The goal of the Submarine Club is to provide as much information and practical experience as possible to members of the Battalion who are interested in joining the submarine community upon commissioning.
This semester the Submarine Club continued our relationship with the local chapter of the Naval Submarine League by attending their monthly luncheons on Naval Base Point Loma. Club members were given the opportunity to meet several retired and active submariners as well as attend lectures on submarine operations. These lectures covered topics ranging from a debriefing of a recent Western Pacific deployment to submarine history.
We have also continued to utilize the Submarine Learning Center on Naval Base Point Loma and their damage control trainer. Club members were able to participate in the Wet Trainer, which simulates flooding in the Machinery Room. This is the same trainer that the crews of the submarines in San Diego use to maintain their damage control proficiency.
Continuing to utilize local resources the Submarine Club toured USS HAMPTON (SSN-767) where club members were informed about and shown Control, Sonar, the Machinery Room, Torpedo Room, the staterooms, the wardroom as well as the common areas. This was a great experience for those who attended because it is a rare opportunity to see the inside of one of the Navy’s most effective and elusive weapons.
We also took advantage of the advanced simulation program available to us at the unit by conducting a
Dangerous Waters event. Members took control of both submarines and surface ships to conduct war games in the Electronic Classroom at USD. This event was preceded by watching an episode of The History Channel’s Mail Call which was filmed aboard USS SALT LAKE CITY in 2005.
To close out the semester we watched The Hunt for Red October as our final club event, following with a question and answer session about the training pipeline for a Submarine Officer, life aboard a submarine as well as post-naval career opportunities for Nuclear Trained Officers.
- Officer Candidate Matthew Turtle
Submarine Club President
