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About
About PolierProductions:
Listen to the attached Clip File to get a flavor of what we are aiming for. The Clip File is short (4 minutes) and it will give you an idea of what we are doing.
What Is it?
Life on a Nuclear Submarine during the Cold War.
1. What was (Shipboard) Life like?
2. Some Thing That Happened That We All Remember. (As we interviewed people, there were several – each told from different perspectives!)
3. That Life, those that we remember, and how it – and they – affected / impacted us.
Term / Acronym / Initialism | Definition | Comment Command Positions |
|---|---|---|
O-1 (Ensign) | Newly Commissioned Nub | This is where the Officers begin their Journey; Learning Ship’s Systems and Taking a Division. |
O-2 (Lieutenant, Junior Grade) | Run a Division, Stand watches AFT/FWD. | Division Officer; Nuclear Qualification, MPA, SONAR |
O-3 (Lieutenant) | Run a Division, Stand watches AFT/FWD. | Division Officer; Nuclear Qualification, Engineer |
O-4 (Lieutenant Commander) | Run a Department. | WEPS, NAV |
O-5 (Commander) | Command. | Squadron and Above. |
O-6 (Captain) | (And Yes: There are other Officer Ranks. O-7, 8, and 9. Admirals. A bit Mythical / Unicorn-like at our level.) |
Term / Acronym / Initialism | Definition | Comment |
|---|---|---|
E-1 (Recruit) | Fireman or Seaman | You are a Nub. |
E-2 (Apprentice) | Fireman or Seaman | You are still a Nub. |
E-3 (Fireman or Seaman) | MM, ET, MS, etc. | You are probably still a Nub. |
E-4 (3rd Class Petty Officer) | MM3, ET3, MS3, etc. | You can do things – with supervision. |
E-5 (2nd Class Petty Officer) | MM2, ET2, MS2, etc. | You can do things. |
E-6 (1st Class Petty Officer) | MM1, ET1, MS1, etc. | You do things and supervise. |
E-7 (Chief Petty Officer) | MMC, ETC, MSC, etc. | You Manage and Supervise. |
E-8 (Senior Chief Petty Officer) | MMCS, ETCS, MSCS, etc. | You Manage, Supervise, and ensure Quality Coffee. |
E-9 (Master Chief Petty Officer) | MMCM, ETCM, MSCM, etc. | You are a COB. |
Term / Acronym / Initialism | Definition | Comment |
|---|---|---|
EM Electrician’s Mate | All things Electrical | From Bunk Lights and Heaters, to Fans and Big Pump Motors. Turbine Generators, Motor Generators and a big honkin’ battery. |
ET Nuc Electronics Technician | Reactor Controls | Yeah, that stuff. |
ET Nav Electronics Technician | Navigation Equipment | Getting us back and forth safely. |
ET Comms Electronics Technician | Communications Equipment | Hello? |
FT Fire Control Technician | Weapons Control | Weapons Control Systems |
MM Nuc Machinist’s Mate | All things Mechanical – Nuclear | From Valves, Pumps, and Piping to Stand-Alone equipment (i.e., Distillation Units), Pumping and Lubricating Oil systems and Utilities that support a Reactor / Steam Plant. |
MM Non-Nuc Machinist’s Mate | All things Mechanical – Non-Nuclear | From Valves, Pumps, and Piping to Stand-Alone equipment (i.e., Distillation Units), Pumping and Lubricating Oil systems and Utilities that support all Ships Systems. |
MS Mess Management Specialist | Cook | All-Around Chef, Baker and Magician. |
QM Quartermaster | Navigation | Charts, Plots, Sextant (Oh Yeah!) |
SK Storekeeper | Stores and Spare Parts | Every Nook and Cranny is packed. (Where is it?) |
ST Sonar Technician | Contact Identification | Contact as in something or someone |
TM Torpedoman | Weapons | All Weapons |
YN Yeoman | Administration |
Term / Acronym / Initialism | Definition | Comment |
|---|---|---|
CO | Commanding Officer | Note at this point the CO has already had multiple submarine tours where he was an XO as well as ENG, NAV, WEPS and stood all associated command watches. |
COB
(Spoken “COB”) | Chief of the Boat | Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Captain; Direct Liaison between the CO/XO and the Crew. |
COW (Spoken “Chief-of-the-Watch”) | Chief of the Watch | Command Watch Station for Operational Ship’s Buoyancy, & Internal Ship’s Utilities (Compressed Air, Oil Plants, Fuel Tanks, Sanitary Systems, & Potable Water.) Jr. Officers and Sr. Enlisted stand this Station. |
Crank | Mess Cook, Cranking, Scullery Duty | Mess / Galley Clean, Food Prep, Table Set, Runner, Pots / Pans, Dishwasher. With few exceptions all Enlisted Crew do this for between 1-3 months. |
Crew’s Mess / Galley | Dining Benches, and Kitchen | Kitchen also takes care of Officer’s Mess. The 2 Mess’ also used as areas for Training, Meetings, Movies, Operating Room, etc. |
DIVE | Diving Officer | Command Watch Station for Operational Ship’s movement through the Water, specifically Diving and Surfacing. Mid-Level Officers and Senior Enlisted stand this Watch Station. |
EDO | Engineering Duty Officer | Responsible for Nuclear Reactor Operations. |
DO | Duty Officer | Responsible for Ship Operations and Safety. |
ENG | Chief Engineer | Responsible for Propulsion, Electric Power, and Ship’s Habitability Utilities. |
Inboard / Outboard | Relative position description | Inboard: Closer to the Center of the Sub. Outboard: Closer to the Perimeter of the Sub. As in “The ladder Outboard of the switchgear”. |
MPA | Main Propulsion Assistant | Assistant to the Engineer. Responsible for Mechanical and Auxiliary Divisions. |
NAV | Navigator | Responsible for Ship’s position and getting to/from destinations. |
OOD (or just OD) | Officer of the Deck | Two different Qualification processes: Submerged and Surface. When transiting on the Surface, OOD is in the ship’s Sail. |
Port / Starboard | Facing Forward: Left / Right | Mnemonic: Port and Left both have 4 letters. |
Sail | Superstructure with Fins | Contains Navigation Equipment, Periscope, and moveable fins to help steer the Submarine. |
Shitter | Toilet | A steel bowl with a giant Ball valve at the bottom (a sphere with a core removed) which you rotate using a large handle like a slot machine. A second smaller valve is opened to direct flushing water to the waste. |
Topside | The Top of the Submarine | Black Non-Skid (Paint with large particles) across the top, with a recessed Rail (for Body Harness Clips) running the length, access hatches for people, equipment, and Food. Oh, and the Sail. |
Upper / Middle / Lower Level | Different compartment Levels | Some Compartments have 2 Levels and some have 3. So OPS UL is the Upper Level of OPS Compartment. |
WEPS | Weapons Officer | Responsible for Ships Weapons. |
XO | Executive Officer | Second in Command. Note at this point the XO has already been a submarine ENG as well as NAV, and WEPS and stood all associated command watches. |
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