Aboard Ballistic Missile Submarine, Bountiful Native Keeps America’s Nuclear Adversaries at Bay
http://navyoutreach.blogspot.com/2018/08/aboard-ballistic-missile-submarine_15.html
By Chief Mass Communication Specialist Bill Steele, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David Wyscaver
SILVERDALE, Wash. – A 2010 Bountiful High School graduate and Bountiful, Utah, native is presently engaged in a critical mission for the security of the United States: deterring nuclear war.
Lt. j.g. Remington Carlson, a submarine officer, is serving aboard one of the world’s most advanced ballistic missile submarines, USS Alabama. Based at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in Washington, not far from Seattle, USS Alabama is one of 14 Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines in the Navy’s fleet.
As a submarine officer, Carlson is responsible for primarily with the safe operation of the nuclear power plant.
“There's nothing cooler than operating a nuclear power plant on a highly capable nuclear sub,” Carlson said.
Carlson draws from lessons learned growing up in Bountiful.
“Bountiful has a long history of hard work and excellence and it continues to be instilled in this generation,” Carlson said. "It prepared and propelled me into the high standards required of the Navy."
The Navy’s ballistic missile submarines, often referred to informally as “boomers,” serve as undetectable launch platforms for intercontinental ballistic missiles. They are designed specifically for stealth, extended patrols and the precise delivery of missiles, and they are the only survivable leg of the nation’s strategic nuclear forces, which also include land-based missiles and aircraft.
As long as nuclear weapons remain in the hands of potential adversaries, the nation’s nuclear forces provide a safe, secure and credible deterrent to the threat of nuclear attack. The Navy’s continuous at-sea deployment of submarines like USS Alabama provides the ability to mount an assured response.
As effective as the Ohio-class submarines have been over their decades-long lifetimes, the fleet is aging, with the oldest submarines now more than 30 years old, well past their planned service lives.
A new and effective successor is critical to national security, and the Navy is well into the process of designing and fielding a more advanced ballistic missile submarine, which will provide the necessary sea-based nuclear deterrence into the 2080s and beyond.
Submarine sailors are some of the most highly trained and skilled people in the Navy. The training is highly technical, and each crew has to be able to operate, maintain, and repair every system or piece of equipment on board. Regardless of their specialty, everyone also has to learn how everything on the submarine works and how to respond in emergencies to become “qualified in submarines” and earn the right to wear the coveted gold or silver dolphins on their uniforms.
"The men and women from across our nation who volunteer for military service embody the fundamental values of honor, courage and sacrifice that are the bedrock of our republic," said Rear Adm. Blake Converse, Commander, Submarine Group Nine. "They protect and defend America from above, below, and across the world's oceans. The entire nation should be extremely proud of the hard work that these sailors do every single day to support the critical mission of the Navy and the submarine force."
“Being able to rise to the challenge of enjoying your time with your shipmates and maintaining a high state of readiness is a tough balancing act,” Carlson said. "You don't get days off on a sub, you've got to be ready when called for to complete the mission.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Carlson and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, one that will provide a critical component of the Navy the nation needs.
“My Navy service is a way for me to develop and refine my character while at the same time serving my country and providing for my family,” Carlson said.
