Originally due to some misunderstandings I was scheduled to have my belongings delivered to my house yesterday, but boy am I glad we cleared that up. The trip was something I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on. Joe, the instructor, served for 30 years in the US Navy and was at the end of his career Chief of the Boat (COB) on a few different submarines. He also worked over at Bangor for sometime. Needless to say, he knew quite a few people around the base and had a little pull when it came to getting us some backstage passes, so to speak.
Once we made it through security, which included a full vehicle search, questioning and wanding of all individuals involved, we parked the van. Equipped with our trusty hard hats, safety glasses, and steel toed boots acquired the first day of work, we walked over to the dry dock. Sitting in front of us was the USS Maine.
She's HUGE!! We spent the last two weeks watching videos and powerpoints full of pictures of these vessles, but none of that could really conceptualize the enormity of these submarines. Sure I worked at MSI guiding tours on the U-505 for a summer, but lets be fair the U-505 was a bath toy compared to the USS Maine (I sure hope she's not insulted by my direct conversation about her size. I know girls can be sensitive about that...) (Photo: navsource.org)After Joe went aboard and talked to the appropriate man in charge, we descended down the 63 feet of stairs to the bottom of the dry dock. So, as strange as it sounds, the USS Maine, a submarine, was then towering over us. We walked around toward her bow, all the while Joe was yelling and pointing out different characteristics, but I'll be honest with the ear plugs and loud machinery, I didn't catch much of what he was saying. Arriving beneath her forward starboard side ballast tanks, Joe pointed up a ladder, yelled something and motioned for us to climb up. Up we went. We climbed into one of her ballast tanks. All 14 of us climbed inside this comparment and had plenty of room to spare. I now have a physical understanding of just how we make such huge chunks of metal float!
Then came the task of climbing back out of the dry dock... Joe told us many times the past two weeks to make sure we have all the tools we need when going down into the dry dock, and I now also have a physical understanding of this fact.
As we continued around the water front we came upon another submarine in for minor adjustments:
All my friends and family members from Nebraska, I think you might appreciate this boat the most. Sitting there along the pier was the USS Nebraska, an Ohio class, Titan Submarine. I didn't know before yesterday that there was a boat with such namesake, but I know now. To make it better, hanging alongside the bridge out to the sub was a sign stating the boat's name complete with the University of Nebraska N and "Go Huskers." (Uncle Curt, I think there may be a Corn Husker fan out there that has one-upped you this time)(Photo: navsource.org)
Joe pulled his strings again, and after another wanding, we got to go onboard this submarine. Joe wanted to make sure that we got to see a submarine when she was in basic working order, for when they come to see us at PSNS there is often quite a bit of disarray inside as repairs and changes are made. Continuing with the theme, there was more Nebraska decor inside the boat. Every trashcan had a big red N stuck to the outside. While the ohio class submarine is quite large, the inside follows submarine suit in being quite small and cramped. My support for the brave men of our United State Navy was once again renewed when I looked into their tiny living spaces. 8 men to a room, and extra mattresses crammed into walkways too! We also looked behind some machinery to find a few more mattresses which Joe told us was for women visiting for ship checks, such as I might do in the future. I definitly look forward to this opportunity, but I will tell you that I have a closet bigger than that space.
Unfortunately I couldn't take pictures or bring you all onboard with me, because I would really like to convey the sense of awe and understanding that I think my words fail to express.
All my friends and family members from Nebraska, I think you might appreciate this boat the most. Sitting there along the pier was the USS Nebraska, an Ohio class, Titan Submarine. I didn't know before yesterday that there was a boat with such namesake, but I know now. To make it better, hanging alongside the bridge out to the sub was a sign stating the boat's name complete with the University of Nebraska N and "Go Huskers." (Uncle Curt, I think there may be a Corn Husker fan out there that has one-upped you this time)(Photo: navsource.org)Joe pulled his strings again, and after another wanding, we got to go onboard this submarine. Joe wanted to make sure that we got to see a submarine when she was in basic working order, for when they come to see us at PSNS there is often quite a bit of disarray inside as repairs and changes are made. Continuing with the theme, there was more Nebraska decor inside the boat. Every trashcan had a big red N stuck to the outside. While the ohio class submarine is quite large, the inside follows submarine suit in being quite small and cramped. My support for the brave men of our United State Navy was once again renewed when I looked into their tiny living spaces. 8 men to a room, and extra mattresses crammed into walkways too! We also looked behind some machinery to find a few more mattresses which Joe told us was for women visiting for ship checks, such as I might do in the future. I definitly look forward to this opportunity, but I will tell you that I have a closet bigger than that space.
Unfortunately I couldn't take pictures or bring you all onboard with me, because I would really like to convey the sense of awe and understanding that I think my words fail to express.
The USS Nebraska in Port at Bangor Naval Base(Photo: navsource.org)
GO BIG RED!
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