Back in the mid-1980s I got a most wonderful assignment. To make a series of one-hour television specials about the real experiences of American soldiers – Marines – sailors – infantry & submariners. I was assigned to a sub and left free from any editorial control by either the military or PBS or the sponsor who gave me a grant, United Technologies Corporation.

The United States Navy operates a training school for submarine service out of Groton, Connecticut known as the Naval Submarine School. The school is part of the Naval Submarine Base New London that has been the home port of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet's Submarine Force since 1916.

The Naval Submarine School offers courses to enlisted sailors and officers in various aspects of submarine operations. These include the Basic Enlisted Submarine School (BESS), which is a preliminary course for enlisted sailors who have volunteered for submarine service. Subjects covered in BESS include:

Basic submarine systems: Training covers familiarization with the different systems on a submarine, including its weaponry, sonar, navigation, communications, and propulsion systems.
Basic damage control: Trainees learn emergency procedures, firefighting, flooding and hull-breach control, and other damage control operations.

Submarine escape procedures: This includes training in escape and survival equipment and techniques, as well as how to evacuate a submarine in an emergency.

Submarine history and traditions: This provides a grounding in the traditions and heritage of the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Force.

After BESS, sailors may go on to further specialized training depending on their job (or "rating") within the submarine force. This can include training in sonar operation, nuclear propulsion, electronics, communications, and more.

Submarine service in the U.S. Navy is volunteer-only and is considered one of the more challenging paths in the military, requiring both physical and mental toughness, as well as a broad range of technical skills. The training is rigorous and demanding.

As to how long it takes to become a submarine sailor, it can vary. The BESS is about eight weeks long. After BESS, further specialized training can take several months to over a year, depending on the rating. For instance, sailors in the Navy's nuclear propulsion program (which includes many of those serving on submarines) can spend six months to a year or more in training before they report to their first submarine.

Once aboard a submarine, a sailor must qualify as a submariner, earning his ”dolphins" or submarine warfare insignia. This process involves a comprehensive qualification process to learn the boat's systems and operations, and it usually takes about a year. All in all, becoming a fully qualified submariner can take a couple of years.

Those who make it through the program have lived through a rigorous selection process with intensive training and support and while not all who start the program complete it, the graduation rate is surprisingly high.

I want to thank those advertisers who place ads on my video. US Marine Corps. submarines. join the navy. enlist in the navy. Army online application. Join the Army. Join the Army application. I want to join the Army. Enrolling in the Army. Requirements to join the Army. Fox nation for veterans. Army online registration. Join the U.S. Air Force. Enlist to the Marines. Camp Lejeune phone number. submarine school.
David Hoffman filmmaker

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