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Making a Submarine Officer - A story of the USS San Francisco
From October 2002 to September 2005, the crew of the USS San Francisco (SSN 711), a nuclear fast-attack submarine, took an incredible and gut-wrenching journey through 3 homeports, 2 missions vital to national security, 2 dry-dockings, dozens of leaders, and the worst submerged grounding in the history of the US Navy that did not result in the loss of the vessel. The author's journey as a young Naval Officer took him through the best and worst of these times, and his story carries lessons for military officers, leaders, and managers everywhere.
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First published May 26, 2011
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June 4, 2016I very much enjoyed this book, which will probably be of limited interest to most people not of a nautical bent. Fleming had never faced failure in his life having been a superior student and one that learned things easily, yet his first cruise on the nuclear submarine San Francisco was a difficult one as he was forced to learn how to function in a group where everyone had to rely on everyone else and contained a melange of personalities. It covers events from 2002-2005 and was certainly not uneventful having a underwater grounding that resulted in considerable damage to the hull.
Fleming had graduated from my alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania with honors in physics and Russian, but after the first year he was close to a nervous breakdown (his words) and wondering if he would spend the last three years of his Naval commitment sitting at a desk.
I’ve read a lot of nautical memoirs but this is the first that really makes you feel part of the ship and feel his pain as he navigates his way through the labyrinth of naval etiquette and responsibility, usually exhausted from the strain of studying to qualify for different jobs on board a ship suffering from constant material failures and being sent to Guam which had just been hit by a major typhoon and had never serviced a nuclear sub. The paperwork alone seemed enough to sink any vessel. Much of that paperwork stems from an effort to make everything perfect (a system that must have totally broken down during their overhaul.) The Naval Sea Systems Command, which controls everything concerning materials and design of ships, created a new standard of material and work control for all the things that make up a submarine. Every bolt, valve, o-ring, and lubricant that goes into a submarine must be perfect, certified, and able to be traced to its origin. If any discrepancies exist, then the piece will not be allowed, and someone has to have locked positive control of it for its entire ‘life.’ The Navy intentionally staffs QA jobs with the most uncompromising and disciplined people that it can find. These people can stop any boat in its tracks if they find even the smallest documentation problem.
Space is at a premium, especially as the junior most officer. After he first steps on board he “immediately discover[s] the first problem of being on a submarine: you are always in the way, no matter where you stand. Submarine passageways are only wide enough for one set of shoulders; if two people pass each other they have to turn sideways, and their chests still touch with both backs on the wall. At the bottom of the ladder, I immediately cause a road-block because I do not know which way to go. Several people give me nasty looks as I finally follow Brown down the steep ladder one more level. We walk aft past an endless stream of people staring at me since I am apparently the fresh meat for the grinder. The hallways are crowded with equipment affixed everywhere. There are lockers and boxes hanging in every space, and I feel surrounded on all sides. There is no wasted space.”
Mistakes happen when many in the crew are newbies. The one that sprayed 700 gallons of raw sewage over the galley area because a junior mechanic misaligned a valve was one of the most disgusting. Cuts and small injuries heal much slower on board because the oxygen mixture is reduced to only 18-20 percent. (Normal outside would be about 21 percent.) This reduces the chances of fire. Some captains would reward the crew by increasing the oxygen content by a percentage point.
The San Francisco had been bedeviled by a loud noise all during her transit to Guam and thereafter. Finally the Navy decided something needed to be done since a loud submarine is probably worse than no submarine and she was sent to San Diego into drydock where they discovered that during her overhaul, the San Francisco had been fitted with the wrong screw by the Norfolk yard, probably to save money. The fix cost millions for repairs not to mention the negative consequences on her mission readiness.
The repairs to the bow following the collision with the sea mountain while running at flank speed at a depth of 525 feet were fascinating. (That they survived is testimony to the hard work of the crew.) They cut the bow off the soon to be decommissioned USS Honolulu and welded it on the San Francisco at a cost of $79 million. Still in service it is expected to retire in 2017.
Fleming conclude the Guam experiment was an expensive failure, but it seems to me only because of problems with the San Francisco, a ship seemingly bedeviled by numerous material failures culminating in the underwater collision that very nearly sank the boat. Fleming’s coming of age, learning hard lessons from several captains, is painfully revealed, but I suspect much of his difficulty stemmed from being coddled in expensive and privileged boarding schools.
