Being a US Navy submariner
America’s submarines have come a long way since the first hand-cranked wooden rigs. Today’s state-of-the-art vessels are able to support hundreds of sailors working and living together under the sea for months at a time.
Serving on a US Navy submarine crew takes courage, stamina and deep expertise — literally.
“I don’t think being on a submarine is for everybody. I think you have to be somebody that can be comfortable with no sun and no outside communication. Submariners are different from everyone else in the Navy. There is also a different kind of camaraderie down here,” Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Khamani Conklin, Torpedoman’s Mate, aboard USS Maine (SSBN-741) Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, says in the article Living in the Deep appeared on Department of Defense website.
Amine
But what is something that almost nobody knows about submarines?
Ron Charest, former US Navy submarine sailor who also served on surface ships and retired as Senior Chief Electronics Technician, explains on Quora;
‘The smell.
‘When nuclear submarines are at sea they mostly remain submerged with a sealed atmosphere. Part of the atmosphere control system functions are to remove carbon dioxide (CO2), since a build-up of carbon dioxide can become fatal. To remove the carbon dioxide submarines, use a chemical called amine [that has a fishy, ammonia smell]. When amine is cool it absorbs carbon dioxide and when hot will release it. So, the amine is cycled through a machine referred to as a CO2 Scrubber, which will alternately heat and cool the carbon dioxide and pushes the gas into the ocean, keeping the atmosphere breathable.
‘This is a very effective system, with the downside being the amine imparts a rather “unique” smell into the atmosphere. Which ultimately permeates every part of the submarine interior including crew members clothing and even their skin.
Nuclear submarines smell
‘In addition to the amine smell, submarine crews are exposed to cooking odors, hydraulic oil vapors, diesel exhaust that isn’t quite captured by the diesel exhaust system, inboard venting of the sanitary tanks, and the smell of a large number of closely confined people. The interiors become quite fragrant. Crew members become accustomed to it and after a while never notice it. But other people do.’
Charest concludes;
‘When I was attached to a submarine, I had reason to fly home for vacation wearing my civilian clothes. I was sitting in my plane seat next to an older lady, chatting a bit, and suddenly she asked me “are you on submarines?” Surprised, I asked “yes, how did you know?” She replied “my husband was on submarines. I’ll never forget the smell.”’
H/T Earl Belz
Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jonathan W. Hutto, Sr. / U.S. Navy