NUCLEAR TRAINING

       Navy Nuclear Power training began, for me, at the Naval Nuclear Power School at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California in August 1973 and lasted until December...more than enough time to digest every conceptual and subtle ramification of nuclear theory and physics, system inter-operation, overall design, including then-current experimental deviations, and general naval submarine policy...all of which resulted in 21 credit hours of math and science alone...in six months!

      In retrospect, although I've been stationed in or visited many very interesting places in my eight-year hitch, I must say that, in spite of the fact I relocated back here in the Groton-New London area (A family-proximity consideration!), Nuclear Power School was, without question, my favorite location...it was near so much!!! My cousin, Pat, who lived with us for a while when she was younger (so she was kinda like a sister), and from whom I had been separated for many years, lived in San Francisco, on 13th and Taraval; that accounted for the lion's share of my weekends, with excursions to Fisherman's Wharf, Candlestick Park, Marin County (Such beautiful and interesting places like Sausolito, Tiburon & Belvedere...all the old houses and great sandwiches...) and so much more.

      On some weekends, however, I'd trip down to Reseda (In the "Valley"!!!) to see my very own "Valley Girl", Patti, who was the daughter of Pat's stepfather's new wife!?! (Sorry, my life, while fairly interesting, was also pretty convoluted!!!) She was a typical doll who even had a girlfriend named "Sunshine" (A "No-Sh...er" - this WAS the early 70's, folks!); in fact, my very best weekend of the six months I was there was when Patti came and stayed with Pat and me along with Pat's sister, Cheri's, daughter, Kim. We took the bay cruise out to Alcatraz, really did up the Fisherman's Wharf scene, toured Ghirardelli Square, and so much more...Pat sure knew how to pack one ton of fun into a weekend, though, if I remember correctly, this was a three-day, holiday weekend!

      Upon successful graduation, and after a short leave for the holidays (Which I spent with Patti rather than going home to visit the folks!), Nuclear Prototype training began at the NPTU (Nuclear Prototype Training Unit) in the Arco desert in Idaho; I lived in Idaho Falls where the high-points of culture were taunting the Mormon mailman with an offer of a cup of coffee on a cold winter day (Idaho only has two seasons: Winter and the Fourth of July!!!) and the gut-bucket/kazoo band at the Gas Lamp, a local pizzeria!!! The "normal" day involved a 1-1/2 hour ride each way on the NPTU's bus; you were not allowed to drive to the site and, if you missed the bus three times you were dropped from the program! In between the bus rides was a 12 hour training day. If this doesn't sound harsh enough, it was all on a rotating-shift basis with 7 days on days, one day off, 7 days on swings, two days off, 7 days on mids, 5 days off, and repeat...ad nauseum...for another six months!!!

      This training duty involved applying all the conceptual knowledge we'd gained as we actually qualified on the various watchstations of our very first nuclear propulsion plant. There was still a hefty classroom load, but this was offset and, in fact, enhanced by an equal opportunity to put all our newly-won talents to work as we learned to diagram every system from memory, operate these systems as needed to qualify for each station, and, then, prove our watchstander worth through IPO (Integrated Plant Ops) interviews/tests. The plant I trained on was the prototype for the USS Narwhal, the S5G plant, which was pretty experimental with regard to noise elimination/attenuation. She had a Natural Circulation Reactor up to a certain percentage of power, after which Eductor Pumps, external to the Main Loops, kicked in to boost the natural circ. She also had no Reduction Gears between her Main Turbine and the Propeller Shaft. The turbine theory involved in this feat was extremely interesting. Her Main Air Conditioners were powered by steam, and even her Turbine Generators were different...to evaluate elimination of electrical noise: one was the standard rotating field type while the other had a rotating armature! Quite possibly the most universal lesson we all learned, however, that would serve us the most consistently throughout our service careers, was the theory and engineered principles of...FIELD DAY: How to clean where only the beam of a flashlight can reach...while the plant is hot and amid the unlagged steam traps...to the satisfaction of the engineer!!!