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And bit by bit the root problems with recruiting are being uncovered :)

And with that single, insightful comment, the problem of recruiting for submarines has been identified :)

As regards recruiting, many decades ago when I was being courted (as an MSEO in training) to switch to subs, I heard lots of stories about the initiation process for new submariners. The rumour was that those without the submariner qualification (their dolphins) could be ridiculed, humiliated...

Billions are spent on environmental remediation for risks that are imperceptibly low. Remediation of historic contaminated sites should be based on actual hazards to health not theoretical harm. In general, remediation criteria are so low as to be difficult and expensive to meet. Money...

Hello, I recently spent some time uncovering the history of one of my ancestors. There are two vital steps to follow: 1. Request the personnel file from Library and Archives Canada...

I would speculate contract requirements, terms and conditions have become more elaborate, complex and difficult to meet. Here is an oversimplified version: the old contract said to produce trousers based on existing specifications for trousers. The new contract says to produce trousers...

At the end of their life, it costs hundreds of millions of dollars to decommission a nuclear facility. Those costs would also apply to nuclear powered submarines. The decommissioning process can last for decades.

PS: I would also add that young people today have a reasonable chance of living to be 100 years old. You can train to be an MSEO, complete your obligations, go work on a PhD bringing lots of hands on experience and still have 30 or 40 years of working career ahead of you. The idea of...

MARE/MS training is a lot of work and involves a lot of time away and a lot of time onboard a ship. Shipboard life can be a challenge (that is a whole other thread). If you are not 100% committed to this path, you will likely find it not to your liking. That's the best advice I can offer.

It's been two days and no one has answered so I will speak up. I am a former Navy Marine Systems Engineer but long out of uniform. So whatever I say is likely outdated. I can't respond to the specifics of your questions but here are some general thoughts: 1. Marine Systems Engineering...

Pardon me while I share an anecdote. Although quite dated I think it may be illustrative. I was a very junior MARE/MS going through the training process. At some point, an effort was made to convince a few of us trainees that the submarine fleet (Oberons at the time) was the way to go...

[Sarcasm] My guess is that there is a huge number of people in the DND bureaucracy with 20 years to retirement. Right now they are thinking of every way to spin out this procurement and ride that gravy train right to the golden handshake.

Has this been cross-posted to Reddit? I don't have an account over there. Some of the good folks who contribute to that conversation might want to add their two cents on the future of military colleges.

As noted above, supporting a fleet of SSNs requires huge infrastructure and much of that would have to be civilian. As lovely as I am sure it is, I am not sure that the several hundred (or maybe several thousand) required nuclear industry professionals would give up their positions...

hated is a bit strong. Found those guys a bit annoying at times, but not really hated. :)

You are correct about the infrastructure. Nuclear security teams are similar to police SWAT units. Heavily armed (by Canadian standards), well trained and highly regulated. Additional infrastructure requirements: Environmental monitoring. Emergency planning and response. Regulatory...

Not to distract from this useful thread, but do they still have firefighters standing by during helo ops? If so, who does that role? Just curious. I was unaware of this change (I have been out of uniform for a long time). Thanks.

I come from a poor and dysfunctional family. ROTP was my ticket away from that.

Agree with Mr Eaglelord17. I worked for 30 years as a licensed professional engineer and am now semi-retired. I think I have a pretty good grasp of applied math, science and chemistry and could likely teach senior high school and pepper the lessons with lots of real-world applications. How...

Young people today have a reasonable chance of living to be 100 years old. I don't know why we (as a society) force them to make choices when they are perhaps 16 years old that may impact their entire lives. I think more young folks should be encouraged to travel, volunteer, 'gap year', join...