Like many of the customs of the United States Navy, the practice of designing individualized crests for naval ships came from the British. The first exposure most sailors have with their boat’s crest is when they hurriedly google “USS ______” in the parking lot of prototype when they finally get their soft orders (if they aren’t confronted with a Navy Times article about their future CO being fired and terrible ship’s morale). The Crest plays a prominent role in the boat’s decor, the boat’s swag, the boat’s post-deployment brief – all of the most important facets of real submarining.