SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - OK, where to start on the USS Bremerton..

ET2SN · 02-10-20, 03:05 AM

I can't imagine doing all 49 months, either.

Off the top of my head, I don't think any of us did the entire stretch in the shipyard except for maybe the CO?
My time in the shipyard was somewhere close to two years with another six months of shakedown trials, crew training, and a mini-refit at the end.

The other two boats I mentioned were in the same purgatory as we were. I'm pretty sure Indy did 48 months and San Fran did maybe 45? The problem was that the Navy had a lot invested in the class but had no where to send us. It was easier to punt and figure things out by keeping the hulls stripped in a dry dock.
The twist we had on the Bremerton was what made it so unique. A welder had started a small fire in berthing early in the over-haul which led to a formal hearing which wound up meaning that on every weekday, monday to friday, the crew would start a field day from 5 AM to 9 AM. Meanwhile, at some point the nukes had started griping about the constant three-section in-port duty so the skipper "fixed" it by putting EVERYONE in three section duty.

A typical in-port duty day in fast attacks meant that every four days you pull one or two watches, get all your PMS and quals completed, maybe get some sleep, and by 9 AM the next day you would get cut loose by your boss.
On the Bremerton it meant that every three days you would show up for for roll call at 4:45, field day until 8, muster for duty, stand your watch(es) for the rest of the day, then get ready ready to start another field day at 4:45 the next morning, then the real pisser.., liberty by dept. head at 17:00.

In the end, the duty days didn't matter. Every Monday to Friday was the same 4:45 to 17:00 grind of basically doing nothing.

I don't think the issue of not going to Bremerton was anything more than a typical military SNAFU/FUBAR. Bremerton, at the time, was the homeport to a bunch of gray-painted targets and the sailors who infested them.

To be honest, we got along with sailors like a cat gets along with a goldfish so its not like we missed out on much.

02-10-20, 03:05 AM	#3
ET2SN ET2/SS Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 2,517 Downloads: 58 Uploads: 0	I can't imagine doing all 49 months, either. Off the top of my head, I don't think any of us did the entire stretch in the shipyard except for maybe the CO? My time in the shipyard was somewhere close to two years with another six months of shakedown trials, crew training, and a mini-refit at the end. The other two boats I mentioned were in the same purgatory as we were. I'm pretty sure Indy did 48 months and San Fran did maybe 45? The problem was that the Navy had a lot invested in the class but had no where to send us. It was easier to punt and figure things out by keeping the hulls stripped in a dry dock. The twist we had on the Bremerton was what made it so unique. A welder had started a small fire in berthing early in the over-haul which led to a formal hearing which wound up meaning that on every weekday, monday to friday, the crew would start a field day from 5 AM to 9 AM. Meanwhile, at some point the nukes had started griping about the constant three-section in-port duty so the skipper "fixed" it by putting EVERYONE in three section duty. A typical in-port duty day in fast attacks meant that every four days you pull one or two watches, get all your PMS and quals completed, maybe get some sleep, and by 9 AM the next day you would get cut loose by your boss. On the Bremerton it meant that every three days you would show up for for roll call at 4:45, field day until 8, muster for duty, stand your watch(es) for the rest of the day, then get ready ready to start another field day at 4:45 the next morning, then the real pisser.., liberty by dept. head at 17:00. In the end, the duty days didn't matter. Every Monday to Friday was the same 4:45 to 17:00 grind of basically doing nothing. I don't think the issue of not going to Bremerton was anything more than a typical military SNAFU/FUBAR. Bremerton, at the time, was the homeport to a bunch of gray-painted targets and the sailors who infested them. To be honest, we got along with sailors like a cat gets along with a goldfish so its not like we missed out on much.