Carriers vs. Boomers vs. Fast Attacks... What are the differences?!

[Kaye S.]

There are two types of subs, "fast attacks" and "boomers." Attack subs accompany an aircraft carrier group and are there to protect it from bad guys. They carry mostly torpedoes (for attacking) and a few Tomahawk missiles (for bad guy ships). They are small and agile, easy to manuver. Crews are smaller and space is very tight everywhere. A regular schedule is generally a longer deployment (6-9 months) & shorter "at-homes" (3 months) because they must go where the mother ship goes. But, the cruise is broken up with ports 'o call to foreign places, which is exciting. Communication with families is available via phone during these stops or via short emails when the sub is at communication depth.

Boomers are "lone wolves." They disappear into the ocean, purposely staying hidden, to do reconnaissance and peace-keeping. They carry Trident nuclear missiles (for peace-keeping) and some torpedoes (for self-defense). They are huge (2 football fields long and 3 stories high), but slower and not as agile. Crews are larger and more space is available for moving around (for instance, there's no racking amongst the torpedoes and not so much hot-racking). Their cruises are shorter (3 months), but they remain underwater constantly. The only communication families get is via short emails whenever the sub surfaces to communication depth. Their "at-homes" are longer though (6 months) making it easier on the personal life.

On carriers, sailors get to see the spectacular sunrises and sunsets; truly experiencing the ocean like sailors have for thousands of years. But, there are very strict chains of command and very little interaction between enlisted and officers. There's also less interaction between functions (machinists don't know sonar techs, etc.). Since sub crews are not 5000 strong, plus they cross-train extensively, the men know each other better across functions. Also, there's less formality between enlisted and officers, so the crew gets to know the command better and vice versa. ALL submariners must become qualified (earning their "dolphins" pin; see my other blog post about this). Unqualified guys get the bum end of every work detail, shift, and rack until they do. They must earn this pin within about 12-14 months of coming on board or they'll be reassigned to a carrier. And, perhaps most importantly of all, since the sub's galley is cooking for 150 (on a boomer; less on an attack sub), the food is better!

One other consideration from the mommy-viewpoint is that, if he can handle the no-sun and cooped-up atmosphere, I'd rather have my sailor underwater where bad guys are less likely to shoot at him.

In the Sub Moms group, check out the Discussion Forum for additional sub discussions (only 3 show at a time, although there are many more). Click on "View all" in this area and you'll have two pages of more sub talk to read. Find the discussion entitled "Lovely Links to Know" for many sites and videos to educate you about subs. Also check out the "USS Toledo Videos," for an excellent overview into sub life. I agree that the PBS series titled "Carrier" would be excellent for a view into "skimmer" life (what sumariners call surface sailors).

Good luck with the decision-making. Hugs! k.