Calling all Bubbleheads

I noticed there appear to be more than a few Submarine Sailors on this forum.
FTB/MT (Coner)
Served on:
SSBN618G USS Thomas Jefferson
SSBN641B USS Simon Bolivar (Twice)
SSBN658G USS Mariano G. Vallejo
Joined in Dec 1976
I retired as an E-6, Oct 31 1995 due to Reduction in Forces and major spine/neck injuries not allowing me to return to Sea. Thanks to RIF, I actually received a Full Retirement and not a Medical.

This was the best job I have ever had. I love the Sea and serving in the Navy allowed me to stay close to it for nearly 20 years. Actually I am still very close to it here in Alaska, it’s only a 20 minute drive but the water is very cold.
I actually learned to brew at sea. We would get some clean 10 to 20 gallon poly bottles from the Nukes or A-Gangers, fill’em full of apple juice, grape juice or whatever, often uses pieces of fruit, add a buttload of sugar and throw in bread yeast, top off with water, put a balloon on top and hide them outboard equipment in the frame bays.
Nasty stuff it was but we drank it. I also remember taking fruit pulp from the bottle and placing it in our cheeks, turning our faces numb.

So, Brothers of the ‘Phin, what got you started brewing and let’s share some stories!

I know there is a Military Brewer thread started by militaryman (Salute and Thanks!) but you know us Boat Sailors, we always got to do things our own way. We think differently enough from the rest of the world, after all, who in their right mind volunteers to serve boats that are designed to sink?

Submarines once! Submarines twice! Holy jumpin' Jesus Christ. I'll save the rest as I'm sure you know it gets NSFW pretty quick. Anyway, Hooyah submarines! I am a current sub sailor out of Groton, CT. I'm on shore duty right now but I joined in 2004 and served on the good ship Texas (plankowner) for almost 6 years and 3 different home ports. I never made hooch underway, but I came close on my last deployment.

I got into brewing when my friend who is in the Army told me I should try it out. I was hooked before the first batch was even bottled. Being at sea made it easy to wait the appropriate amount of time for fermentation and conditioning.

Yeah, I brewed alot through the '80s and tapered off til I quit in the early '90s. Moved here after retiring and started back up. I do little bit of everything, beer, wine, mead, cider and soda.

I was Army but my dad was a Navy Nuke. Served on the USS Daniel Webster I believe during nam era. Spent quite a bit of time on that sub from the sound of it. He was then a nuke trainer in I believe Michigan (thats where the training facility is/was right?) after that. He was E-7 when he got out from doing that.

SSBN626 USS Daniel Webster, never rode her. We are somewhat reversed, my dad was Army and I of course was Navy. My oldest daughter is a fromer Marine.

We are all over the place, my sister is a westpoint grad. Captain in the Army. Her husband is also Wespoint. Captain in the Special Forces.

I personally wished I had gone Navy or Airforce instead. I actually almost joined the Navy reserves 2 years ago but slapped myself and realized what the heck I was doing.

Dad - Army
3 uncles - Army
Me - Navy Submarines
Brother - Navy Target (Surface Ship)
Brother - Air Force
Daughter - Marine
Son in Law - Marine

Subsailor said:

Dad - Army
3 uncles - Army
Me - Navy Submarines
Brother - Navy Target (Surface Ship)
Brother - Air Force
Daughter - Marine
Son in Law - Marine

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At least your daughter any Sil got it right

USS JFK with tailhooking VS-22 Checkmates.
Spent my time hunting you bubble heads

Eldest is AE for VF outfit
Youngest is Radioman for USMC

I spent time on the Mount Whitney (LCC-20), but my son took your route on the Scranton (SSN-756).


I did a four day Tiger Cruise on his boat. Damn, give you guys a lot of credit!

USS City of Corpus Christi, SSN 705. God's Flagship.

A long time ago...

Hey Nukebrewer, I was just up in Groton a couple of times recently. We had a boat reunion, then my good friend retired from being the Command Master Chief of Subschool, which I could not make, then I went back up with my two oldest sons and took them on a tour of the USS New Mexico.

jaronimo said:

USS City of Corpus Christi, SSN 705. God's Flagship.

A long time ago...

Hey Nukebrewer, I was just up in Groton a couple of times recently. We had a boat reunion, then my good friend retired from being the Command Master Chief of Subschool, which I could not make, then I went back up with my two oldest sons and took them on a tour of the USS New Mexico.

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Nice, I was just on the New Mexico recently doing some work. Was that your first time on a Virginia class sub?

Subsailor said:

Dad - Army
3 uncles - Army
Me - Navy Submarines
Brother - Navy Target (Surface Ship)
Brother - Air Force
Daughter - Marine
Son in Law - Marine

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Awesome! I love real service families.

Mine:

Dad's Pop: Navy, Pacific Theater WWII
Mom's Pop and Uncle: Army, European Theater WWII
Mom's Brother #1: Air Force, Vietnam Era
Mom's Brother #2: Army, Vietnam War
Dad: Army, post-Nam
Me: Army, Kosovo and Bosnia
Cousin: Navy, Subs, Gulf War
His brother: Marines, Iraq 2 or 3 times
'Nam Vet's Son: Former CG rescue swimmer, current Army Green Beret
Brother #1: Army, Texas, soon to be Germany
Brother #2: Leaves for Army in January

My wife's family doesn't have as many, but they get the prize in my book:
Great-Uncle: Army, D-Day second wave
Mom's Pop: Marine, Pacific. One of few survivors of Tarawa. Survived multiple island invasions. Went on to be shot 3 times and kill multiple perps as a Newark Police Officer. Cancer got him before we could have a beer together.

nukebrewer said:

Nice, I was just on the New Mexico recently doing some work. Was that your first time on a Virginia class sub?

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Yes, and it was pretty impressive.

jaronimo said:

Yes, and it was pretty impressive.

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Quite a difference from the LA class you remember, huh? My only operational experience is on a Virginia class, so I don't really know much about the operational differences. I go on the 688s every now and then for work and the design differences, large and small, always draw my attention.

I had a great-uncle on my mom's side, he was a Diesel Boat Sailor - DBF!

2 guys I work with were on Subs. One day Chuck (the older one) brought in a scrapbook of his time at sea to show Dave (the younger one) at our staff meeting. After flipping thru a couple pages scruffy looking sailors with beards in the scrapbook Dave turns to Chuck and asks "Which Navy were you in?" The whole room busts up laughing, knowing full well that Chuck was in the US Navy the same as Dave. Chuck then says "man do I feel old now." During my last cruise, they changed the regulation that you had to be clean shaven. Dave apparently was not even aware there was a time when you didn't shave on a sub at sea.