GROTON, Conn. – A McHenry, Illinois, native, Sonar Technician (Submarine) Seaman Apprentice Daniel Smith is currently serving aboard the 17th and newest Virginia-class fast attack submarine in the Navy, USS South Dakota (SSN 790), which is scheduled to be commissioned February 2.
As a sonar technician, Smith uses technology that picks up sounds emanating from the surrounding waters to identify objects and other watercraft which he reports to the sonar supervisor who verifies and reports the information directly to the officer of the deck.
It is a vital role in warfighting efforts for the sonar technician to identify the exact location of targets to ensure the armaments reach their intended destination. Sonar technicians also act in the defense of the ship’s physical safety and environmental awareness.
Smith says his proudest accomplishment was completing the sonar technician school and joining the fleet. “That school was mighty hard,” he said.
He joined the Navy because he “wanted to do and see exotic things before [he] had to pick a career,” which he has decided will be in the medical field as a doctor.
“To be honest, I wasn’t gonna do very well in college at that point, I needed to do a bit of growing up,” he said.
Smith enjoys spends his off-duty time staying active by rock-wall climbing and doing calisthenics.
Smith’s family is deeply embedded in the military with his grandfather serving in the Army, his father in the Navy, his uncle in the Army, and his brother as “a shiny brand-new Marine.”
The South Dakota is a flexible, multi-mission platform designed to carry out the seven core competencies of the submarine force: anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, delivery of special operation forces, strike warfare, irregular warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and mine warfare. It’s 377 feet long and 34 feet wide and weighs nearly 7,800 tons, powered by a nuclear reactor to push the boat through the water at speeds of more than 25 knots while submerged.
As the most modern and sophisticated attack submarine in the world, the submarine can operate in both littoral and deep ocean environments and presents combatant commanders with a broad and unique range of operational capabilities.