Nevertheless, I had difficulty putting this book down.
Fleming had graduated from my alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania with honors in physics and Russian, but after the first year he was close to a nervous breakdown (his words) and wondering if he would spend the last three years of his Naval commitment sitting at a desk.
I’ve read a lot of nautical memoirs but this is the first that really makes you feel part of the ship and feel his pain as he navigates his way through the labyrinth of naval etiquette and responsibility, usually exhausted from the strain of studying to qualify for different jobs on board a ship suffering from constant material failures and being sent to Guam which had just been hit by a major typhoon and had never serviced a nuclear sub. The paperwork alone seemed enough to sink any vessel. Much of that paperwork stems from an effort to make everything perfect (a system that must have totally broken down during their overhaul.) The Naval Sea Systems Command, which controls everything concerning materials and design of ships, created a new standard of material and work control for all the things that make up a submarine. Every bolt, valve, o-ring, and lubricant that goes into a submarine must be perfect, certified, and able to be traced to its origin. If any discrepancies exist, then the piece will not be allowed, and someone has to have locked positive control of it for its entire ‘life.’ The Navy intentionally staffs QA jobs with the most uncompromising and disciplined people that it can find. These people can stop any boat in its tracks if they find even the smallest documentation problem.
Space is at a premium, especially as the junior most officer. After he first steps on board he “immediately discover[s] the first problem of being on a submarine: you are always in the way, no matter where you stand. Submarine passageways are only wide enough for one set of shoulders; if two people pass each other they have to turn sideways, and their chests still touch with both backs on the wall. At the bottom of the ladder, I immediately cause a road-block because I do not know which way to go. Several people give me nasty looks as I finally follow Brown down the steep ladder one more level. We walk aft past an endless stream of people staring at me since I am apparently the fresh meat for the grinder. The hallways are crowded with equipment affixed everywhere. There are lockers and boxes hanging in every space, and I feel surrounded on all sides. There is no wasted space.”
Mistakes happen when many in the crew are newbies. The one that sprayed 700 gallons of raw sewage over the galley area because a junior mechanic misaligned a valve was one of the most disgusting. Cuts and small injuries heal much slower on board because the oxygen mixture is reduced to only 18-20 percent. (Normal outside would be about 21 percent.) This reduces the chances of fire. Some captains would reward the crew by increasing the oxygen content by a percentage point.
The San Francisco had been bedeviled by a loud noise all during her transit to Guam and thereafter. Finally the Navy decided something needed to be done since a loud submarine is probably worse than no submarine and she was sent to San Diego into drydock where they discovered that during her overhaul, the San Francisco had been fitted with the wrong screw by the Norfolk yard, probably to save money. The fix cost millions for repairs not to mention the negative consequences on her mission readiness.
The repairs to the bow following the collision with the sea mountain while running at flank speed at a depth of 525 feet were fascinating. (That they survived is testimony to the hard work of the crew.) They cut the bow off the soon to be decommissioned USS Honolulu and welded it on the San Francisco at a cost of $79 million. Still in service it is expected to retire in 2017.
Fleming conclude the Guam experiment was an expensive failure, but it seems to me only because of problems with the San Francisco, a ship seemingly bedeviled by numerous material failures culminating in the underwater collision that very nearly sank the boat. Fleming’s coming of age, learning hard lessons from several captains, is painfully revealed, but I suspect much of his difficulty stemmed from being coddled in expensive and privileged boarding schools.
Nevertheless, I had difficulty putting this book down.
March 27, 2021
I'd encourage anyone entering the military to read this book, not just would-be submarine officers. Any enlistee should consider what it takes to advance in rate and rank, what type of commitment they should make toward studying, qualifications they must accomplish, and how distractions on the shore can derail them. Fleming owns his missteps and shows how he overcame them. There's plenty of gold in here about leadership, management, and teamwork. - Darren Sapp, Author of Fire on the Flight Deck
February 15, 2019
Over the years, I've read a handful of fiction, non-fiction and memoir about submarine warfare, submarine operations, and first-hand accounts. Among the memoirs, I've finished probably less than half of the books I've started. Those I haven't finished were usually put aside because they were poorly written, or took too long to get to "the submarine part".
