Submariner questions

[LukeD]

I have a couple questions about general things in the submarine service such as when not deployed will you be working on the boat in port or training etc. How much time off do you get after/before deployments and how does this compare to the surface fleets. I have got an electrical engineering degree and when I asked the lieutenant in my URNU she said that as a marine engineer officer on surface fleet she spent 2 years working on a diesel engine then 2 years on a propeller and kept swapping every 2 years. Do Submarine engineering officers also rotate specific jobs every 2 years or would you be constantly working on multiple parts of the submarine? Thanks

 

[Sumo]

I told my engineering officer to rotate, does that help?

 

[LukeD]

I told my engineering officer to rotate, does that help?

not really

 

[Sumo]

Depends if you are looking at weapons engineering officer (electrical) or marine engineering officer (mechanical)?

 

[SONAR-BENDER]

If you are joining up as a potential submarine MEO, then you will be kept extremely busy just getting qualified. I had a very good friend who was very clever, but through various circumstances, kept failing his board. They stuck him on lots of boats to gain additional experience etc. at least one of his board failures was because of a gear failure during the board. He eventually was offered and took redundancy, which was accepted.


Days before he passed his board.

Last I heard he was working for Rolls Royce.

 

[LukeD]

If you are joining up as a potential submarine MEO, then you will be kept extremely busy just getting qualified. I had a very good friend who was very clever, but through various circumstances, kept failing his board. They stuck him on lots of boats to gain additional experience etc. at least one of his board failures was because of a gear failure during the board. He eventually was offered and took redundancy, which was accepted.


Days before he passed his board.

Last I heard he was working for Rolls Royce.

Oh wow, thanks for this I knew it would be hard but I'm guessing you do a lot of different tasks then thanks.

 

[LukeD]

Depends if you are looking at weapons engineering officer (electrical) or marine engineering officer (mechanical)?

Thanks I didn't even know that weapons was geared to electrical and marine mechanical I guess I'd be looking at weapons engineering officer then.

 

[SONAR-BENDER]

Thanks I didn't even know that weapons was geared to electrical and marine mechanical I guess I'd be looking at weapons engineering officer then.

Not quite so many boards for a WEO, so long as you know your arrse from your elbow.......

Top tip - do not try to help the maintainers.
Do not EVER ask to borrow tools from the maintainers - for ANY reason.

 

[LukeD]

Not quite so many boards for a WEO, so long as you know your arrse from your elbow.......

Top tip - do not try to help the maintainers.
Do not EVER ask to borrow tools from the maintainers - for ANY reason.

Thanks for this mate, am I right in thinking that you or someone you know had a bad experience asking to borrow a tool?

 

[Ballistic]

Thanks for this mate, am I right in thinking that you or someone you know had a bad experience asking to borrow a tool?

My guess would be that @SONAR-BENDER provided the bad experience to the asker...

 

[Sumo]

My guess would be that @SONAR-BENDER provided the bad experience to the asker...

Gave him his tool?
Didn't know @SONAR-BENDER was on the Torbay?

 

[SONAR-BENDER]

My guess would be that @SONAR-BENDER provided the bad experience to the asker...

Correct!

'Chief, can I borrow a small screwdriver for 5 minutes to adjust the ' NO!

 

[SONAR-BENDER]

The other thing to not do is stand over your maintainer's shoulder asking when it will be fixed...........

Might be 5 minutes, might be 66 hours (slept well after that one!!)

 

[WreckerL]

Thanks I didn't even know that weapons was geared to electrical and marine mechanical I guess I'd be looking at weapons engineering officer then.

ME branch do both electrical and mechanical engineering, ME electrical is what is known as "heavy" electrical , meaning power generation and distribution, switchboards, motors etc, all pumps, for instance, are driven, and controlled, electrically.

 

[Perry]

I have never met an MEO who spent 2 minutes on a ship or boat (had a visit to Superb and an O boat once) working on a diesel engine let alone 2 years. They are not trusted with tools unless it is to open their own cabin/locker door.

 

[Sumo]

Fitting big brother, over a weekend in faslav, WEO takes a screwdriver out of my bag, and says he will give me a hand, curtain flies back, WEO give my maintainer his tools back, I want it to work, yes sir he says, curtain drawn back, WEO leaves boat.

 

[crash_evans]

I have a couple questions about general things in the submarine service such as when not deployed will you be working on the boat in port or training etc. How much time off do you get after/before deployments and how does this compare to the surface fleets. I have got an electrical engineering degree and when I asked the lieutenant in my URNU she said that as a marine engineer officer on surface fleet she spent 2 years working on a diesel engine then 2 years on a propeller and kept swapping every 2 years. Do Submarine engineering officers also rotate specific jobs every 2 years or would you be constantly working on multiple parts of the submarine? Thanks

2 years on a diesel? Who was she? Stevie Wonder?? The CO might have something to say about the tardiness of the defect repair!

Not to mention 2 years fixing a propeller. I’m willing to be proven wrong that anyone can hold their breath that long!

Not helpful answers, it made me chuckle though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Alfacharlie]

Only served on 1 ship with the fairer sex. But, one of the wren gollies turned out to be the ‘phantom shitter’!

Slight thread drift, I know.

She was sound though.

 

[LukeD]

ME branch do both electrical and mechanical engineering, ME electrical is what is known as "heavy" electrical , meaning power generation and distribution, switchboards, motors etc, all pumps, for instance, are driven, and controlled, electrically.

Thanks for this mate yeah I prefer electronics but I'd assume power engineering is needed more.

 

[LukeD]

I have never met an MEO who spent 2 minutes on a ship or boat (had a visit to Superb and an O boat once) working on a diesel engine let alone 2 years. They are not trusted with tools unless it is to open their own cabin/locker door.

HI mate could you elaborate on this. I can't fully remember what jobs she told me as it was a few months ago now in the interview. So what kind of jobs do MEO's do, I'm guessing from all of the replies that there is a lot of joking about officers. I was told that on submarines officers and ratings get on well as it's more of a tight nit community, is there some kind of tension/disliking or is this all just light hearted joking around?