JD_UofM_90

July 8th, 2010 at 1:42 PM ^

left enough high quality seamen on the ship to actually get it out of port the same way they have been doing it for the last 40 years......And by "high quality" I mean guys who got a 4 or 5 (out of 5) on their latest ASVAB or PFA scores.....

Double Hayyyyoooooooooo

Statement in bold: OK, I lobbed a nice easy one, right down the middle, someone hit it out of the park now....

LJ

July 8th, 2010 at 11:39 AM ^

How about this little nugget from the Ohio-class submarine wikipedia page?

Ohios were specifically designed for extended deterrence patrols. Each submarine is complemented by two crews, Blue and Gold (standard practice for U.S. FBMs), with each crew serving 100-day patrols.

Hail.

Blue in Seattle

July 8th, 2010 at 12:31 PM ^

I was raised that it's Maize, not Gold.  Blue and Gold are two of the colors of our Leprachan friends.

I haven't served on a submarine since 1995, but now that the submarines have cruise missiles instead of Ballistic missiles, plus scuba gear for their Seal friends, I'm pretty sure they only have one submarine crew now, and operate just like a Los Angeles class fast attack.

I bet MGoShoe is pretty jealous of this event.  Submarines were designed to stay completely hidden, and now they are being used as a show of force that typically was only done by the Surface Targets of the Fleet.

I love the irony.

MGoShoe

July 8th, 2010 at 12:39 PM ^

...the Navy is a total force -- its various parts all support its other parts in a symbiotic system of combat power that are projected forward to protect the country's vital national interests.  I'm not into inter- or intra-service rivalries.  They're counter-productive.

MGoShoe

July 8th, 2010 at 12:34 PM ^

...the official colors of the U.S. Navy are blue and gold.

Also, most of you are familiar with Anchors Aweigh and recognize it as the Naval Academy fight song.  It's also the Navy's official March and is played along the other service songs (The Army Song (The Army Goes Rolling Along...), The Air Force Song (Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder...), the Marine Corps Hymn (From the Halls of Montezuma...).  What you may not know is that it's the only service song that's also a drinking song.  Therefore, it's the best service song.

Here are the original lyrics that contain the ode to raising a glass to one's shipmates and explains the Blue and Gold:

Stand Navy out to sea, Fight our Battle Cry;

We'll never change our course, So vicious foe steer shy-y-y-y.

Roll out the TNT, Anchors Aweigh. Sail on to Victory

And sink their bones to Davy Jones, Hooray!

Anchors Away, my boys, Anchors Aweigh.

Farewell to foreign shores, We sail at break of day-ay-ay-ay.

Through our last night on shore, Drink to the foam,

Until we meet once more. Here's wishing you a happy voyage home.

Blue of the Mighty Deep; Gold of God's Sun

Let these colors be till all of time be done, done, done,

On seven seas we learn Navy's stern call:

Faith, Courage, Service true, with Honor, Over Honor, Over All.

Tacopants

July 8th, 2010 at 12:53 PM ^

What is weird shot at the Navy at the end of the article?

Sure, the Navy could have retired the four additional subs and saved the Pentagon some money, but that's not how bureaucracies operate.

That's a dumb throwaway line that kind of pisses me off.

Wolverine In Exile

July 8th, 2010 at 1:18 PM ^

216 flag officers for the Navy

284 ships in active service.

Lots of myths/rumors about how the Navy senior staff is outsized for its capabilities, and this quote is just another twig on the fanning flame. I think the program they instituted turning nuke subs into conventional precision strike platforms is a brilliant re-use of platforms instead of an entirely new naval ship building program, but hey, whatever.

MGoShoe

July 8th, 2010 at 1:18 PM ^

...in the statement is saying that the SSGN conversion was due to bureaucratic behavior.  It was actually due to the standard iron triangle dynamic between interests in congress, the Navy and industry.  Not all decisions that are made as a result of this dynamic are inefficient or perverse.  Sometimes vested interests get it right.