This book is an outlier for several reasons. First, the quality of the writing is superb - in terms of prose and structure - and more importantly, it's gripping. What makes this book all the more exceptional, is that 99% of it, is about a crumbling submarine and the crew's efforts to get it afloat, keep it afloat, and get it on-task. There is no combat. The author glosses over the operational missions in a sentence or two - so it is probably natural for a prospective reader to think, "Sounds boring. Why should I bother?"
Simply put, this is the best document available right now, of what it's like to serve on a modern, 21st century submarine - and what's more, Fleming is a fantastic writer. He gets you invested in his travails, and turning pages to see what happens next.
He paints a portrait of an ailing ship at the end of its service life, that requires constant upkeep and sucks the souls out of all of its inhabitants as they endeavor to change their homeport. He gives you a look at the life of an submarine officer seeking his Dolphins, which to my eyes, seems like four years of high-intensity underwater grad school, with occasional periods of being underway in a heavily cramped people tube crammed with machinery, on no sleep. There is the Jack London-like conflict with his first CO, who crucifies him for every mistake, plunging him into despair, and further CO's whose different management styles cultivate him as an officer and a leader.
I knew a former junior submarine officer in grad school right before the turn of the century. I remember when he introduced himself to me as a submarine officer - in a bathroom at a club while our class was out partying - and I was struck at how impressed he was with himself. At that time, I never gave much thought to what he must've gone through to be a submarine officer. i thought, you get trained, you get on a boat, it must've been pretty boring. But Fleming details the whole thing - Nuke school. The constant quest to qualify and not fuck up. The additional schooling. The maintenance tasks. The pressure not to make a single mistake in a less-than-zero tolerance environment. Grad school must've been a joke to my classmate after all that!
Hats off to those guys. Seriously.
And hats off to Alex Fleming, who wrote a serious, warts and all book about reality in the Navy, and being self-deprecating along the way. (I'd be more of a braggart like my classmate if I survived that shit!)
Fleming states that he wrote the book in the wake of a tragic accident suffered by his boat, and the portion detailing that incident (which I remember reading about at the time) is poignant and powerful.
If you're interested in modern Naval life, and the submarine service, I highly recommend this book above 99.9% of the self-published memoirs out there.
This book is an outlier for several reasons. First, the quality of the writing is superb - in terms of prose and structure - and more importantly, it's gripping. What makes this book all the more exceptional, is that 99% of it, is about a crumbling submarine and the crew's efforts to get it afloat, keep it afloat, and get it on-task. There is no combat. The author glosses over the operational missions in a sentence or two - so it is probably natural for a prospective reader to think, "Sounds boring. Why should I bother?"
Simply put, this is the best document available right now, of what it's like to serve on a modern, 21st century submarine - and what's more, Fleming is a fantastic writer. He gets you invested in his travails, and turning pages to see what happens next.
He paints a portrait of an ailing ship at the end of its service life, that requires constant upkeep and sucks the souls out of all of its inhabitants as they endeavor to change their homeport. He gives you a look at the life of an submarine officer seeking his Dolphins, which to my eyes, seems like four years of high-intensity underwater grad school, with occasional periods of being underway in a heavily cramped people tube crammed with machinery, on no sleep. There is the Jack London-like conflict with his first CO, who crucifies him for every mistake, plunging him into despair, and further CO's whose different management styles cultivate him as an officer and a leader.
I knew a former junior submarine officer in grad school right before the turn of the century. I remember when he introduced himself to me as a submarine officer - in a bathroom at a club while our class was out partying - and I was struck at how impressed he was with himself. At that time, I never gave much thought to what he must've gone through to be a submarine officer. i thought, you get trained, you get on a boat, it must've been pretty boring. But Fleming details the whole thing - Nuke school. The constant quest to qualify and not fuck up. The additional schooling. The maintenance tasks. The pressure not to make a single mistake in a less-than-zero tolerance environment. Grad school must've been a joke to my classmate after all that!
Hats off to those guys. Seriously.
And hats off to Alex Fleming, who wrote a serious, warts and all book about reality in the Navy, and being self-deprecating along the way. (I'd be more of a braggart like my classmate if I survived that shit!)
Fleming states that he wrote the book in the wake of a tragic accident suffered by his boat, and the portion detailing that incident (which I remember reading about at the time) is poignant and powerful.
