I spent about one and half years going through navy training before I could even step on a US submarine. Some of times were very tough, but it was very rewarding.

I joined the Navy in 1986. It was a very tough decision for me. I am the youngest of six children and the last to leave home. My father passed way when I was 13, so this left my mother to live alone with my other siblings living near by.

Not only was it a hard decision to make, but I knew that I was not the military ‘type.’ Since my father died when I was young, I did not have a strong father figure to set me straight. I was rebellious. I was vocal and had problems with authority. I had long hair and got into some trouble. However, I knew deep down that this was something I had to do. College was not an option for a poor kid like me.

I went to Great Lakes Illinois for boot camp in the summer of 1986. I never expected it to be so hot in the summer in Northern Middle America. The only weather news I would hear in New England about Chicago was “Man it’s much colder in Chicago than in Boston!” I never expected the summer heat.

I made it through boot camp. Not with out its share of difficulty though. Since I was a big kid I had to PT (Physical Training) every night. So not only did I have to run everywhere with my company during the day and attend classes, at night when the rest of my company was relaxing, I had to run more! I made it through.

After boot camp I went to Basic Electricity and Electronic (BEE) School in Great Lakes. This school was interesting in that it was self paced and asynchronous. There was a civilian instructor that was available to answer questions, but for the most part we were on our own. We just had to meet certain time requirements.

 This was also my first exposure to dark side of human life. I have never been exposed to deceitful individuals before. But this was the first time I saw pimps, thieves, muggers, and prostitutes. These people were just outside the base and would look for young sailors to take advantage of.

After I graduated I was sent to Basic Enlisted Submarine School (BESS) in Groton CT. This was close to home for me and I was excited. I was gone for about 6 months due to boot camp and BEE. However, I learned quickly that I had to keep my nose in the books. For the first week I tried to go home almost every night at the advice of friends and family that wanted to see me. Well that first week I failed my exams and had to be set back in training.

My family, friends and I didn’t understand the importance and rapid pace of submarine instruction. After this point I could only go home on weekends if I didn’t have duty.

After 2 months at BESS I graduated and went to San Diego California for sonar technician A and C (apprenticeship and journeyman training) schools. I loved San Diego. I was there for about 1 year of training. The beaches were beautiful. But much like Chicago I was exposed to many ‘bad’ elements I never knew existed. Perhaps I was just young and naive. I never thought if a girl started to talk to me that it would turn into a possible business transaction! Just south of the boarder was Tijuana which was an education for another topic.

After all this schooling, I took orders to the USS Minneapolis ST. Paul (SSN708) a Los Angeles fast attack submarine stationed in Norfolk Virginia. 

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