 2. Where were they located? (1) In AMR-1, aft of missiles 15 and 16 in the Missile Compartment 3. What made them dangerous (at least three distinct properties)? (3) High pressure (3000psi); corrosive electrolyte (30% KOH); heavy current flow (1050 amperes); pure hydrogen and oxygen at high pressures 4. Name six (6) uses of the 700 psig air system. (6) Blow sanitary tanks 1,3,4; Blow down escape trunks; Compartment Air Salvage System supply; Reactor Air Operating System; Blow hovering system tanks; Type 11 scope air stripper; Sea chest blow; Shallow depth gauge; Diesel exhaust mast blow; Diesel Air Start; - Supply 150 and 100 psig air systems; Emergency Cooling heat exchanger hard tank blowdown 5. What system supplied it? (1) 4500 psig AHP system 6. Where were the supply reducers, and at what pressure were the relief valves set to lift? Bow and AMR-2 Compartments; 785 psig 7. How many escape trunks were there? (1) Three 8. Where were they located? (1) Bow Compartment; Bridge Access Trunk in Operations Compartment; Engine Room 9. Which escape hatch was off the centerline of the ship? To which side? (2) Engine Room; Starboard side. (The Bridge Access Trunk escape DOOR faced the port side.) 10. EABS manifolds usually had 4 or 5 connectors; a few had 15. Where were those larger manifolds located? (2) Bow Compartment; Operations Compartment

12

SEARCH FOR LOST SHIPMATES

If you have contact with one of these shipmates please send their contact info

to me at my email address. Let‘s set a goal to find everyone on this list!

Adkins, William Duell, Paul Kirkpatrick, Steven Robinson, Warren

Ballard, Danny Dyal, Don W. 'Gomer' Klaiber, William Roetto, Paul

Barker, Paul Edmiston, Ken Kohankie Robert Rowan, William

Barker, Thomas Ehlers, Joseph Krieger, Kenneth Rubright, David

Barrett, James Ellard, Bryon Laughlin, Brian Ruiz, Luiz

Beck, Roger Ellsberry, Prather Lawrence, Marshall Sanderson, Jim

Blouse, Dan Featheran, Robert Jr. Liles, Michael Scoville, Scott

Blue, Matthew Findlater, Doug Lizana, Rick Seelinger, James

Bluestone, Edward Flannery, Aaron Lothrop, Shafer, Harold 'Jack'

Bollman, Stephen Fleming, Benjamin Lubbs, Larry Shantz, Denton

Borenko, Stphen Fleming, Denvery Marko, Michael Francis Shepherd, Charles

Bowser, James Jr. Fonda, Carl Mason, John Sherlock, Martin

Bricker, Michael Futral, Dave Matherly, David Shields, Vaden

Brill, Doug Gallagher, Gilbert 'Skip' Mauk, Elam Shock, Joel

Brown, Fred Geisenburg, Nick Mauldin, Thomas Sikora, Gregory

Buie, Michael Gibson, Chris McCarney, Clifford Siler, Dennis

Bullard, Patrick Glover, Ron McConnell, Mark Silvestri, Henry

Bullington, Scott Grabins, Garry McCord, Oliver Slusser, Howard

Burger, Thomas Graves, Richard McMillan, Donald Smith, Charles

Burmeister, Wayne Green, Earsel Miller, Donald Sterner, George VADM

Busteed, Bob Gutierrez, James Miller, Tony Steverson, Jeff

Canup, Richard Habermas, Thomas Milton, Jay Stewart James

Cardin, Joseph Hall, Larry Mosman, Harold Stine, Gene

Carey, Bill Harding, Rusty III Musselman, Robert Stockton, N. Bradley

Carlson, Hugh Harris, WIlbur Neubecker, Andrew Stortroen, Keith

Carr, Don Hatchell, John Neuman, Mark Taylor, Jim

Champagne, Brian Hayes, Robert Noftsger, Mike Templer, Steven

Claussen, Stephen Herbert, Randy 'Bear' Nolen, John Thaden, Gene

Cool, Arnold Henderson, Michael Ochsner, Patrick Thomas, Larry

Cooper, Denny Herzog, Willie Parham, Bryan Tomasi, Max

Cooper, Doug Hinds, George Pastiva, Stephen Jr. Tomren, Gerald

Cooper, John F. Hogan, John 'Jack' Peterson, David Trotter, Daniel

Cope, Allan Hogan, Tom Petrak, David Twiselton, Brown Michael

Cota, James 'Pat' Holler, Eugene Phipps, Mitchell VanDeLeest, Dean

Couser, David Hollingsworth, Paul Plue, Mike Walenga, Craig

Crawford, Christopher Holtman, Bruce Porterfield, Glenn Watson, Herb

Cruden, David Hupe, Bill Pruitt, Michael Weisser, Monty

Cullum, Ray Ignatowitz, Craig 'Iggy' Putnam, Bobby Jo Wenzel, Paul

Czarnecki, Anthony Johnson, Anthony Putt, William Wesley, Mike

Davidson, Dickie Johnston, Paul K. Ralston, David White, Don

Debisschop, Timothy Joyce, Dennis Rasmussen, Aaron Williams, Brian

Degon, Vince Kearney, Russ Rasmussen, Bill Wimmer, Peter Thomas

Delano, Ken Kee, Kerby Rathsam, Richard Wolk, Dennis

Dewitt, David Keller, Terry J. Ratliff, William Worthington, Vincent

Diaz, Rudy Keiningham, Thomas Raven, Donald Wright, David

Dorff, Richard Kennedy, Brian Reppert, Kevin Young, Ron

Dreiss, Ray Kinney, Wayne Rhodes, Ronald Youngman, David