Here are a few pictures from the WestPac my son was on a couple of years ago! I have these three pictures framed...

He is a member of the Submarine leading the formation!

Somedays I can still smell the boat. It was not an easy life, but it was a good one.

Would really like to see how the new ones have improved. Probably about like comparing a 637 class fast attack boat with a WWII sub.

Well If you want to go out to WA state, I know someone that can give ya a tour of a boat...

They are just about to come out of dry dock (2 years) so everything should be the latest and greatest...

I have been on the boat a couple of times, it is amazing but not sure that I could do it, I could handle the military life, just not sure I could get used to being under water all that time.

beautiful sight.

What a sight!

Just think, there are two of those, at all times, in the water. One in the Pacific somewhere, and one in the Atlantic somewhere...

Makes me sleep good at night!

What an awesome sight!

I love targets.

Ph, what in the world are you talking about? The skimmers behind the boat? That's gotta be it, cuz you fly-boys would never see the boat. We used to have a saying; There are two types of vessels, submarines and targets.

Skeeter, being out in the thing is just like being tied to the dock most of the time. You have no sensation of movement. The only time you know you are moving is if you are making a drastic change in depth or if you are hauling azz and turning, it will bank like an airplane.

It gets weird sometimes. You get used to the boat being pointed in a certain direction while it's tied to the pier. Then when you leave and go someplace else and you go topside it takes awhile to get used to the new orientation.

Can you feel the pressure change as you submerge? I think I asked my son once and can't remember what he told me!

One of these days after he gets home, I will have to get the two of you together and you can swap stories... Old vs. New!

No pressure change. You get a slight pressure change when you surface and send men up on the conning tower. The other time you get a pressure change is after firing a torpedo. They vent the tubes inboard, but even that isn't bad.

First time I went to sea on a submarine, we were gone from the pier for 45 minutes already before I noticed. The boat was rocked by a wake from some other large vessel.

If his boat ever has a "dependents" cruise try to make it up there for it. You'll go out for awhile, they'll go down, you get fed and then they go back to the dock. Interesting evolution for most who go. It isn't as cramped as one thinks. Ya just can't tell day from night unless the upper level operations compartment is rigged for red. That means it's night on the surface. The menu in the crew's mess will give ya hint for two outta the 4 meals.

I wanted to do that when they came back from there WestPac a couple of years ago, I was going to fly to Hawaii and do the Tiger Cruise back to Washington, but they decided not to do it. I know that do that on the ships quite a bit, but don't do it as much on the subs.

Just after they got back the boat went into dry dock and has been there ever since. With all the sea trials that they will have, I doubt that they will do one before he gets out. If they do though, I plan to go do it.

My wife and I will be going on a tiger cruise coming up soon. Seems like it will be lots of fun and very informative. Can't wait.

Which Ship?

They are usually very informative for the families that are able to participate!