Norzeforce

When submerged, noises travel VERY long distances underwater. Much like animals use sonar to track food and whatnot, submarines use sonar to track other submarines. So if while doing work, a wrench is dropped and makes a loud TING noise, that can be heard outside the hull for MILES around. Or someone slams a door or a valve. MILES around. When enemy ships are with hundreds of yards, any slightest noise will alert them that you are near. Sound silencing is the practice of being quite, and is one of the hardest things for new sailors to learn.

There were two instances of when I felt like I was in actual danger. I must be vague for confidentiality purposes.

1. A submarine that isn't moving while submerged is sinking. Much like a plane. We use steam to turn our propeller and if the steam were to fail for some reason, we have an electric motor that can then turn the propeller. We were running drills one day and simulated the steam system failing. No big deal. We then went to turn on the electric motor, and the breaker for that failed resulting in us not having any useful means of propulsion. Very rarely, have I seen people run that fast to troubleshoot and restore the steam system.

2. We were on a mission and while doing said mission, A LOT of enemy ships were around. More than anticipated. It was a very tense couple days and sound silencing was of the utmost importance.

I am making just under 100k this year. Granted, that is in southern California so cost of living is high, but I had zero problem finding a job when I got out. I gave my resume to a headhunter a week after my last deployment and I had a job three weeks later. This was a month and a half before I got out so my transition out of the navy was easy.

IMO, this is one thing that recruiters are not lying about. YMMV of course.

I should also mention I only have a high school diploma and the training I received in the Navy.

Our propellers on our submarines are on of the most classified things on the boat. Whenever a submarine goes into drydock, the propeller is covered IMMEDIATELY and that is because it is designed to be silent. Our submarines engines and propellers are quite. Also sound transients are only severe if they occur through piping or the hull. Yelling across the engine room wont cause a sound transient because it is just through air but dropping something and it landing on something connected to the hull is what we are most worried about.