uss hampton

yesterday, january 15th, i was invited by the NAVY to embark on a submarine ride with other local bloggers (special thanks to my gal, @jbruin). a once in a lifetime opp, we boarded the USS HAMPTON (fast attack nuclear sub) just after 0:800 hours.

once inside the THREE level submarine, the first half of the day was spent touring this beautiful piece of machinery (and technology). our first stop, the weapons room / demonstration which included loading (mock) warheads into torpedo tubes.

fellow blogger / podcaster, @aaswartz, climbed into one of the tubes. it ruled.

15 miles off the coast, the USS HAMPTON was ready to submerge. we entered the control room, complete with with sonar / navigation / periscope (exactly like the movies, without the “ping / ping / ping”.) descending to 650 feet, i sat to the side and watched the (elite crew) handle the ship with ease. it was awe-inspiring.

once at our target depth, we ran through “angle and dangle” exercises (or, pitching the sub up / down / left / right at a 25 degree angle). here’s a video shot by @downtownrob:

following the exercises, we joined the ship’s commanding officer and squadron commodore (the boss) for lunch. i felt honored to be sharing conversation / beef stroganoff with such highly respected / decorated sailors. we discussed the navy, submarines, iphones, and technology (typical bloggers).

after lunch, the ship resurfaced and the group embarked on an epic mission: the bridge. harnessed, we climbed a slippery, 25 foot ladder (through a tube) to top of the submarine. incredibly pumped, i was also a tad nervous (sketched on heights).

watching the submarine cut through the thick ocean swell (with point loma perched in the distance), was truly the highlight of my day.

we returned to the ship for the final stretch, and were given commemorative coins from the commanding officer and squadron commodore. stoked, i couldn’t wait to give them to my son, nico (who slept with them last night) .

we docked at 0:16:00 hours.

when i reflect on our eight hour adventure aboard the USS HAMPTON, what resonates the most was the professionalism / commitment / intelligence / and brotherhood i witnessed (on the ship). a class act operation, with the deepest respect and kindest regards, thank you for what you ALL do.