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Comment by Mark on February 15, 2009 at 12:45pm

BTW, there is a somewhat comical barnyard analogy that very effectively clarifies the difference between contamination and radiation that we frequently use. Contamination is the "s**t", radiation is the stink - you don't want to get it on ya, or in ya (and we don't!).

Comment by Mark on February 15, 2009 at 12:40pm

Hi Amber,
Like most people, your son doesn't appear to understand the difference between radiation and contamination. Radioactive contamination is solid material that has become radioactive because it contains specific metals that can become radioactive, but only if they are very close to the operating reactor. The reactor is in the reactor compartment, which is heavily shielded, and is locked and sealed, after inspecting to ensure that no one is still inside before starting up. Because of this, radioactive contamination is all kept inside of the reactor system components and piping, unless there is a leak of contaminated water from the system. Leaks are very, very rare, and when they happen, they are almost always inside the reactor compartment, where only trained nuclear personnel are ever allowed. In the rare instances when they have occurred, shipyard personnel take over the responsibility of repairing the leak and completely cleaning up the contamination spread, at considerable expense, before turning the area back over to ship's personnel, who can then work in the area again without protective clothing. Again, this is very rare, and a lot of training and drilling is conducted by the nucs on the boats in dealing with the possibility. So, that's what contamination is. Now, for radiation. Radiation is not material, but is the energy (kind of like light) that is emitted by radioactive contamination, and in much larger quantity, from the reactor, operating inside of the heavily shielded reactor compartment. The levels of radiation immediately outside of the reactor compartment are safe, and quickly drop off the further one gets from the reactor. Also, everybody on the boat wears a device that monitors the small amount of radiation exposure that they receive, including your FCT son. Radiation cannot be "held", because it is energy, not matter. Contamination, which does give off small levels of radiation, can be swallowed, or breathed into and held by the body, which would give an internal dose of radiation. This would be a serious matter, and is the reason for the very stringent controls exercised when systems are opened for work after shutting down the reactor. However, contamination is kept contained within the reactor systems as described above, and ELTs do frequent surveys for contamination on board ship to verify this. Nobody on the ship is monitored (for radiation) more than anybody else - and certainly not an FCT, whose work brings him nowhere near the reactor, or even the outside of the reactor compartment, except infrequently when working on quals. As far as sensitivity to radiation goes, we all have the same sensitivity, with the exception of unborn children. The most sensitive cells in the body to radiation are the ones that are reproducing rapidly, as in the unborn child. For this reason, women nucs are removed from any duties in the spaces around the reactor compartment during their pregnancy. As far as potential damage to genetic material in male/female reproductive organs; this is one of the main reasons for the very low limits for radiation exposure that the Navy follows, and repeat studies have never shown any increase in genetic effects in offspring of Navy personnel due to radiation exposure. I hope that your son is very new to the boat - he has some very large misconceptions about radiation on submarines that indicate he wasn't paying attention at times in his training, and can be fixed now if he sits down and talks to the Corpsman, or the ELTs on his boat - right now, he is seriously misinformed, assuming that something wasn't lost in communicating with you. It would be best if you recommend that he talk to these guys, rather than quote me; I'm just a guy on the internet really, and there are many people on his boat with the expertise to educate him better, and address his concerns. Hope this helps...

Comment by NevadaSierra on February 15, 2009 at 11:55am

Thank you Mark! That is one of those questions that I've been holding back on asking. This eases one of those 'concerns'.

Comment by Mark on February 14, 2009 at 11:24pm

Really glad that helped - there's a lot of nonsense in the popular culture that can't be comforting to families of our sailors in the nuc Navy!

Comment by Mark on February 14, 2009 at 9:31pm

Hi Wendy,
I know you don't want to alarm any of the moms about effects of radiation, but just in case, I can give a lot of info on this, since many of you are certain to have concerns. Radiation safety was and is a big part of my job as an ELT on the boat and a Health Physicist now. The radiation exposure of the nucs and everyone else on the boats is quite low. We are all exposed to radiation everywhere we go - cosmic radiation is a significant source, some parts of the country (especially areas in the west where a lot of mining activity takes place) also have higher natural levels of background radiation from natural activity in the soil. Everybody's exposure on the boat is tracked, and submariners on average (including nucs) actually get less exposure than the average person, because while underway, they're not exposed to the background sources from cosmic radiation and soils. Airline flight crews (and very frequent fliers) definitely get more exposure than nucs. Because airplanes at altitude have so much less atmosphere to provide shielding (yes, enough air will provide significant shielding), 250 cross-country flights will deliver the Navy's annual limit for radiation exposure, which is set conservatively at 1/10 of the legal limit set by the government. As an ELT, my watchstanding duties made my annual exposure one of the highest five on the boat, and I was still usually at only about 80% of the Navy limit. I incidentally have two boys, no girls, and seriously doubt any study showing skewed birth statistics - I have never heard that one, personally. Carrier nucs average less from Navy exposure than submariners, since the carrier engine rooms are so much larger - they are further from the reactors. Anyway - just wanted to set some minds at ease.. :-)

Comment by LLovesmysailor on February 12, 2009 at 8:26pm

My son Alex is an ET aboard the Miami. Tell him to say hi to Alex from his Mom.

Comment by LLovesmysailor on February 12, 2009 at 4:50pm

I just thought I'd let you all know that the Knit for the Navy group has chosen the USS Tennessee as the sub to get afgans and blankets for the next two months. Don't worry, I warned them about the space restriction issue and that the subs only have men on board. I just thought it was cool that the group thought of a sub. Anyway, if any of you would like to join our group or help with shipping costs, check out the group for information.

Comment by NevadaSierra on February 10, 2009 at 9:40am

Hi Bobbi: Sounds like our sailors are on parallel paths. I too am anxious to keep in touch, and to learn more. You have been awesome, and I appreciate all of your help!
Our sailor is on his last deployment too. Then shore duty in Bremerton.

Comment by NevadaSierra on February 8, 2009 at 11:30pm

Wanted to show you all - I finally was able to scan and upload our dil's favorite picture of Adam - so my picture has changed. Brianna is now 13 month's old. Thanks to Ordy - I really stretched my learning capacity this weeknend. And, it was worth is.

Comment by LLovesmysailor on February 8, 2009 at 2:45pm

There is a good side to those two books. It reminds us that both the Thresher and the Scopion went down more than 30 years ago. That these subs were built at the dawn of the Nuclear Submarine age. The US Navy (unlike the Russians) has learned a huge amount about building and operating these amazing pieces of machinery since that time. No sub has been lost since then. When you see the damage done to the USS San Francisco a few years ago you realize how commited to safety the Navy is now. Maybe I should not have mention that? One of those things you probably shouldn't look up.

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