Naval Traditions: Submariners.
Since the dawn of sailing, and across all ages,
the image of sailors has been wrapped in an aura of romance and adventure.
They stand as daredevils, sailing the high seas and facing their destiny.
But submariners are another story:
heroes of the mysterious and silent world of the depths.
However, it doesn't matter
whether a sailor performs their duty on the surface or underwater,
they always stay true to the traditions of their service.
Give them a reason— and they'll invent new ones.
Here's an example.
When embarking on long cruises,
which are usually secret and last several months,
a submariner might write some letters to their family before departing,
and hide them all over their house,
thus setting a sort of quest for their relatives.
They take care, of course,
to make sure that sensual messages for a beloved spouse
remain out of the reach of young children.
Another custom, observed on diesel submarines,
prohibited any kind of physical training when the boat was in a submerged state.
The explanation was simple— saving the oxygen
that an athlete actively consumes during exercise and turns into carbon dioxide.
Furthermore, a dumbbell dropped on the floor
could potentially disclose the location of a submarine on combat duty.
However, there is one sport that’s available to crew members
and also fondly loved by them.
This might sound strange,
but submariners just adore swimming during long cruises.
If the tactical situation and weather allow it, the submarine surfaces,
and the commander permits the crew to swim in the open sea and tan.
At the same time, an observer armed with a rifle,
watching out for any sharks in the vicinity.
While there would be little point in firing at them if they appeared,
at least the shots would alert the swimmers to any incoming danger.
The crew of modern submarines
compare their service to the daily routine of regular office workers.
You wake up, have breakfast, go to your workstation,
sit, and stare at a display for hours.
But one day, all of a sudden, the entire boat
bursts with unrestrained fun, accompanied by music and pranks.
That's how the crew of US submarines celebrate the middle of their cruise.
The festivities reach their peak
when sailors bombard their favorite crew member with custard-cream pies.
The rank of the lucky person doesn't matter.
If the crew decides that you are the best fellow on board—
you’re getting a pie in the face.
By the way, in the US or British Navy, in order to become a good fellow,
you first need to obtain your "fish."
That's how sailors call the insignia of a qualified submariner.
To earn it, you need to undergo a one-year training program,
complete a combat cruise, and know the ship inside and out.
By the way, the dolphins that are shown on this insignia are there for a reason.
In the 1920s, the way in which submarines submerged and surfaced
reminded people of these animals,
because they needed to come up to the surface from time to time
in order to replenish oxygen reserves and charge batteries.
The Russian submarine fleet also has its own traditional animal,
but its connection to sailors is of a different sort.
During World War II,
the commander of a Soviet submarine made the chief of food service promise
that if he returned from the upcoming mission victorious,
the latter would roast an entire pig for his crew.
The submarine completed its designated task successfully,
and the chief kept his word.
Since then, when Russian submariners return from combat duty,
they are greeted by an orchestra at the pier
and are treated to a roasted piglet.
That's how submariners are.
Mysterious on the outside; cheerful on the inside.
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