If you're interested in modern Naval life, and the submarine service, I highly recommend this book above 99.9% of the self-published memoirs out there.
March 18, 2012
This book had me riveted. I just could not put it down. Maybe it's because I was in the Navy (but not on subs)... or that I had some ROTC training in college and I experienced that "Navy Officer" mentality. But the story here was also just very good. Fleming combines an interesting non-wartime military story with his own experience and personal growth as an officer. His years aboard the USS San Francisco were sometimes heart wrenching, sometimes belly-laugh funny, sometimes harrowing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I wish the author had included photos with the book (maybe the USN had a problem with that?) And I wish he had included more of a denouement regarding the grounding. For some great photos and other info re:damage to the sub see:http://www.ssbn611.org/uss_san_franci...
March 19, 2015
Very enjoyable read (and at times familiarly painful) for anybody who has ever served as a junior officer at sea in the US Navy. Highly recommended for any young person who is considering a career as a Naval officer. Mr. Fleming's unique experience of serving under four different commanding officers on his first and only tour highlights how much influence a ship's captain has on the environment of his command. I will definitely be recommending this book to young men and women considering pursuing a commission.
September 26, 2020
Absolutely outstanding first hand story of life on-board a nuclear attack submarine. It is different from other submarine stories I've read as it is unvarnished, and paints a picture that is not often pretty, but probably very realistic of life on board, short sighted Navy policies, and over the top officers that almost cost this officer his career. It also casts a black eye on repair facilities and shipyards that often do substandard work putting lives in danger. The book is eye-opening regarding the long deployments, chaotic personal life, and pressure that results in a leadership environment that is often toxic. The book is gripping and reveals an officer not afraid to admit his shortcomings. It shows his growth and subsequent maturity into a first rate sub officer, but sadly he leaves the service. A must read for any aficionado of submarine life.
March 2, 2019
Interesting read.
The book is a fast read. Interesting story, realistically told. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING THE U.S. SUBMARINE SERVICE, THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ! How leadership styles can make or break people is a warning to all who serve.
However, the quality of the writing is below fair, above poor. It would have been better if the author put the first draft away for a couple of years, then rewrote it...then found a ghost writer. There is an incredible story here, looking forward to the rewrite.
The book is a fast read. Interesting story, realistically told. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING THE U.S. SUBMARINE SERVICE, THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ! How leadership styles can make or break people is a warning to all who serve.
However, the quality of the writing is below fair, above poor. It would have been better if the author put the first draft away for a couple of years, then rewrote it...then found a ghost writer. There is an incredible story here, looking forward to the rewrite.
October 21, 2019
As a former sub sailor who was stationed in San Diego, Hawaii, and Guam I could relate to this book on a very personal level. My only disappointment was that it wasn't longer, I love a good read, and this was it. Good job "Alex". MMCM SS/SW Ken Babione, USN Ret
September 27, 2023
Accurate
Having served my first tour as an officer on a sub coming out of the yards, I found most of this to be very similar to my experience. It’s always interesting to both observe and experience the leadership growth on a first tour.
Having served my first tour as an officer on a sub coming out of the yards, I found most of this to be very similar to my experience. It’s always interesting to both observe and experience the leadership growth on a first tour.
September 2, 2017
A good submarine story
This has moments of triumph, and moments of defeat. Thank a really interesting read. Well worth the time to read it.
This has moments of triumph, and moments of defeat. Thank a really interesting read. Well worth the time to read it.
July 27, 2021
Fantastic memoir, but be warned that there were some formatting issues in my paperback print copy. Strongly recommended.
August 9, 2022
This book is the premium example of how good leadership is paramount for the perfomance in teams and of the individuals in that team. It altso depicts how bad leadership has the opposite effect to a level that you might loose some exceptionally good individuals from your organisation.
It's a thrilling story of the life inside one of the most secretive vessels in the world, but also a look into the psychological effect of beeing locked in a steel tube hundreds of feet bellow the surface.
If you are a leader, or aspire to be, you should absolutely read this book. And if you do read it, and don't understand why you should then leadership might not be your thing.
It's a thrilling story of the life inside one of the most secretive vessels in the world, but also a look into the psychological effect of beeing locked in a steel tube hundreds of feet bellow the surface.
If you are a leader, or aspire to be, you should absolutely read this book. And if you do read it, and don't understand why you should then leadership might not be your thing.
