The Enlisted Corner
SUBPAR received the following post from a former ETN1(SS).
We have reproduced the post in its entirety without any editing1. If you find a few errors and typos that lead you to believe the author failed out of college because he played too much D&D…well…that is exactly what happened to him2.
#1: An Introduction to the Enlisted Man
“Enlisted men are stupid, but very cunning and deceitful and bear considerable watching.” – Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Infantry of the Army of the United States, 1917
When you report to your first submarine as a bright eyed and bushy tailed Ensign or LTJG, you will have your first real interaction with the enlisted population. Sure, you had enlisted instructors in Power School and Prototype, but they were forced to be nice to you (yes, they were being nice to you). What many of you will experience once you step on board will be a bit of a culture shock.
First, there will be smiling faces and firm handshakes, however that will quickly die away as you immediately become DINQ. Now, you are useless and not supporting the watchbill. As you look at your quals in Nosis, mindlessly spinning the scroll wheel, you will find that the signature authorities on those checkouts are ENG, EDMC, LCPOs, DIV-Os and…
Senior-In-Rate Qualified Enlisted Sailors.
Good luck getting ENG or EDMC for find time for a checkout, and the other officers on your boat will likely tell you they don’t know enough to give you that checkout. Because they don’t. This leaves you with chiefs, who will absolutely wreck you with knowledge (thorough, but not efficient), and the E-6 and below crowd. This group will give you the best need-to-know knowledge and maybe a few “fun” facts here and there. They are your best hope.
How you proceed will set the next 3+ years of your life. You have a handful of options here.
Option 1: Start dumb, stay dumb.
This requires a considerable amount of tact. While it’s always important to learn and understand the systems and equipment you are responsible for, enlisted sailors love a good “very well” machine. Learn the base knowledge required, maybe a couple oolies or “your boat” specific things, but nothing more. Regardless of whether you are in Maneuvering or in Control, this will get you paired with a crack watchteam. In Maneuvering, you’ll have the best RO and EO, a decent throttleman, an ERLL that will call you at 00:15 to tell you midnight routine is done (wtf is permission?), and an EWS/ERS duo that will have your Engineroom running like a finely tuned machine. In control, you’ll get paired with the best Sonar Sup, QMOW, and/or FTOW the boat has to offer.
BUT…there is another side to this: you will never be trusted.
You will cruise through your sea tour with minimum responsibility and an easy division (see: TORP-O/FTO). Your sailors underneath you will come to respect you as a person, especially if you understand your role, but don’t expect to be viewed as a reliable source of boat knowledge when giving your opinion, and expect dismissal from the enlisted if you try to give direction.
Option 2: Start humble, work hard, earn your authority:
My personal favorites were the JOs that knew they knew nothing. They would ask a million questions, absorb and retain the knowledge, and valued the knowledge and expertise that many enlisted had. They used us as tools to accomplish tasks in the most efficient way possible. When given a plan from those in the division, these JOs ask questions not because they find fault, but because they want to make sure they understand. These are the JOs that get beat up by work on the boat, but will have the most respect from the sailors under them.
The enlisted will bend over backwards to help you out. The DIV-O that takes the time to learn their systems inside and out is a DIV-O that shows respect for the time and energy the enlisted have taken to become experts on those systems. The first time the knowledgeable DIV-O corrects his senior enlisted sailor on system knowledge will likely be met with anger, frustration, and a tip-o-the-hat.
These are also the JOs that have the best switches. Some of the best conversations you will ever have will be while you are the lone officer in maneuvering with your watch team. No topic is off limits. There’s laughing, passionate arguments about politics, sports, anime, and then next thing you know you lose a [redacted] pump off the coast of [redacted] while en-route to perform [redacted]. Flipping that switch into command and control mode is what sets the knowledgeable JO’s apart from the others. You might not have the best watchstanders with you, but your ability to provide them watchteam backup will keep your plant in the safest condition (or not).
After these underways, you’ll find yourself at the bars with a mix of officer and enlisted sailors. The fraternization line is blurred in the submarine world, and after spending 8 hours a day with these guys in a tiny room with nowhere to go, why wouldn’t you want to go grab a beer with them?
Option 3: The “Superior” Officer
“You watch yourself, Dodge. You are addressing a superior officer!”
“No, merely a higher ranking one.”
Down Periscope (1996)
The Naval Academy is known for producing some of the finest officers that have ever served in the Navy. The education academy officers receive is top notch, with a blend of quality undergrad programs and elite naval training. Some would say they are the best of the best entering the Navy.
With all due respect to the academy grads out there, no one cares.
I shouldn’t single out academy grads. The arrogant, “better than all the enlisted” officer types can arrive from any institution. And while yes, there has never been a chief you didn’t out rank, that attitude will help you achieve nothing. The enlisted sailors in your division are your workforce and your support team. What they are not is your minions whose sole purpose is to do your bidding.
One thing is for sure, you will quickly become a technical expert on just about every piece of equipment on the boat. An example of this, I had a brand new ensign inform me that I was to give him checkouts later that day. What else are the enlisted there for, right? He had about four or five systems he wanted to discuss, but after spending an hour and a half on rod control, he left with a pocket brain full of lookups.
They don’t call us Petty Officers for nothing.
Maybe that checkout was a little bit overkill, but it’s important to respect your sailors’ time. This kind of behavior from a JO will be quickly recognized from everyone in the crew. Your fellow JOs will likely side with the enlisted, as they’ve heard all the stories about you from them already (see: maneuvering area discussions). They also want to keep on their good side if they’re in quals or have a big maintenance availability coming up.
The “Superior” JO will receive little support from their enlisted underlings. During casualties, they will be have a watchteam that will take immediate actions, but provide no insight or backup during follow-up. You shouldn’t expect to get the best watchstanders out there because clearly you’re the best, so you should be able to lead any team through any scenario. These types of officers are reading this paragraph right now rolling their eyes because how could the dirty, deviant enlisted sailor possibly comprehend what the life of a commissioned officer is like? Best of luck to you if this is the path you choose.
This list is not all-inclusive. There are plenty of JO’s out there who are a mix of these. Many of the JO’s will change paths during their time on board. I’ve seen plenty of hot-headed JO’s come in as Option #3 and get humbled into becoming Option #2. Sadly, I’ve also seen Option #2 become Option #3 (see: “elite” PNEO grads). Your time on board will be based on your attitude and the impression you give. Your sailors see everything and hear everything, and they will know when you fight for them and when you throw them under the bus. Do your best to enjoy your time, learn your way around, and do what’s best not just for you, but for the sailors under you.
Submarines once.
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The lone exception is that we removed two attachments the author included. The first of which was his purchase order of his A-school car showcasing his 24% interest rate. The second attachment was a list of his lookups from his first SRO board.
If you don’t understand/like this level of satire, The Subpar Group probably isn’t for you.