USS
L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686)
Homeport:
Charleston, SC
February 1976 - April 1977
Upon
graduation from SINS school, I received orders to report to the
USS L. Mendel Rivers SSN-686 in Charleston, SC. Even though the
Rivers was a SINS MK 3 MOD 6 boat (vice MK 3 MOD 4), I assured my
detailer that I could handle it. I moved the family into a rented
house in Summerville and then later into Navy quarters in Hunley
Park. I reported aboard in early February of 1976. Shortly after
reporting aboard, the boat departed on a six month MED cruise. This
turned out good for me, as I was able to devote all my spare time
working on my submarine qualifications. I ended up qualifying and
receiving my dolphins in just a little over 5 months. It was frustrating
at times trying to get some of my qualification signatures, as several
of the sub-qualified lower rated individuals took great pleasure
making an E7 sweat and work his butt off for a signature. I took
my test, oral board, and walk through while moored in La Maddalena,
Sardinia. In tradition, I drank the potent brew, that covered my
dolphins, and caught them in my teeth - at the local CPO club. I
also bore the bruises that came with pinning on one's dolphins.
A great tradition that I'm sure has been watered down, along with
many other traditions, by the changing times.
I
thought I knew what a clean ship was . . . .
I
thought, before arriving on the L. Mendel Rivers, that I knew what
the definition of cleanliness was in the U.S. Navy. Well, I was
in for a rude awakening. Shortly after reporting on board, I was
paired up with the CO on a Material Zone inspection. Our zone assignment
was the aft engine room. As we proceeded along, I would turn around
at times and the CO would be gone! And then, I would see these feet
sticking out from under some piece of equipment and he would be
crawling and reaching back as far as he physically could, trying
to find any little speck of dirt, oil, grease, etc. I swear those
decks were clean enough to eat off! I also learned more later after
the CO tore up one of my spaces (a periscope well) in another inspection.
It was an eye opener for me as I had always classified myself as
a stickler on cleanliness.
The
L. Mendel Rivers Exiting The Cooper River & Into Open Sea
Always
checking your actions . . . .
Another
thing that I had to learn on submarines, versus surface ships
(targets as they're called on subs), was getting used to someone
always looking over your shoulder and/or double checking your
actions. At first, I took offense to it - before I learned why.
I was in charge of the mooring functions on the boat (forward),
when entering or leaving port. On one particular occasion, after
leaving port, I supervised the stowing of all mooring lines in
the storage lockers provided in the hull. After going below, I
was asked if all storage lockers latches were secured, and I said
"yes." I was asked once again and I said "look,
when I say something is done, it is done." Well, they took
my word for it and shortly after submerging it became apparent
that I was a little remiss in my duties. One of the latches came
loose on one of the line lockers and gave us a noise signature
through the water - a definite no no. Everytime the CO would see
me, he would give me that ah-sh** look! After that incident, I
checked each latch myself and never questioned anyone looking
over my shoulder again!
Deployments
can get boring . . . .
This
deployment took place during the pet rock craze, and one of the
chiefs took one along on the cruise. He took that rock with him
everywhere: to chow, on watch, everywhere. A few of us chiefs
got together and decided to kidnap the rock. We finally succeeded
in getting our hands on it when he was sound asleep. We left a
note saying "if you want to see your rock alive again, you'll
leave one dozen cookies in a brown paper bag in a specific location."
He never came up with the cookies, so we pulverized the rock and
spread it out on his rack. He was upset at us the rest of the
cruise. Then there was the time I pinned this one Senior Chief's
collar devices upside down (he really prided himself in his military
appearance). It just so happened this Admiral was visiting that
day and commented to the Senior Chief "having trouble dressing
yourself today senior chief?" He was livid! He got me back
later though. You can see we were hard up for entertainment.
The L. Mendel Rivers At Sea
Tour
of the Isle of Capri . . . .
While
in port in Naples, Italy we (about 5-6 chiefs and myself) went
on a tour of the Isle of Capri. The coxswain (a fellow chief)
of an Admiral's barge offered to take us. It seems that the Admiral
had offered the use of his barge to the officers, but they had
declined. We got a case of steaks out of the mess, bought some
beer and charcoal and headed out. Our first stop was the famous
Blue Grotto, on the Isle of Capri. We dropped anchor and hired
a tour guide, and his small boat, to take us to the grotto. He
oared us into the cave, which was very scenic - especially the
clear crystal blue water with all its light reflections. It seems
a couple Chiefs already had a little too much beer and dove overboard
and had a race back to the barge. The tour guide had a fit and
all the other tourists thought we were a little nuts. After walking
around ashore for a while, we took the barge for a tour around
the island. we stopped in one quiet cove, barbequed some steaks
and drank some beer. Several Chiefs wanted to swim, and we didn't
bring along any swim gear, so you can imagine what we swam in.
Anyway, a foreign correspondent (for some foreign magazine) came
along while we were swimming. She was doing a photo shoot and
story on Capri. She was laughing a lot and took several pictures
of us inebriated sailors - so, I guess we ended up in some magazine
somewhere.
