Oh the places life takes you!

[Catfish]

Welcome to Subsim, pmanhart !

And i share your views regarding new terminology, or "Newspeak"

[Mr Quatro]

Originally Posted by pmanhart

Congratulations Camaero, you're about to become a professional janitor! Only kidding!

As a submariner myself, and former RM1 (you never STOP being a submariner, trust me...), I hope you'll choose the correct rate... here's some advice for picking one (and anyone correct me if I'm wrong!):

Radioman - Knows everything that's going on. Works late, because they own maintenance on all the masts and antennas, and have to make sure the internet is connected and working before going on liberty. Knows EVERYTHING about the crew, mission and why that next port got cancelled.

Sonar Tech - Shower a lot. There's lots of them. Watch waterfalls. Shower a lot. ST really stands for shower tech. Think everything should be classified as biologics, then after a shower, really listen for the turn speed and give it a real classification.

Fire Control Technician - OOD's boys. Don't really do anything. Always the first on liberty in port, usually followed by the STs. Their equipment is never broken, it's always YOUR stuff that's connected to their system.

NavET - Arts and Crafts. Charts. Charts. Charts. Never fix your JA phone, because they're always too busy doing charts or maintenance on the BCP (Ballast Control Panel). Always know where the boat is going, because... charts.

IT - Not sure these guys do anything but stare at a computer screen. Always working late because their backup didn't work, or the tagout server is down. Don't do it.

Enjoy your enlistment, and get qualified NUB.

Originally Posted by 3catcircus

Oh come on now - you've only listed the front end, there...

A-Gang - lots of bilge diving, polishing their, ahem, diesel and making sure The Bomb continues making O2.

E-div - t-shirts with acid-induced holes due to diving the battery well, complaining about fixing the CO's hot water heater, and yelling at junior RC-divvers trying to qualify E-div watch-stations.

M-div - diving bilges, doing a rain dance to get the evaporator to work properly, and wearing the michelin man suit during drills.

RL-div - almost as bad as the sonar girls. They only work once a day while underway and spend lots of time hiding in the lab during field day.

RC-div - keeps the tea kettle safe. Overworked as Logroom Yeoman. Qualified to stand the E-divver's primary watch-stations as well as their own. Highly-qualified coffee technicians before getting to sit in the big boy chair.

Did I mention which of these I was once upon a time?

Originally Posted by ETR3(SS)

All true. But the kid was smart and didn't sign up to be a nuc.

Originally Posted by Rip

Welcome to the club shipmate.

Hope you enjoy painting with two part epoxies.

Assemble topside for a paint party!!!


BTW, why no love for the TMs (Topedoman Mate) or SK (Storekeeper) YN (Yeoman).

I myself was a forward ET but more of an EW in the radio room.

No need to hurry, by the time you get qualified you will know what rating you want.

As far as Groton, not much but a few bars I remember that probably aren't there any longer.

I do recall they had a nice roach coach service that brought pizza and stuff.

Got any sea stories gentlemen? Like my grandfather use to tell me of getting sunburn 15 minutes after pulling into port or why the koolaid was called bug juice or the ET's that bent over in the head to flush and his pen dropped into the sanitary tank causing the MM to go skin diving?

[Rockin Robbins]

Bet he's a mighty busy man now. Thanks again for your service--even after you leaned the meaning of "service." Hope you greet the morning with the same enthusiasm you had before you took the leap. And when it's trying remember, you're collecting stories for your grandkids and for those you left behind at Subsim. The tough times are what make it worthwhile.