About the Submarine Service.

[Focus_343]

Hi everyone

I'm currently employed as a reservist, but as soon as I finish college I'm going to join the regulars.

I'm pretty interested in going into the submarine service, but the AFCO, being the AFCO can only give me pamphlets and a quick, MOD approved summary of what a submariner does.

Can anyone give me a better insight into what being a submariner is really like, and especially, the advantages and disadvantages of being a submariner as opposed to a skimmer?

Cheers in advance.

 

[Graf]

I suppose it depends on you own view if it's an advantage or disadvantage, but you'll come out of the boat stinking having not washed in 6 months

 

[Drakey]

There are about 40 pages of threads in the Submarine forum. Have you read any of these?. Try the search button.

 

[Joe_Crow]

I suppose it depends on you own view if it's an advantage or disadvantage, but you'll come out of the boat stinking having not washed in 6 months

As a sprog skimmer, you know this how?

 

[Focus_343]

I probably should have been more specific, thanks for pointing that out Drakey
I just mean, in general, you hear all these dits and I just wanted some real submariners (because we don't have any at my unit) to clear it up for me, stuff like -
Is it true that food on submarines is better?
Or that discipline and uniform standards are relaxed on submarines?

 

[WreckerL]

I probably should have been more specific, thanks for pointing that out Drakey
I just mean, in general, you hear all these dits and I just wanted some real submariners (because we don't have any at my unit) to clear it up for me, stuff like -
Is it true that food on submarines is better?
Or that discipline and uniform standards are relaxed on submarines?

In answer to your questions.

IMO yes and definitely yes

 

[Polycell]

I probably should have been more specific, thanks for pointing that out Drakey
I just mean, in general, you hear all these dits and I just wanted some real submariners (because we don't have any at my unit) to clear it up for me, stuff like -
Is it true that food on submarines is better?
Or that discipline and uniform standards are relaxed on submarines?

Nope to both those questions

 

[Joe_Crow]

I probably should have been more specific, thanks for pointing that out Drakey
I just mean, in general, you hear all these dits and I just wanted some real submariners (because we don't have any at my unit) to clear it up for me, stuff like -
Is it true that food on submarines is better?
Or that discipline and uniform standards are relaxed on submarines?

I have to disagree with both Poly and the Wrecker on this, as the answers to all those are yes and no.

 

[SONAR-BENDER]

Food generally OK - sometimes brilliant! It depends on the Grocer and then the Cooks.

If you call being able to wear virtually what you want and grow hair, beard, moustache etc while on patrol, then yes again. Even the orifices used to wera black or pale blue shirts at sea. But all back in the RN when the lid opens again.

 

[Focus_343]

That does sound quite good, actually.
I've heard a lot about relatively rapid promotion in the Submarine Service as well, is there truth in that, or is it just something they say at the AFCO?

 

[Graf]

I suppose it depends on you own view if it's an advantage or disadvantage, but you'll come out of the boat stinking having not washed in 6 months

As a sprog skimmer, you know this how?

By using my nose as I walk past them... How else?

 

[Joe_Crow]

... is there truth in that, or is it just something they say at the AFCO?

They tend not to tell too many lies.

The only branch where you will get quick promotion to Leading Hand as a matter of course (at the moment) is MA(SM), where the lure of early promotion is being used as a recruiting tool. (Not the way I would do it, but it's not my branch.)

 

[FunkyJunky]

... is there truth in that, or is it just something they say at the AFCO?

They tend not to tell too many lies.

The only branch where you will get quick promotion to Leading Hand as a matter of course (at the moment) is MA(SM), where the lure of early promotion is being used as a recruiting tool. (Not the way I would do it, but it's not my branch.)

you are probably right..however, the service is awash with people who say "the careers office said I could do......."

whether that is accurate or not is another matter...

 

[FunkyJunky]

food can be good..but nothing special..
discipline...fleet boats are turning into their grey counterparts more so every day it seems...
it all depends on what sub you get...some have bad reps some are known to be pretty good..

what determins this can be key senior rates and a good XO

 

[WreckerL]

... is there truth in that, or is it just something they say at the AFCO?

They tend not to tell too many lies.

The only branch where you will get quick promotion to Leading Hand as a matter of course (at the moment) is MA(SM), where the lure of early promotion is being used as a recruiting tool. (Not the way I would do it, but it's not my branch.)

you are probably right..however, the service is awash with people who say "the careers office said I could do......."

whether that is accurate or not is another matter...

I think in 99.9% of cases this is a bit of wishful thinking on the part of the individual ... it may be that they THINK thats what they were told

When I was a DO to the Phase 2 submariners I heard that on a daily basis, normally when they found they couldn't do what they wanted to.

 

[shaddythers]

I probably should have been more specific, thanks for pointing that out Drakey
I just mean, in general, you hear all these dits and I just wanted some real submariners (because we don't have any at my unit) to clear it up for me, stuff like -
Is it true that food on submarines is better?
Or that discipline and uniform standards are relaxed on submarines?

[/b

First point - I Think so.

Second point - only when we're dived, exact same rules apply for uniform whn alongside, much to the chagrin of some people!

 

[Focus_343]

Thanks for answering my questions, but WreckerL said

"When I was a DO to the Phase 2 submariners I heard that on a daily basis, normally when they found they couldn't do what they wanted to."

Are jobs on submarines limited?

 

[Focus_343]

"Of course they are, only selected people get to work on the flight deck, for security reasons; bridge wing lookout is a job that is hard to come by; window cleaners have a limited run too as well as outside chippers and painters"

Am I being stitched up?

 

[BreathingOutOnTheWayUp]

"Of course they are, only selected people get to work on the flight deck, for security reasons; bridge wing lookout is a job that is hard to come by; window cleaners have a limited run too as well as outside chippers and painters"

Am I being stitched up?

As a 'reservist' its better that you don't know the answer to that.

 

[Focus_343]

There's nothing wrong with reservists.

We're the willing, led by the unknowing, doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are qualified to do anything with nothing

you know, just like any other matelots.