Tours
of Pompeii, Florence, and Pisa, Italy . . . .
I
also went on a tour of Pompeii and and Mount Vesuvius,
during our port visit in Naples. The tour of Pompeii was extremely
interesting, and since we were all males, we got the X-rated tour.
They showed us several porno statue collections (that the rich
collected) and a couple houses of ill-repute (each had a painting
of their particular speciality above each cubicle). But, the tour
of the whole town was pretty impressive - seeing the chariot ruts
worn in the stone pavement and many of the engineering feats performed
by the Roman population was amazing. Later, during a port visit in La Spezia Italy, I went on a tour of Florence, and the town of Pisa . In the town of Pisa, I went
up into the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I didn't stay long at the top
though, as it was raining slightly and they only had a flimsy
railing around the edge. In fact an american female teenager tourist
had slipped under the railing and fell off the tower (just a week
or so before) and was killed. Our country's OSHA would have a
field day in this place! Also, the angle that it is leaning is
really exaggerated at the top - it seems like it is leaning at
almost 45-degrees! Then, the churches and all the artwork in Florence
(especially anything done by Michelangleo) was simply awesome.
Taken while on watch in the Control Room.
New
Skipper . . . .
Soon
after our return from the Med, we got a new skipper (CDR Jones).
This skipper, soon after diving, would take the Conn and do severe
angles and dangles for about 30-minutes. Then, he would get on
the 1mc and say "now rig the ship for sea!" And, there
would be crap all over the place. We soon learned to really rig
for sea prior to getting underway. Ironically, our battery became
severely damaged during one of these episodes and we required
a Tiger Team to replace several cells.
The L. Mendel Rivers Running On
The Surface
I
held several positions . . . .
I
held several collateral duties while on board. In addition to
being the Chief ET (forward), I was the Command 3-M Coordinator
and the Mediterranean Publications Officer when deployed. I also
volunteered to be the Command United Way Campaign Manager. My
goal here was not so much accumulating all the donations that
I could get (although I was trying to be the best in the squadron),
but more so on total participation. My goal was 100% participation.
Well, thanks to one stubborn individual (one of my fellow CPO's
by the way - wouldn't contribute one penny) we didn't make it.
We came in second in the squadron, we were narrowly beat out by
the Sun Fish (both in participation and total contributions).
ET
Gang . . . .
I
had an excellent ET gang on board, but I probably wasn't their
favorite Chief. I was pretty hard on them, at times, when it came
to critiquing their work on repairing equipment. I thought at
the time that they were at times too ready to settle for mediocre
performance vice getting the piece of equipment back to peak performance,
where I thought it should be. Looking back, my expectations may
have been a little too harsh. Also, being a boot on submarines,
I started off standing Navigation watches before I became submarine
qualified and a qualified Chief-of-the-Watch on the BCP (Ballast
Control Panel). While standing Nav watches, I kept the space clean
and deck swept, but I wouldn't get down on my hands and knees
and scrub the deck at the end of the watch. I think that was always
a sore point with my gang as this was required of them at the
end of each watch. But, hey I felt as a CPO I had to have at least
one privilege!
My
first experience with an EBA . . . .
I
remember my first experience with the emergency breathing apparatus
mask (EBA), during a drill shortly after getting underway my first
time. I was teamed up with another CPO and we had to go from all
the way forward to the reactor compartment using this emergency
breathing system. Each EBA had a connector to use for connecting
into an air manifold (these were located throughout the overhead),
as well as an auxiliary connection by which a buddy could connect
into your EBA or you into his. You could therefore move along
in a buddy system (with one or more personnel connected together),
going from manifold-to-manifold proceeding the length of the boat
if need be. Well, this other CPO and I proceeded aft, using the
buddy system with me plugged into his EBA. We proceeded along
with him plugging into an air manifold, both of us grabbing a
gulp of air, unplugging from the manifold and proceeding aft.
Well, the CPO I was teamed up with, I swear must have had king-sized
lungs because I would just barely get some small amount of air
into my lungs and he would be unplugging and heading for the next
manifold! And, he wouldn't necessarily stop at the next manifold
connection, he would skip a couple, trying to go as far as he
could. Well, I wasn't getting much air and I was about to suck
the face shield right out of that mask! I finally jerked on the
hose (connecting my EBA to his) so hard that I pulled him off
his feet! I disconnected from him and immediately plugged into
the nearest manifold and gasped for air! Later, we (along with
several other chiefs) had a good laugh about it. Afterwards, I
came up with the name "smother-f***ers" to describe
these types of drills!
Making
CWO & transfering . . . .
During
our Med deployment, I applied for the Warrant Officer program.
A couple of months after arriving back in the states, I found
out that I was selected. I was picked up on a surface designator,
which meant that I would be going back to the surface Navy. Submarine
duty was good for me, but it wasn't something that I desired to
continue in. I volunteered for submarine duty, I believe, a little
too late in my career. It would have been better, I think, to
have gone into submarine duty straight out of boot camp and therefore
received my training from the ground up. I don't regret volunteering
for submarine service because it was a great learning experience
for me. But, if you like not being home much, not breathing fresh
air, cramped quarters, long hours (7-day work weeks underway),
standing underway watches 6 on and 6 off (on rare occasions, 6
on and 12 off), and trying to fit your normal job and several
collateral duties in between, sleeping in short cat naps and continually
being awakened for all-hands lectures, then submarines are for
you. I loved these guys for their camaraderie, dedication to their
jobs, and their looking out for their own (and families) mentality.
