A Day on the USS Santa Fe (Part 3)
By Melissa
This is my final blog entry about embarking on the USS Santa Fe. Hopefully I'll have video for you soon!
I know a lot of you asked about what we ate. We got to see the kitchen, which is tiny but usually has seven people assigned to cooking for the crew. I'm not sure how they fit into such tight quarters, but somehow they do. All the food aboard the submarine must be made from scratch daily, since there is no storage space for stuff from a Costco run. They pump out meals every six hours. I should add that the mess hall was so small, it was difficult for me to get a shot to share with you. Yet, they use this area for training, meetings, movie nights, and meals.
One can volunteer for kitchen duty if they have an idea for a recipe to share, or if they just want to learn more about cooking. Since the crew tends to be very diverse, they field requests for items that may be hometown favorites. As long as there is a recipe card for it, the kitchen can try to make it.
With Nathan & Burt in our USS Santa Fe iron chef attire.
This is the officer's mess "hall" in which we had our lunch. This room also doubles for meeting rooms, training, and movies; if the doctor needs an operating table, this is it.
Fresh green salad.
Clam chowder, which was excellent!
Seasoned fries, carrots, and--what else?--submarine sandwiches. This was all surprisingly good, given the cramped conditions they had to work with! We also had ice cream or cake for dessert.
Toward the end of our tour, Commander David Adams gave each of us this coin, which is extraordinarily rare. You can get a generic coin from the gift shop, but only the commanding officer can give you this particular coin!
...And that pretty much rounds out my day on the submarine. As mentioned before, I couldn't capture a lot because there were more restrictions on what we could record. It wasn't a bad thing; much of a submarine's work is stealth, so it's understandable that you can't give away our military secrets!
I can't emphasize enough that this is probably the most difficult and demanding assignment in the Navy; every guy on the sub has gone through a rigorous process to learn everything about the ship's construction, operation, and damage control. They also have to demonstrate reliability under battle conditions. Once they have passed the qualification--which must be done in 10 months or less--they get to wear this dolphin pin.
This was an incredible opportunity and I'm grateful for the chance to see the amazing inner workings of a naval submarine. As a public relations pro, I have to say that the Navy does an impressive job at reaching out to the (civilian) media to share their story. If you would like to see more, check out Nathan Kam's and Burt Lum's blogs as they share their photos and videos.
Urban Mix Plate
February 1st, 2010 at 6:21 am
I wanted to be one of the FIRST to congratulate you as a Submariner. Whoo Hoo
I bet you get more
Glad you had fun. We had fun reading what you experienced. Looking for more.
stalkersfollowers nowFebruary 1st, 2010 at 6:54 am
Thanks Melissa! Very interesting and cool! I'm glad you were able to share your experiences with us!
February 1st, 2010 at 7:19 am
Hello Melissa!
Memories that will last forever. An experience that very few if any, civilians get to experience.
You go girl!
February 1st, 2010 at 9:10 am
How fun! I like how the kitchen is super clean and the clam chowder does look ono-licious!!!
February 1st, 2010 at 9:20 am
What a great series, M. I think not many people get to go since that accident a couple of years ago. Subs are the highest level of military tech on the planet and the guys who run them are the best of the best.
February 1st, 2010 at 9:48 am
Melissa...that chicken you prepared was excellent.
Glad to have had the opportunity to share the experience with you and Burt. What's the next adventure that lies ahead? Boot camp? LOL!
February 1st, 2010 at 10:12 am
Very cool, it's amazing how they can operate months on end in such close quarters, looked like a fun tour!
February 1st, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Thanks, Melissa! When you see what goes on inside the submarine and what it takes to go on duty in submarines, you get to appreciate these guys.
February 1st, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Melissa,
You get to go to some coooool places.
Thank you for sharing your experiences.
February 2nd, 2010 at 6:59 am
Ynaku, I think I only got a couple more new followers. But every little bit helps!
Cindy, M, Kaimana, Ed: This was certainly very cool. I think Burt, Nathan, & I agreed that the Nimitz tour was better, but then again, you're comparing two different sized ships and security procedures!
jlieu, yes, anything in the military is an OCD person's dream! ha ha
turk, the thought of the Ehime Maru incident was kind of on our minds, kind of like the elephant in the living room. But they take extra precautions now so you know that's never going to happen again. They're quite amazing.
James, yes, there's so much to take for granted until you see it in person!
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:40 am
I would do bootcamp with you and Nathan, BTW.
Sorry I missed this - actually more room than I had imagined and wait til the rest of the navy hears about that "cream of the crop" comment!
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:59 am
WOW, a command coin from the Santa Fe... that should be treasured... Did he do it the Navy way? (shake you hand with the coin inside) Submariners eat well... I got to visit the USS HAWAII SSN-776 and that was a blast... it wasn't underway at the time though... Here's to another successful DV underway.
NEO
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:46 pm
You get the best assignments from being a foodie to just being curious and adventurous. I would have loved to check out that submarine but being slightly claustrophobic myself, I am glad I can live through your words.
February 6th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
I was invited to be on this trip w/ you folks! Ack... my job prevented me from it.