January 3, 2013
This is a very impressive story about a newly commissioned Naval Officer, Ensign Alex Flemin, reporting to his first duty station ob board the USS SAN FRANCISCO SSN-711. He is met by a onslaught of demands by his CO, his XO and senior officers, each iving him tedioud and complicated tasks. Three years, and three Commandin Offciers later, he leaves the Navy as an experienced officer.
The book is interesting as it describes the amount of work one must put in on a neuclear submarine, being qualified and earning one's dolphins. That means one must learn not only how everything operates, but must be abe to operate anything and everything. It tells of how a superior officer can make or break a junior officer but his leadership style.
It also tells of a multi-million dollar mistake the Navy can make by trying to save a few thousand dollars.
Well worth reading.
The book is interesting as it describes the amount of work one must put in on a neuclear submarine, being qualified and earning one's dolphins. That means one must learn not only how everything operates, but must be abe to operate anything and everything. It tells of how a superior officer can make or break a junior officer but his leadership style.
It also tells of a multi-million dollar mistake the Navy can make by trying to save a few thousand dollars.
Well worth reading.
April 8, 2015
A view from the inside
An interesting first person narrative from a young man who went through what has to be one of the most grueling programs in all of the military. What struck me most was the massive effect the CO has on the morale and performance of the entire crew... That, and the constant need to drink that overshadowed just about every off-boat adventure. One man's story, but a great look behind the curtain of the junior officer's journey towards competence and leadership. If you have family in the program, or are considering it for yourself, I highly recommend.
All the best,
Jay
An interesting first person narrative from a young man who went through what has to be one of the most grueling programs in all of the military. What struck me most was the massive effect the CO has on the morale and performance of the entire crew... That, and the constant need to drink that overshadowed just about every off-boat adventure. One man's story, but a great look behind the curtain of the junior officer's journey towards competence and leadership. If you have family in the program, or are considering it for yourself, I highly recommend.
All the best,
Jay
September 5, 2012
This is an interesting view of the modern military and submarine officers. some vague insights to leadership issues are shown, along with the power of inspiration to lower command levels.
While not as shocking or as personal as wartime stores in times past, it is still relevant examination of the current submarine force. It focus more on the personal and interpersonal actions and relationshis of officers and leaders, as a temp control their sensitive vessel. it would be a useful illustration for members of the peacetime military.
While not as shocking or as personal as wartime stores in times past, it is still relevant examination of the current submarine force. It focus more on the personal and interpersonal actions and relationshis of officers and leaders, as a temp control their sensitive vessel. it would be a useful illustration for members of the peacetime military.
September 17, 2012
A very hard book to put down at times...I served in ASW for many years and only had a few chances to be on a sub --even then it was very busy and I often found myself in the way. I am glad Mr. Fleming decided to share the story of the USS San Francisco and lessons he learned about leadership along the way...it seemed that everything fell into place when an incredible emergency required the best of him. As someone who is looking toward positions of leadership someday I can both relate and learn from this book.
March 1, 2014
The story kept me reading and I was impressed with the author's frank descriptions of his own failings and what I would consider poor behavior choices during off-duty time, but then again, he was a 20 something year-old at the time so his self-described drinking and partying all night when he had responsibilities the next morning are probably no uncommon. Since the context of his story was entirely new to me, I enjoyed and appreciated the detail he put into "life on the boat and for a relatively inexperienced writer, he did a pretty good job with it all. Thank for the Good Read, Alex:-).
November 4, 2016
Well written narrative of life as a junior officer on a submarine.
I highly recommend it for those aspiring to leadership in any organization. Standards matter, and Mr. Fleming does a bang up job in capturing his metamorphosis from nub to a leader, including the more painful aspects.
I highly recommend it for those aspiring to leadership in any organization. Standards matter, and Mr. Fleming does a bang up job in capturing his metamorphosis from nub to a leader, including the more painful aspects.
June 13, 2015
Really enjoyed this story of emerging leadership
Mr Fleming's story is great read for young people taking their first steps in the world beyond university walls. The challenges, failures, lessons learned, & drive to excel are applicable outside the military.
Mr Fleming's story is great read for young people taking their first steps in the world beyond university walls. The challenges, failures, lessons learned, & drive to excel are applicable outside the military.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews