When I reported for duty in 1985, neither the Nevada submarine nor I was ready to go to sea. The submarine was under construction in the shipyard, and I was an unqualified third-class petty officer. By the time I left the USS Nevada nearly six years later, I was a salty first-class petty officer who […]
David Chetlain
David Chetlain spent more than nine years in the Navy as a sonar technician. He qualified in submarines on the USS Georgia SSBN 729 and was subsequently a plankowner on the USS Nevada SSBN 733. He also served as the ship’s rescue swimmer and photographer. His last patrol was during Desert Storm in 1991. After completing submarine duty, David spent two years as a recruiter at NRD Portland where he finished college and took an early discharge. He has spent his entire civilian career in the software industry.
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Adventure, Tenacity, and Merit Badges—How the Boy Scouts Prepared Me for Military Service
While some at Department of Defense think the military should cut ties with the Boy Scouts, a Navy veteran says the program prepared him for service.
Posted inReflections
Misadventures on a Nuclear Submarine: A Swollen Knee, a Gush of Water, and a Man Overboard
A submarine photographer recalls a humanitarian transfer that led to man overboard in the Gulf of Alaska during the Cold War.
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Isolated in an Alien World. Separated and United by a Submarine.
A submarine could sink on its first day of patrol and it’s possible that nobody would know until they were late to return to port.
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Reuniting Dad With His Warship After 37 Years Was a Reminder That Life Is Fleeting
The legendary warship Dad served on—used in three wars and as the recovery ship during America’s first and second lunar landings—was now rotting in place.
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The USSR Called Operation Atrina a Triumph. We Knew It Was a Failure.
It was the last attempt of the Soviets to project power across the Atlantic, and it failed miserably. We won without firing a shot.
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‘Guard the Forks!’–The Great Submarine Mess Decks Utensil Heist
A submarine patrol—like all military service—is long episodes of boredom interspersed with random moments of terror.
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You Don’t Need to Thank Me for My Service. I Needed It More Than It Needed Me.
I went from a world of chaos, poverty, and dysfunction to one of order, discipline, and regular meals. The Navy gave me the structure and consistency I needed.
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The Time Machine–Nothing Prepared Me for the Distortion of Time and Space on a Submarine
Was it day or night? What day was it? In the periscope was broad daylight. No land, no birds, no ships. Nothing. I stepped back, shaken.