It's an extremely dedicated and very professional group of unselfish
individuals, and they earn every bit of extra pay they get. But,
I was craving the return to fresh air and more space, so I only
applied for a surface designator. I also said to my detailer "I
don't care what ship you put me on just get me back on the West
Coast!"
My
wife's opinion . . . .
This
tour of duty is the only one that my wife jumps back at me every
time I say something bad about the Charleston area. She always
retorts "how would you know, you were never home!" What
little time I was at home, I disliked the humid weather, the bugs
(especially the little no-see'ms that I called flying teeth),
fire ants, etc., and I wanted to get back on the West Coast. I
received orders to the USS Chicago in San Diego.
The
USS L. Mendel Rivers SSN-686 was commissioned 2/75 and decommissioned
5/01.
This
picture is of me and several crew members receiving letters of appreciation
for jobs well done during the past deployment. I also received another
letter of appreciation later
for my job as the United Way Campaign Chairman.
The
L. Mendel Rivers Moored in Naples, Italy.
Also, The catapillar under my nose was my pathetic attempt
at growing a mustache.
The
L. Mendel Rivers Alongside Sub Tender in La Maddalena, Sardinia
LaMaddalena, Sardinia
La Spezia, Italy
Ranks
Attained:
Submarine Qualified
Chief
Warrant Officer W-2 (Electronics Technician)
History
of the USS L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686)
Radio Call Sign: November - November - Tango - Sierra
Class: Sturgeon
Displacement: 4229 tons (surf.), 4762 tons (subm.)
Length:
302', Beam: 31.8', Draft 28' 8"
Depth limit: 1,300'
Speed: Surfaced 15 kts, Submerged 25 kts
Complement: 12 officers - 95 enlisted men
Armament: four 21" torpedo tubes amidships aft of bow, MK 48
Torpedoes,
UUM-44A SUBROC, UGM-84A/C Harpoon, MK 57 deep water mines, MK 60
CAPTOR mines
Combat Sensors: Radar, BPS-14/15 surface search, Sonars, BQQ-5 multi-function
bow mounted, BQR-7 passive in submarines with BQQ-2, BQS-12 active
7, TB-16 or TB-23 towed array
Navigation System: SINS MK3 MOD6
EW Systems: WLQ-4(V), WLR-4(V), WLR-9
Propulsion System: one S5W nuclear reactor, two steam turbines,
one propeller, 15,000 shp
1975:
On
Feb. 1, the USS L. Mendel Rivers SSN-686 is commissioned . She
was built by the Newport News Shipyard and Dry dock Company. She
was the second-to-last of the Sturgeon-class submarines commissioned
and is the last of the class to be inactivated. The ship was named
for the South Carolina congressman who served as chairman of the
House Armed Services Committee in the 89th, 90th and 91st Congresses.
Congressman Rivers was an outspoken advocate of nuclear propulsion
for submarines and aircraft carriers.
1976:
The USS L. Mendel Rivers SSN-686
departed on her first 6-month Mediterranean Deployment. During
this deployment she had port calls in La Maddalena, Sardinia and
Naples, Italy. She was also the recipient of the Hook'em Award.
1991:
USS L. Mendel Rivers (SSN 686) modified to carry a Dry Deck Shelter
DDS. In this configuration she is primarily tasked with the covert
insertion of special forces troops from an attached Dry Deck Shelter
(DDS). The Dry Deck Shelter is a submersible launch hanger with
a hyperbolic chamber that attaches to the ship's Weapon Shipping
Hatch. The DDS provides the most tactically practical means of
SEAL delivery due to its size, capabilities, and location on the
ship.
1998:
USS L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) served as
Special Operations platform, as part of two Aircraft Carrier Groups
in the Persian Gulf. Homeport of Norfolk, Virginia. Crew of 107.
Sturgeon Class sub.
2000:
The USS L. Mendel Rivers SSN-686
departs Norfolk, VA to begin the final voyage of her 25-year career.
She was to proceed to the Arctic Circle and operate beneath the
polar ice cap. She punched through the ice cap during this trip.
Several weeks later, she surfaced in the Straits of Juan de Fuca
and piloted into Victoria, British Columbia for a port call.
2001:
In May, she was deactivated in Bremerton, WA. During her active
duty, she completed two Arctic deployments, eight North Atlantic
deployments and eight Mediterranean deployments.
The
L. Mendel Rivers at the North Pole (on her final voyage
prior to decommissioning).
Please Sign My Guest Book
Links
[To USS L. Mendel Rivers Related Web Sites]
USS
LMR Decom
Military.com
USS
LMR Cruise Report
NavSource.com
SubNet.com
USS LMR
History
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